Insulating a Brew Pot for faster more efficient boils

[JonGoku]

You already did...

DOH!

[JonGoku]

This would be easy to test. I might try it this week or next weekend.

Bring water to a boil in the kettle.
Measure the temperature of the water immediately adjacent to the kettle walls at several levels in the kettle.
Measure the temperature of the water in the center of the kettle at the same levels.

If the water at the kettle walls is heating faster than the center water column, then we'll know that heat is entering from the kettle walls not exiting and insulating them would be a mistake.

Hey BB, did you ever try this?

[backyard brewer]

No, I just haven't had time.

[backyard brewer]

Just FYI...

I'm heating some water right now to acid clean the new copper whirlpool return (read: severe ankle burn eliminator) I just made. So I took some quick measurements of the air flow around the kettle. With the kettle 1/4 full (so about 7 gallons) and the burner full blast, the air around the kettle went off the thermometer's scale of 375*. This was in the area's where there was no heat shield directing flow away. On the sides of the kettle where my heat shield is diverting air flow, the air adjacent to the kettle still measured 194* with an internal fluid temperature of 134*

So.... Not all that scientific I admit, but I'm going to conclude insulating the boil kettle in a gas-fired system is a bad idea.

Now insulating the draft around the kettle and holding it there a little longer is a really good idea. Maybe that's why gas water heaters do that....

[JonGoku]

Well if you could "enginate" a metal skirt with vent holes like you mentioned above, that would be pretty cool. If you gave it a few hooks to catch onto the lip of the pot you would be able to take it off/on pretty easy (once cooled). Only problem is cost I guess unless you have the scrap/material laying around.

Was thinking something like this made of metal.

[Marotte Brewery]

To me, it looks like a washing machine bin, with most of the bottom cut off...

You should be able to find one pretty cheap... Cut a large enough hole and the bottom, weld on your hooks (you might even be able to bolt them on using the existing holes...) and you have a good experiment waiting.....

[JonGoku]

To me, it looks like a washing machine bin, with most of the bottom cut off...

You should be able to find one pretty cheap... Cut a large enough hole and the bottom, weld on your hooks (you might even be able to bolt them on using the existing holes...) and you have a good experiment waiting.....

Interesting observation. I wonder if the washing machine bin material would hold up to the extreme heat and not "melt" or give off any toxins.

[carbon]

A couple of months ago, I saw a few ads on Craigs list selling washing machine bins with the intention that they be used as a fire pit, touting how great they worked for that. They seemed to have several to choose from. Judging by those ads, they should hold up to heat.

[Marotte Brewery]

They do. My father-in-law has one. I think they even sand-blast them before adding the other BBQ accessories to make sure you are not cooking paint with your hamburgers.

I tried to find a picture of what he has, but I am having zero luck. If you find a used bin, you might want to take it to the desert and bon-fire it to make sure you get most of the paint off...

[JonGoku]

Derrin, your the man with the tools. How's this experiment sound?

[backyard brewer]

Should be easy enough to try.