Stainless Steel Heating Element Upgrade

High Gravity 5500 Watt Stainless Steel Heating Element

After four years of regular use, I starting seeing small black specks of what I thought were burnt wort at the bottom of the kettle. On closer inspection, I saw that the hard insulator around the heating element was deteriorating. The rubber boot covering the 220-volt wire connections to the heating element had become brittle some time ago. And the electrical tape added as a quick fix didn't appear to be waterproof or safe. It was time to replace the heating element. 

I submitted a service request to High Gravity Supplies describing what happened to the original heating element. That day I received an email from owner Dave Knott letting me know what replacement options were available. The first option would be to replace the original water heater type element with a newer BoilCoil element. This option would require more rework of my kettle than I cared to. Having a removable power cord would make cleaning in place a thing of the past. But it would require drilling a new hole to allow clearance for the taller BoilCoil. Then plug the original hole used by the old element. And drilling holes for the bolts that hold the basket above the BoilCoil.

The second option would be a direct replacement of the original heating element. There would be no extra holes to drill or plug. Just remove and replace it. I decided to go with this option. The newer element design addresses issues with insulator cracking and flaking. It also replaces the rubber wire connector cover with a sturdy stainless steel cover. All of which are improvements over the original design.

The third option was to replace only the heating element. It meant rewiring the replacement element and reusing the original power cord. It was the least expensive option but not the best one. Not without having a fix for the element insulator and connector issues.

Unscrewing The Existing Bulkhead Fitting Was A Challenge

With the necessary parts ordered and waiting to be delivered, the next step was to remove the weldless bulkhead fitting. I gave the kettle an overnight soak of Powdered Brewery Wash mixed with few gallons of 170F/68C water. Hoping the combination of cleaner and heat would make unscrewing the fitting easier.  It didn't. I soon learned how difficult a four year build up of burnt wort would make this seemingly simple task.

Using two large channel lock pliers to grip both ends of the fitting and all the strength I had the fitting did spin. But to unscrew it from the kettle one end had to be prevented from turning. I sprayed both fitting ends with vegetable oil spray. I tried it again but still no luck unscrewing the fitting. Although now it was easier to spin in the hole.

Finally, I clamped one channel lock on the heating element itself and jammed the handles against the kettle wall to keep the fitting from spinning. With the kettle on its side, I cranked down on the pliers as hard as possible. After a few sharp taps with a hammer to help loosen the carbon build up on the threads. The element started to turn while the inside nut stayed put. Breaking the heating element in two in the process because of the force applied while holding it.

After A Few Choice Words And Some Sweat The New Heating Element Is Working Great

Aside from a few small dents on the bottom of the kettle from the channel lock pliers, the new heating element looks and works great. The new design has a stainless steel cover plate to protect the insulator from direct contact with the wort. And a waterproof stainless steel connector cover has replaced the rubber one. At 5500 watts it's a small but welcome improvement over the 5000 watt element that shipped with my High Gravity system as well.

Upgrading the heating element was a bit more challenging than expected. Replacing the old element with the newer version was definitely worth the cost and effort to install it. The entire process took a little over four hours to complete. Including setup and cleanup time needed to get the kettle ready for brewing. The food-safe vegetable oil used to lubricate the holes during drilling cleaned up easily. And checking the kettle for leaks after filling it took another hour. In all the upgrade cost about $120.00. And worth it to keep my brewing system well maintained and up to date.

Perlick 630 Series Faucet - Easy Installation

Oh the dull drudgery of bottling! What better catalyst for throwing oneself into the world of beer kegging could there ever be. With kegging those seemingly endless hours spent cleaning, removing labels and sanitizing countless numbers of bottles becomes a thing of the past. A single five gallon keg holds the equivalent of four dozen 12 ounce bottles and a keg is much easier to clean, sanitize and fill than all of those bottles. Kegging also saves a lot of time and that time saved will be much better spent enjoying delicious draft beer at home.

Using little more than a bottle of Co2 and regulator, a short length of beer line and a picnic tap you will be able to pour yourself a draft beer almost anywhere. In time you may want to expand your basic kegging system to include a high quality beer faucet and tap. One easy way to install a beer faucet is to locate it on the side of a refrigerator. But before drilling any holes be sure to check to make sure that there are no wires or refrigeration lines in the way of the drill bit.

I spoke with the General Electric customer support folks and they confirmed that the sides of my Americana model A3316ABSHRWW refrigerator did not contain any hidden wires or tubing. If the side walls of the refrigerator are free of obstructions then installing the beer faucet in the side is your best option. Although door mounted beer faucets are another option the beer lines will need room to move around inside the refrigerator whenever the door is opened and closed.

Having Beer On Tap Is Awesome, Having Two Beers On Tap Is Even Awesomerer

Some homebrewers hold off on kegging until they are no longer devoting all of their free time to brewing beer. If you have never installed a beer faucet before the process may seem overwhelming to you at first. But it is reassuring to know that installing a beer faucet is easy to do once you know how. Once your new beer faucet is installed you will be able to drink fresh draft beer anytime you want without ever having to leave your home. 

What Is Needed To Begin

Before getting started there are a few things you will need. An electric drill with a 7/8 inch hole saw is used to drill the hole through the side wall for the nip shank. A pair of channel lock pliers or a wrench is needed to tighten the flange nut onto the shank end inside the refrigerator. A small screwdriver is needed to tighten the hose clamps that secure the beer line to the barb end connectors. The main parts used in a beer faucet installation are the beer faucet, a nip shank, a tap handle and a drip tray.

Beer faucets can be ordered in several styles and types, I prefer using stainless steel over the chrome or plastic types. Stainless steel faucets are durable and they will never pit, rust or corrode under normal use. The Perlick taps are made using a patented design that uses less internal parts than other beer faucets. This design greatly reduces the chance of any mold, mildew or bacteria from growing inside the faucet and tap. Combined with the benefits of all stainless steel construction the Perlick beer faucets do provide you with years of trouble free use. 

Making Beer Faucets Your Own By Using  Custom Tap Handles

The Tools That Are Needed:

Electric drill
7/8 inch diameter hole saw
Wrench or pliers to fit a 1 1/4 inch nut
Slotted screw driver
1/8 inch drill bit
Utility knife or scissors
 
It can easily take a day or more to hunt down all of the parts needed for a brewing project. Knowing in advance which parts to order and having the correct parts on hand before starting the installation will actually save you a lot of time. I decided to install a Perlick Forward Sealing Faucet (304 Stainless) model to use in my installation. I had previously installed the stainless steel Perlick Creamer Faucet and wanted the new faucet to match the same look.

The Parts That Are Needed:

1 - Perlick “Forward Sealing” Faucet (304 S/S)
1 - Nip Shank 2 7/8"  with 1/4" Bore (For 1 1/2" Thick Side Wall)
1 - Drip Tray 4" x 4 1/2" with 1" Back
10 feet - 3/16" ID x 7/16" OD FOXX SuperFlex PVC Tubing
2 - Small Stainless Steel hose clamps
1 - Barbed Swivel Nut, 1/4" Flare, 1/4" Barb
1 - 1/4 Inch Threaded Beer Post Connector
2 - Stainless Steel sheet metal screws 1 inch long (for drip tray)

Starting The Installation:

Mark the location and then drill a small diameter hole in the side of the refrigerator where you want to install the faucet. Run the drill bit through both the outer and the inside refrigerator walls. Next use a hole saw to drill through the outer metal wall of the refrigerator, using a medium drill speed while pushing lightly on the drill. Remove the metal circle cutout from the hole and then drill through the foam insulation until the tip of the hole saw pilot bit comes through the inner wall of the refrigerator. Take care not to use too much force when drilling through the plastic inside wall of the refrigerator. The goal is to drill a clean hole through the inside wall without creating any cracks in the plastic.

Using A Hole Saw To Drill The Hole For The Nip Shank

A small vacuum cleaner does a good job of cleaning up any foam particles created during the drilling process. Once the hole has been cleared of foam remove the flange nut from the barbed end of the nip shank. Next align the beer faucet with the collar end of the nip shank and then firmly tighten the collar to connect the faucet. Push the barb end of the shank through the hole and secure the assembly in place by holding the faucet level while tightening the flange nut.

7/8 Inch Nip Shank With 1/4 Inch Barb For Beer Line

With the beer faucet connected to the nip shank and the assembly firmly secured to the refrigerator wall connect a 10 foot long length of 3/16 inch inside diameter beer line to the 1/4 barb end of the nip shank. Using this combination of beer line diameter and line length allows me to carbonate and serve my kegged beer with the Co2 regulator set between 10 to 12 psi. Soaking the 3/16 inch beer line end, in near boiling water for a minute, will soften it enough to slip onto the larger 1/4 inch diameter barb. With the beer line firmly over the barbed end of the nip shank secure it in place using a small stainless steel hose clamp.     

3/16 Inch Beer Line Connection To 1/4 Inch Barb End

To connect the beer faucet to a keg you must first attach the barb end of a 1/4 inch swivel nut to the end of the beer line and secure it with a small stainless steel hose clamp. With the beer line attached to the nip shank and the swivel nut and both hose clamps tightened, the swivel nut can be tightened onto a beer out post connector. Snap the beer out post connector onto a keg of carbonated beer and then pour a cold one to enjoy as you check and make sure there are no leaks.

Let Your Creative Side Show With Custom Tap Handles

The drip tray is mounted to the side of the refrigerator using two short stainless steel sheet metal screws. Before drilling the holes make sure that your tallest beer glass will fit between the top of the tray and the bottom of the beer faucet. Then center the beer tray underneath the beer faucet, while holding the tray level, then mark the tops of the slotted mounting holes on the wall using a pencil. Locate the pencil marks and then use a 1/8 inch drill bit to drill through just the metal outer wall of the refrigerator.

Having Two Beers On Tap Is Twice As Rewarding As One

Loosely thread the screws into the side of the refrigerator and then slip the drip tray mounting slots over the screw heads. With the drip tray hanging from the two screws tighten the screws, leaving a 1/8 inch space between the wall and the screw head. When it comes time to clean the drip tray you should be able to lift it off the mounting screws without having to use a screw driver. In less time than it took to write this article I was able to install a second Perlick beer faucet in my refrigerator and by following these instructions so can you.