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Kettle elements causing vibration

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  • Kettle elements causing vibration

    Has anyone come across heating elements causing the kettle to vibrate. This only happens with wort and not with water only. The elements are placed pretty low to the base of the kettle and are offset from the middle, and this has not happened in similarly designed systems. Thanks

  • #2
    Originally posted by amylittle View Post
    Has anyone come across heating elements causing the kettle to vibrate. This only happens with wort and not with water only. The elements are placed pretty low to the base of the kettle and are offset from the middle, and this has not happened in similarly designed systems. Thanks
    I have a theory, but it's kind of flimsy. I think the reason it does it with wort and not plain water is that 50/60 Hz is very near a natural harmonic of the kettle when the liquid is at the specific gravity of wort. Plain water changes the dynamics and the natural harmonic changes, and is farther away from the line frequency. It's a hard theory to prove, but perhaps you can change something with the kettle to alter the harmonic. Like strapping something to the side, I dunno.

    Does this happen if the kettle level is much lower?

    Does it happen both before and after you come to a boil?

    It might be just the element that is vibrating. I don't know what kind or how big the element is, but if you can change it's position (rotate it, use a different type of gasket), maybe you can get the vibration to stop or at least be reduced. Possibly temporarily attach a small piece of compatible metal across the loops at the end of the element and see if the vibration stops.

    Regards,
    Mike Sharp

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    • #3
      I have come across this as well. I have a 1bbl stout system and s type coils. it never happens in the hlt but will in the boil kettle. I haven't noticed if it was only with wort though.

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      • #4
        mine does the same

        I have 4 element tank drawing 100 amp and with water dont "HUM". but when is building the heat for boiling with the wort it hum strong. once it gets above 180 it disappear.

        I have other issue but in the mash that I will ask for help later tonight.

        Chuck Peterson

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        • #5
          I had this in a couple of batches. Last time I cleaned the elements (I have four ripple type) I gently bent the coils apart slightly, and on todays batch no vibration. It would shake the whole kettle from about 165-185F and stopped once it got hotter than that. I was also able to track it down to one specific element by powering them off individually.

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          • #6
            The bent coils spacing... fascinating.

            Wonder if it's possible they're doing an aquaman tuning fork type situation.

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