Insulation on a brew kettle

[TemplarBrewing]

How necessary would insulation be on a brew kettle for a seven barrel bk... other than being hot to be around... can it be manageable?

[TiminOz]

Extremely Dangerous!! And most likely non-compliant with any local codes.

[TemplarBrewing]

Extremely Dangerous!! And most likely non-compliant with any local codes.

Wonder why they would even sell one uninstalled...?
Thanks

[backslope]

Not recommending it, but it could be manageable. I used to have an old 600 liter (functionally 4 bbl) Letina wine fermenter as a brew kettle, had a wok style gas burner underneath. The burner had a heat shield around it to focus heat up to the kettle, but the kettle was uninsulated. It was HOT in the brewhouse on brew days , but I used it for about 2 years, and managed not to seriously scald myself. I bought it used from another brewery that had used it for a few years, and have now sold it to another start up that is on a budget and planning on using it as a hot liquor tank. I now have a nice professional insulated 7 bbl kettle from Forgeworks, and I am extremely happy with it.

So, manageable? Yes. Recommended? I will leave that decision to you.

Good luck.

[TemplarBrewing]

Not recommending it, but it could be manageable. I used to have an old 600 liter (functionally 4 bbl) Letina wine fermenter as a brew kettle, had a wok style gas burner underneath. The burner had a heat shield around it to focus heat up to the kettle, but the kettle was uninsulated. It was HOT in the brewhouse on brew days , but I used it for about 2 years, and managed not to seriously scald myself. I bought it used from another brewery that had used it for a few years, and have now sold it to another start up that is on a budget and planning on using it as a hot liquor tank. I now have a nice professional insulated 7 bbl kettle from Forgeworks, and I am extremely happy with it.

So, manageable? Yes. Recommended? I will leave that decision to you.

Good luck.

Thanks for the help!!!

[jawsfree]

I am getting ready to use a 400 gallon single wall tank with direct fire as a BK myself. I was trying to find some way to insulate the sides as well. I was thinking maybe some ceramic insulation like they use on boilers, just haven't figured out how to attach it yet.

[TemplarBrewing]

I am getting ready to use a 400 gallon single wall tank with direct fire as a BK myself. I was trying to find some way to insulate the sides as well. I was thinking maybe some ceramic insulation like they use on boilers, just haven't figured out how to attach it yet.

I used to work at a refinery... wish I had access to the insulation they had laying around.......

[Ted Briggs]

Brick works- 1 layer of fire brick and one for the outside to look nice.

https://www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.u...chment/grittys

[TemplarBrewing]

Brick works- 1 layer of fire brick and one for the outside to look nice.

https://www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.u...chment/grittys

Interesting!

[WaterEng]

It also depends on how the kettle is heated. There is not really a reason why that would create a code violation if the kettle is steam or electric heated. Foam or batting wrapped around the kettle and protected from soaking and physical damage could be workable.

[TemplarBrewing]

It also depends on how the kettle is heated. There is not really a reason why that would create a code violation if the kettle is steam or electric heated. Foam or batting wrapped around the kettle and protected from soaking and physical damage could be workable.

Thanks for the info! Lots of stuff to consider.

[Bigredwelder]

I used to work at a refinery... wish I had access to the insulation they had laying around.......

Hey Rick, the insulation you are talking about is readily available, as are the pins to attach it. I'll PM you some info.

[torque2]

I would be interested in that info as well. Is it rockwool?

[Bigredwelder]

I would be interested in that info as well. Is it rockwool?

torque2 I PM'd you.

[StoutTanksMike]

Insulation on a brew kettle

I would highly recommend insulation on all tanks. Especially 3 bbls and bigger. I wouldn't want to lose my business over a few bucks from an accidental burn. In my opinion without insulation it's only a matter of time before someone gets a permanent scar or worse.

Safety - with insulation the odds of a burn are much less
Efficiency - Much more efficient with insulation. I've had results of getting to a boil 15 mins faster with insulation. If you are brewing 3 times a week that adds up to 37.5 hrs at 50 weeks! This is 2 week vacation paid for by the insulation. Without insulation the heat escaping kettle into the brewery will put a bigger toll on your AC and make bill higher for cooling the brewery. Also putting more strain on the AC unit and shortening the lifespan.

SAFETY is my biggest concern. To me a few bucks to ensure that I don't lose my dream brewery to an accidental burn is worth the small cost of insulation.

I hope this helps. If you need any pricing for some insulated tanks please feel free to reach out to myself or any of our other experienced brewers. For our tanks it's typically around $800-1000 for insulation.

Cheers,

Mike Paladino
Brewery Design Consultant
support@stouttanks.com
Stout Tanks and Kettles, LLC
https://conical-fermenter.com/
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