Burco Boiler mod

[Twostage]

Did my first brew with my new 30 ltr Burco Cygnet (and immersion chiller). Brilliant piece of kit and very handily setting 3 is mash temp, and 4 is sparge. The combination of boiler and chiller saved at least an hour on the brew time.

One thing, though, is the boil is very aggressive and I lost a lot of the boil to evaporation. I'm thinking I could fit some kind of variable resistor so that I can make it so it boils less viciously. Anybody out there done something similar ?

 

[Twostage]

OK. So I've modded it

I used a universal simmerstat - £15, very expensive knob - £5 and some spade connectors.

Before the mod :-

(Live going straight to the element)

After :-

New control on the left :-

The whole thing :-

Basically you put the wires from either end of the element into the output of the simmerstat and then put new leads from the input of the simmerstat to where the other wires used to be (the main live in and neutral from the thermostat). Had to check the as-is a couple of times as it is switched on the neutral side not live side, i.e. it is being switched after the element not before. I thought I was getting it wrong. Must be OK to do this as it is enclosed.

Tested it with 4 litres. I think its going to be around a 4.5 setting to get a tamed boil.

 

[Tony1951]

A very useful and clear 'how to'. I'm thinking of getting one of these to make the AG quicker and easier. I am finding that even doing small 10 litre brews on the stove top takes an age of waiting about for temperatures to reach the right level. I have an electric ceramic hob and I don't think there is good enough contact between the depression on most of the bottom of my pot and the ceramic hob. There is a saucer sized dent in the pot base which is 2 or 3 mm off the hob. Waiting adds ages to brew times. The Burco way looks very attractive.

 

[BeerCat]

Ive got one of these, well a much older version i think. When i got it home i filled it up and put it to boil, left it 15m and when i checked it was boiling away like crazy. I don't have such a nice looking tap as your though. What size chiller are you using with it? I think mine boiler is 30l if filled to the top. Your mod looks cool by the way, thanks for sharing.

 

[Twostage]

Ive got one of these, well a much older version i think. When i got it home i filled it up and put it to boil, left it 15m and when i checked it was boiling away like crazy. I don't have such a nice looking tap as your though. What size chiller are you using with it? I think mine boiler is 30l if filled to the top. Your mod looks cool by the way, thanks for sharing.

The chiller is in the picture in the first post, still in its placcy bag. Not sure of the size but I can post a link to where I got in on eBay. It cools 20 litres down to pitch temperature in about 25 minutes or so (never really timed it). This one would be 30 to the brim too.

 

[Twostage]

A very useful and clear 'how to'. I'm thinking of getting one of these to make the AG quicker and easier. I am finding that even doing small 10 litre brews on the stove top takes an age of waiting about for temperatures to reach the right level. I have an electric ceramic hob and I don't think there is good enough contact between the depression on most of the bottom of my pot and the ceramic hob. There is a saucer sized dent in the pot base which is 2 or 3 mm off the hob. Waiting adds ages to brew times. The Burco way looks very attractive.

Yes, I got fed up with a 19 litre pot with a concave bottom on a ceramic hob. It actually needs to be up to temperature before the bottom flattens out (maybe tipping boiling water from a kettle into it and then adding the rest of the water would work ?).

The other advantage of the burco is 3 on the dial is mash temperature. So you just set it for three and go and do other things.

 

[dweb]

Hi.Did you have a rolling boil before the stat mod or is there a cut out before the boil?

 

[baggybill]

Hi.Did you have a rolling boil before the stat mod or is there a cut out before the boil?

Bought mine a couple of months ago, bog standard, no mods, holds a rolling boil no problem. Here's the temps I get at each stage:

3 = 65'C
4 = 81'C
5 = 94.5'C
5.5 = 100'C
'H' (letter H from 'High') = Rolling boil for 22 minutes (cut-out)
Max = (roughly 'H'.5 i.e. up a slight notch) = constant rolling boil

Hope that helps :-D

 

[Smileyr8]

Bought mine a couple of months ago, bog standard, no mods, holds a rolling boil no problem. Here's the temps I get at each stage:

3 = 65'C
4 = 81'C
5 = 94.5'C
5.5 = 100'C
'H' (letter H from 'High') = Rolling boil for 22 minutes (cut-out)
Max = (roughly 'H'.5 i.e. up a slight notch) = constant rolling boil

Hope that helps :-D

Baggy mine bought not long after you, mine does not go beyond H, mine did a rolling 60 minute boil on H no problems.

 

[dweb]

Thanks guys.It looks a better job than converting a legally obtained keg.