Peco Boiler 32lt - Minimum Water Mark

[MarkP]

Hey Guys, just wondering about the minimum water mark on the peco boiler, its marked at 10 litres.
Is it safe to use below 10 litres or would it produce a crazy boil or wreck the element.

Want to start brewing smaller batches just wondering if I should get a stove top kettle or can I keep using the peco.
Cheers

[Joe_Brau]

I don't know about the minimum boil level, but one thing I discovered about my Peco boiler after two or three brews - double-check the markings yourself as they're probably wrong!

Exhibit "A" -

[Greg2013]

The minimum mark is there for a reason,it's to protect the elements from burning dry.I have a peco boiler also and i would not advise boiling anything less than the recommended 10lts,you will feck your elements,i know because i have had it happen to me.

Get yourself a cheap SS stove top pot if you are wanting to do batches that small would be my advice.

Joe is right the graduations are a good 3lts out on my Peco,you are going to have to calibrate it using a reliable vessel to measure your water.

[Joe_Brau]

I thought I was some sort of efficiency wizard after the OG of my first two BIAB batches turned out way higher then expected...  Turns out there was a more mundane explanation!

[Greg2013]

I should also point out my Peco came with a 2.4kw element and it would not boil a cup of tea never mind a 5gal batch of water.I ended up going through three seperate elements from the vendor and they were all shite,i should point out this was not down to the vendor as the elements were sourced by them from an outside company,the vendor was also more than helpful.I ended up installing two elements to get a good rolling boil(one directly opposite the other)as the original one on it's own would not even boil 25lt of tap water

I mention this as i highly recommend you install two elements even if the second one is only something like 1.5kw and get some variable control setup on at least one of them,it will save you so much grief down the road.

[Bazza]

+1
Have to agree on the elements with those Peco boilers. Pure balls. I had to get a replacement one from the supplier as well. The first element consistently cut out at 80 degrees after the first 2 brews. The replacement element made it to 90 degrees. Both elements were kept as shiny and clean as a new 10 pence piece.
I ended up cutting a hole in the other side of the bucket and stuck in an element from a Tesco Value kettle and never looked back. I would use the Peco element to get the wort up to 90 degrees, and then switch over to the Tesco element when the Peco invariably cut out, for the rest of the boil.
As for that temperature controller box thing, that was a mystery wrapped up in a black piece of melted plastic. Never managed to get it to work properly and eventually the stupid thing went up in a puff of smoke. Hopeless.

Maybe we were just unlucky with ours, Greg 


-Barry

[Greg2013]

+1
Have to agree on the elements with those Peco boilers. Pure balls. I had to get a replacement one from the supplier as well. The first element consistently cut out at 80 degrees after the first 2 brews. The replacement element made it to 90 degrees. Both elements were kept as shiny and clean as a new 10 pence piece.
I ended up cutting a hole in the other side of the bucket and stuck in an element from a Tesco Value kettle and never looked back. I would use the Peco element to get the wort up to 90 degrees, and then switch over to the Tesco element when the Peco invariably cut out, for the rest of the boil.
As for that temperature controller box thing, that was a mystery wrapped up in a black piece of melted plastic. Never managed to get it to work properly and eventually the stupid thing went up in a puff of smoke. Hopeless.

Maybe we were just unlucky with ours, Greg 


-Barry

Maybe so Bazza though you would think for what they charge for what's basically a plastic bucket and kettle element that at least it would do what it's advertised to do.I did not get the fancy one like you with the temp controller as a few of the UK lads said to avoid it for same reasons you described.I did jury rig one of them rheostat controllers to control one of the elements and hence the boil but that's like a ducks arse now after a few years,so i'm on the look out for a ready to go plug and play version atm.

[Bazza]

Go Tesco man. You won't look back.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[MarkP]

Cheers for the replies. Iv had no issues with the boiler as of yet, will defo have to check the water marks cause I have noticed a few inconsistencys. Might switch to a stove top stainless steel instead