Trade Me Urns

[G S]

Does anyone have any experience of these?

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=448508677

 

Even the buy now price for other ones seem pretty good, but are the urns up to it?

 

also seem to be some birko ones coming up on trade me at the moment, are they really worth the extra?

 

Would be using to heat the mash water, put it on a timer switch so can be ready for mash in when i get home from work.

 

cheers all

 

 

[Hugh Grierson]

I bought a 40L from Save Barn on TM, still working after a year. its all a bit light and flimsy though. You get what you pay for. Birko are more solid with better taps.

[Paul Harrison]

Urns are sort of up to it.

 

Most of these urns are 2000w which make them good for a HLT but not really grunty enough to get a good rolling boil going.

 

Takes about 45mins to get 30L of tap water up to mashing temp. I wouldn't trust the built in thermostat though. Not the most accurate.

Insulate it well and it should do you right.

 

Cheers

Paul 

[Hugh Grierson]

Yeah I agree with Paul, mine is just a HLT  that I use to sparge with. My kettle runs on gas. Thermometer on mine is consistently 5deg hotter than it thinks it is. I have also considered a timer for not so early early starts.

[jamis]

I dont know what brand that one is but back in 09 I brought an Australian made Crown 40L one with concealled 2400w element and automatic boil dry protection for about $450 delivered from blue ribbon agencies in auckland abit pricey but is really well built and no problems, I first used it for BIAB, the boil is good enough, I now use it to heat my mash and sparge water. I have put a ball valve on it because I couldnt get anything to stay on the supplied tap.

I recommend to take your own temp as the built in thermostat is not accurate enough for homebrewing.

[G S]

Thanks guys, it will only be an HLT, and will probably get an ebay STC1000 wired up to it eventually, so reckon i'll go ahead with it.

 

[Sam]

I bought one of those urns. However, they don't have 2000W elements in them. The seller didn't really answer my questions. However, in the packaging which came with my 38L urn was a document in chinese, but it clear stated that the 38L urn had a 3000W element or something. I'll check that and post back... 

The upshot is, they are cheap, have a high powered element in it, but it can't be used in a standard 10Amp circuit safely. It also doesn't fit (I did try).

[Sam]

Also I monitored the auctions of those for a while. The seller puts up several units at the price he wants to sell them for (say $159 buy now), and none of the $1.00 reserve auctions go for any less than that. 

[G S]

Thanks Sam. Idea of a 3000w element on one advertised as 2000w combined with being a little 'too' cheap makes me scared for my house wiring, think I,ll give it a miss. Cheers for the help.
You were right, fixed price offer came through for $139, same as the other buy news.
Cheers g