Using a 26 gallon beer brewing kettle to make cheese.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

I need to make cheese in a little bigger fashion, but I don't have enough milk to buy the big equipment. My question is, would it be safe to use a stainless steel brewing kettle to make cheese in, or is there some reason it won't work? Also, what kind of burner would I use for a nearly 20" wide pot? Here is the kettle I was thinking of getting: http://morebeer.com/products/26-gallon-stainless-brew-kettle-heavy-duty.html 
and here's the burner: http://morebeer.com/products/camp-chef-burner-60000-btu.html

Has anyone tried this? I would appreciate any comments!

[John@PC]

Hi Jennifer (love the name of your farm - reminds me of the Eurythmics song "Sweet Leaves are made of these" ).  I haven't heard any reason not to use a brew kettle for cheese making, and I've even thought about trying a smaller version of your's from Bayou Classic.  They do tend to have a tall aspect ratio but I would think there are curd cutters out there that could handle that.  Maybe others on the forum can advise (and I'm curious if there is a good method to adapt the spigot for draining whey).  As for the burner if I were you I'd contact More Beer directly to get their advice to make sure the burner is sized for the kettle.  Good luck!

[TimT]

I'm a member of a brewing forum as well and one of the members there mentioned he does just that with his kettle.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

Thanks guys! Next year we should have around 10 gallons of milk a day, which isn't enough to pay for the legal equipment, but way too much for my little 5 gallon pots. I have a 24" long curd cutter, so it should reach the bottom of the pot. I think I'll have to scoop the whey off the top of the pot, but the valve should help drain the wash water. I've tried to find a burner that will support 200 pounds of kettle and liquid and still be finely adjustable. Most of them only have maximum BTU's and don't talk about how adjustable they are. I would much rather have an induction burner, but none of them have a weight rating. Anyone have an idea about a burner?

[Schnecken Slayer]

You could make a wooden or aluminium frame to support the vessel just above an induction cooker, depending on what size the cooker was.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

If I did go with an induction cooker, I was thinking I could sweet talk my Dad into making a frame to hold this: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Induction-SR-183R-Commercial-1800-watt/dp/B00FFM4824/ref=sr_1_16?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417361522&sr=1-16&keywords=built-in+induction+burner

I would think a regular steel frame would be OK, just run it to the paint shop for some high temp paint.

This is the only burner I could find that had a 90 degree F temperature setting. All the other ones I looked at had the lowest setting at 120 degrees.

Is there anything else I'm missing?

[LoftyNotions]

Before you invest in an induction cooker, make sure a magnet will stick to the bottom of the kettle. None of my stainless steel does.

The kettle itself looks great.

Larry

[Schnecken Slayer]

Before you invest in an induction cooker, make sure a magnet will stick to the bottom of the kettle. None of my stainless steel does.

The kettle itself looks great.

Larry

That's odd, all my stainless steel pots work fine on the induction and they also have the aluminium sandwich base like the home brew one mentioned...

[ArnaudForestier]

Presuming 21 gallons of milk, and a digital controller (John @ PC's unit), would the induction cooker actually drive enough heat, for such a volume?  I have a propane burner which is fine for spring and summer outdoor makes, but I'm seriously stymied in making my Abondances in the winter.  I'd love to find an electric solution, for doing everything in my cellar area.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

I just emailed the company, to see if they have a product that would work for cheesemaking. We'll see if I get a response back. The one I was looking at used 1800 watts, but they also have a 3400 watt unit, that requires a special plug, like the kind a welder or electric clothes dryer uses.

I would check the pot with a magnet to make sure it was induction ready, before I order the burner! If the pot has too much Nickel in it, induction won't work well, and I'm back to a propane burner. I'd rather not have to make cheese with the window open... in January...brrrr!

[awakephd]

Jennifer,

If it "requires a special plug, like the kind a welder or electric clothes dryer uses," then it requires more than just a special plug; clothes dryers use 240 volts rather than 120. (Welders can be had for 120 volts, but 240 is more common, especially for more capable welders.) You'll want to be sure you have s 240 volt outlet available to use it.

[John@PC]

Jennifer, you will not be able to heat 26 gal. of milk and cook curds with a 1,800 watt induction heater.  I'll run the numbers but from experience with a 1,500 watt electric griddle with a paltry 5 gal. of milk it takes pretty much most of the current to heat that volume and  cooking curds in the 3+ min per deg F rise range.  Add that to the questions about induction-ready cookware I would stay with propane unless there is a reason not to (like wanting to heat in an enclosed area).

[ArnaudForestier]

Jennifer, you will not be able to heat 26 gal. of milk and cook curds with a 1,800 watt induction heater.  I'll run the numbers but from experience with a 1,500 watt electric griddle with a paltry 5 gal. of milk it takes pretty much most of the current to heat that volume and  cooking curds in the 3+ min per deg F rise range.  Add that to the questions about induction-ready cookware I would stay with propane unless there is a reason not to (like wanting to heat in an enclosed area).

Thanks John, that's good to know.  And....shucks.  Right now it's 4F.  Not exactly alpage cheesemaking weather. 

[John@PC]

73F here in SC Paul.  Time to move south maybe ? 

[ArnaudForestier]

 

This S. California boy is feeling it in his bones right about now.