SOLVED Circulator for a large electric roaster to poach sausages ... ???

[rexlan]

I have a 22 qt roaster to poach with.  I run it at 155° -160° but I think it gets a lot hotter on the edges ...

I would like to buy a small (and cheap!) thing I can put in the water to keep it circulating and that will keep the temps even.  I do stir it occasionally but I think it probably needs to be a constant thing. 

Thought about an aquarium pump but suspect the heat would kill it right away.

Also thought about an aquarium aerator but not sure it would mix the water up much.

Ideas or a product for the job?

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UPDATE

I built a little aerator today and after some trial and error it works excellent.

Got a small aquarium pump from WalMart for $10 and 4' of 1/4" copper.  Made the loop as shown and ran the riser up and over the roaster edge with a 1/4 barb fitting on the tube.

First assembly I drilled a #50 hole ever 1" or so .... WAY too many !!

I soldered half shut ... still way too many.

I soldered them ALL shut and started over, this time with a very small fine point awl.  Just a bit bigger than an needle.

I had it on my bench and punched 13 tinny, tinny holes in the assembly; 3 down each long tube and 2 on each side tube.  The holes just penetrate the tubing ... not nearly as big as the whole pin shank.

Bingo ... perfect.  Creates a lot of action in the water and it is quite uniform.

I have bits down to 0.015" for my model ship building but I don't think you could drill the holes ... too fragile.  The punch works effortlessly.  The unfortunate part is that I think you would need to use the copper.

However, one could try using a very long water sink supply line.  it will take the heat and is soft so it may punch easily as well.

Poacher aerator_2.JPG

• rexlan
• Dec 27, 2013

poacher aerator.JPG

• rexlan
• Dec 27, 2013

 

[daveomak]

I seem to recall folks using an aquarium aerator stick about 8-10" long in their sous vide setups, to circulate water.... The aerators that are buried in the gravel, type thing..... don't know if it works... You shouldn't need much air flow to get the water circulating....
Let us know how stuff works for you... :popcorn ...


Dave

 

[dward51]

I second the aquarium aerator.  The introduction of the room temp air will "slightly" cool the water but the roaster can more than handle that and I doubt you would ever notice. I don't think it would need to be a large aquarium air pump to work.  Not trying to make a jacuzzi, just a gentle circulation. 

Any sort of submersible aquarium pump would not be made to handle the heat (short of going to a lab grade unit for big bucks, and you might as well buy a sous vide unit at that point).  Also the water flow from a submersible "power head" would be way too much (assuming it handled the heat).

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Yeah....get an aquarium air pump and some perforated silicone tubing...that's what I use in my sous vide set-up.
The larger the bubbles the better (within reason)....you don't want one of the standard air stones.




~Martin

 

[rexlan]

Yeah....get an aquarium air pump and some perforated silicone tubing...that's what I use in my sous vide set-up.
The larger the bubbles the better (within reason)....you don't want one of the standard air stones.




~Martin

I have an aquarium air pump so I will give that a try.

Where can I buy perforated silicone tubing ?

 

[daveomak]

You might be able to heat a paper clip and melt holes in it.... Not sure if the holes will produce the size bubbles that will work the way DDF suggests...
I agree with Martin that larger bubbles would be better.... they move more water.. and would have less cooling effect on the water also.....

 

[rexlan]

I got it solved and updated the thread.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Nice job!



~Martin

 

[donr]

I have thought about getting one of these for another use.  


I don't think you can put the pump itself in the water, so you would have to run a little food grade silicone tubing.

Don

 

[daveomak]

Great solution...... I'm gonna store that away for future use....

Dave