Recent content by DarkHelmet

I don't know about natural gas vs. propane. It seems like if you're happy with the performance of your stove, your process and your beer, there's not much reason to add the extra equipment cost, even assuming the two fuels cost the same. In any case, it would be great to see how your natural...

Thanks for fixing the image! I didn't run a 5 gallon with lid test yet. That's next on my list when I can find another spare hour. I'll update the graph when I do it.

I ran some tests to see how long it takes to boil water on my electric stove in stainless steel stock pots. I figured this information might be useful to others, so here is a time vs. temperature graph. electric range: Frigidaire free standing electric range, Model #FEF326ASM electric...

Has anyone purchased one of these canning elements online, then had trouble installing it? I'm just wondering if they're semi-universal. It seems like they would be, but I wanted to ask and see what experiences other people have had, because many online store return policies leave much to be...

How much longer do grains keep when they aren't pre-crushed?

Great, thanks for the feedback! The canning element is probably my best option. I'm just trying to decide which one to get. What model are you using? How many gallons can you bring to a boil?

Has anyone had luck brewing on their stove top by replacing one of the heating elements with a heavy duty 2600 watt canning element? I'm trying to get started in brewing, and want to use my electric stove initially. It occurred to me that a large brew kettle wouldn't sit flush on my stove...

Haha, the more I read about home brewing, the more I think I will need to use the Schwartz to make it work... there are so many details! I am leaning towards getting an 8 or 15 gallon kettle to start off with, because like you said that will make it easier to expand. I just found out that...

Thanks for all the helpful replies! Much appreciated. The only thing stopping me from getting started is that I'm on the fence about decisions such as buying a $40, 5-gallon stock pot from Target vs. buying a $160 8-gallon kettle w/spigot from MoreBeer... And glass carboys vs. plastic...

(I had multiple tabs open and accidentally posted this in the wrong sub-forum initially..) Hey all I've recently become interested in home brewing and am going to purchase equipment soon. There is a dizzying variety of choices and I'd really appreciate a few tips. I've cleared up some...

wrong forum, I moved my own thread... sorry!