Full Boil On Electric Stovetop???

How realistic is it to obtain a full boil on an electric stovetop with raised burners?

Not very realistic. I've tried using one pot with two burners and I know some people have modified their burners to make them work.

The most success I've had is just splitting between two pots and splitting the hops accordingly. I split between 3 pots (2, 2 & 4 gallons) for my RIS 08/08/08:



Worked great!

The two batches I've done so far (both 5.5 gallon boils) have been done on an electric range. I can achieve a semi-rolling boil, but I'm investing in a Bayou Burner soon.

I thought so...I am just going with a 5 gallon ss pot to do partial boils for the time being, until I can get an outdoor setup completed so I can do full boils! Thanks for the input, I just ordered my first complete kit and an irish stout extract kit from Midwest Supplies...even got me a wort chiller...they just look too needed not to have one! Cheers!

Yeah, I got a chiller as well as part of my starting kit. Just brewed my second batch today, and even though I have never tried to cool the wort with an ice bath, I've already declared it "for the birds".

I am really looking forward to it!

You won't know until you try it. I am doing full boils (6.5 gallons) on an electric coil burner stove top. I don't think a flat top would get it. I bet one of the solid raised cast burners would do it. I cooked on a stove once that had the wrong gas orifice. Can't remember if it was propane with a natural gas orifice or the other way around, but that stove was like cooking on a big blow torch!!!

I say it is very possible. I did exactly what this guy did, for about $14 you can insulate your pot and make it happen. I can get 6.5 gallons boiling on my crappy electric apartment stovetop.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/improved-boiling-stovetop-53683/

Its not that the stove is not putting enough total heat into the wort, its that all that surface area on the outside of those big pots is giving it away too quickly. Harness that and you have the power the boil.

Yeah I made an insulated wrapper for my BK like that, and it works great on my gas stove. But I just don't know how many BTUs an electric will put out.

wrap some aluminum foil around it ( I really need to mke one of the insulating things for it)
And in ajust a few minutes from mashing and sparging temps you this

That aside I can't wait for spring and summer to use my keggle and burner outside!

I just ended up getting a 5 gallon SS kettle to do partial boils...I am just starting, so I figure I can always upgrade when needed, but it is hard to downgrade! Thanks for all the comments...this site has helped me so much already, and I do not even have a damn thing to brew with! I do already have a case of bottles thanks to my wife and I drinking during the Olympics.

I got 5.5 gallons boiling nicely without problems. It took longer to get there, but it did get there.

I had issues getting my BK to boil on my glass stove top, if I read correctly if i give it a good wrap with aluminum foil I can improve the time getting and holding a boil?

I don't know about glass tops...I have read that it is nearly impossible to achieve a boil due to the bottom of the pot not making proper contact with the heating element...I know you cannot can anything on glass top due to the air circulation.

PhiKappaGarage said:

I had issues getting my BK to boil on my glass stove top, if I read correctly if i give it a good wrap with aluminum foil I can improve the time getting and holding a boil?

Click to expand...

If I am right, glass top stoves are thermostatically controlled. The element cycles on and off during heating up so it takes forever, and I doubt it will get a full boil going...but like I said you won't know until you try...... Some friends of mine have these NICE portable propane burners for indoor use. I wonder if they would work?

Yeah, it does cycle on and off. ive got a gas burner in the garage, just like the warmth of the inside is all. Im going to give the foil trick a try first though.

+1 insulated kettle. i can get just shy of 7 gallons going on my ****ty college apt stove. i also believe that the aluminum kettle help because it is a better conductor of heat

I have an 8 gal aluminum steamer that I used to get up to a full, rolling boil on a single burner of an electric stove. It's doable, but it does require additional time to get it up to the right temperature.

I now use a 5 gal SS pot on the same stove. It's easier to get to a full boil because there is less headspace (and obviously less wort boiling), but if I was going to try more than 4 gallons, I'd spend the $40 to get a turkey fryer.

There are three easy things you can do.

1. Insulate with reflectix http://www.amazon.com/Reflectix-ST16025-Staple-Tab-Insulation/dp/B000BQSYRO

2. Buy a canning element for your stove. http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-08011324-CANNING-ELEMENT/dp/B001ELHVGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1266526714&sr=8-2

3. Build a heatstick.http://www.cedarcreeknetworks.com/heatstick.htm

Or you can do some combination of all three. If you have a high enough wattage stove, a little insulation may be all that is necessary and the cheapest solution. I've found that reflectix works far better than tin foil. It reflects up to 96% of the heat and is just really impressive.

If that is not enough and your stove can accommodate it, many electric stoves can be fitted with a canning element. They are generally about 1500 Watts, and are sturdier than average so as to be able to fit the extra weight of a canning pot. Extra power + extra support = made for brewing.

If you still want to pour more heat into your pot, shortening heating times and really getting a vigorous boil without having to resort to occasionally putting a lid on, then a heatstick can be added as well. They are easy to make. Just follow the instructions in the above link. I made one a few months ago for about $35. I kept it at 1500 watts, the smallest heater available and, while it isn't powerful enough to achieve a boil on its own, in combination with the weak stovetop it has halved the heating time and allowed me to turn down the burners once a full boil gets started. I also was able to get rid of the insulation around my pot.

FYI - with my heatstick an on my cheap apartment electric stove I am achieving vigorous boils with up to 9 gallons. I've noticed much better hot and cold breaks and much tastier beers.

Yeah the Heatstick will help ya.

Or build an eSystem and use your electric stove's plug for it