Electric vs. Gas

Hey all,
Hope everyone had a good holiday. I was just wondering if there is any advantages over using gas heat during the boil then using electric heat? My preference would be to use gas but in the basement where I will be brewing I will not have access to a gas burner. So my plan is to use an electric hotplate for the brewing. Anybody have any experince with this type of setup? Anything I should watch out for? Thanks.

Jason

How large a batch are you doing?
I do three gallon batches on the kitchen stove and they take a while to get to the boil. It would take forever to boil even a modest size batch on a hot plate.
Gas is the way to go on large batches, but I don't think it is a very good idea in a basement.

I am planning on a 5 gallon batch. It will be an extract kit so maybe I wouldnt have to boil the entire 5 gallons at once but I had planned on doing it that way. What do you guys think?

Atticmonkey said:

I am planning on a 5 gallon batch. It will be an extract kit so maybe I wouldnt have to boil the entire 5 gallons at once but I had planned on doing it that way. What do you guys think?

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Like the rookie said...you're gonna have a tough time boiling 5 (or 6.5) gallons on a hot plate. Three gals were all I could do on my electric stove top, and it took forever to do that.

Not only can you boil more water faster with gas, but when you turn it off, the heat is gone. Hotplates hold the heat even after you turn it off. This means you don't have to pick up the pot and move it when it starts to boil over. However, I would not use gas in the basement, unless you use an indoor gas stove or something approved for indoor use.

Everyone has you covered on this one Jason. Gas with plenty of ventilation is the way to go my friend.

I still do 5 gallon batches in my kitchen, only because I have an industrial size burner on my stove, as well as having my hot water heater/boiler set up that has the temps cranked up in my basement... thanks to my plumber. So I can fill my 9 gallon modified kettle and it doesnt take it long to get to mash in temps. Usually I grind my grains while I heat my mash water, and usually never finish before having to turn down the heat to keep the temp right where I need it. And I still get a good rolling boil as well. But, I keep the kitchen ventilated while I brew.

Im wanting to build a lateral system, and there are many different gas burners to choose from that are cheap, and will be more than adequate to brew with. No matter what, If you want less waiting, and a full rolling boil, go gas.

I'd stick to 2-3 gallon boils using electric. I've done a few inside on the stove and five gallons is just too much for even the big element. On the plus side, using a small electric element and a difuser is an easy way to keep the mash warm.