Prefer stove top or propane burner?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Mike3701

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
238
Reaction score
4
Location
Glen Rock NJ
New home brewer, going to make my first batch tomorrow. Whats better inside on a gas satove or out side on a propane burner?
 
many more variables needed for input.

Are you, extract partial boil only/ all grain, partial mash...
 
Well, most people doing all grain batches (and some extract brewers) like to do it on a propane burner. For a variety of reasons- one is that you can easily boil say, 6 gallons of wort, quickly with a big bad burner. I however LOVE to boil inside. I have a stove that can handle a 7 gallon boil with no problem. Some have trouble getting 3 gallons to boil.

If your stove can handle whatever size boil you are doing, then the choice is yours. I will tell you, though, that I have had several complaints in my house of "the smell". Now, since I own the home and the bodies that are complaining (ages 15 and 17), I don't have a problem. But if you are a married or attached male, you may want to be aware of this.
 
well, give it a test. If you can get a pot of 7 gallons of water to a good rolling boil, you may be fine. If not, well, even a cheap propane burner will get you going. I tested my stove fully to try and could not get more than 3.5 gallons boiling at a good rolling boil and I have a propane stove. If you can, go for it. If not, well, get a burner or consider partial boils for the time being.

Good luck.
 
I much prefer being inside, so I've never considered propane. I boil down nearly 7 gallons of wort on an electric stove. Some stoves can do it, some can't.
 
I've brewed inside doing my mash and sparge water on the stove, but I would do my full boil outside on a turkey fryer. Too much heat and steam to be inside for 7 gallons boiling for over an hour.
 
I actually have a turkey fryer (bought it because, believe it or not, was cheaper to get the brew kettle that way than pay for it separately), but have done all my brews inside. Like the others have stated, my electric stove can handle a full boil no problem.

I also live in an apartment, so it's a pain going over to my friend's place to retrieve the propane (don't want to store it inside and if I get caught with it on my balcony it's a $60/day fine). Just easier to boil inside, take criticism from my wife about how it smells for an hour, and be done with it.

If your stove can handle it, then I say no problem. But, like in my situation, you may be walking out of Academy Sports with a whole get-up because the pot was $20 cheaper that way.
 
Propane right from the first batch. About the only things I do inside on the stove is preparing berries and the rare decoction.
 
outside with propane ever since i made it rain in the kitchen during a one hour boil in the winter.
(the steam had to go somewhere so it condensed on the ceiling!)
i do mash and sparge in the kitchen still - no steam!
 
Heat mash and sparge water on the indoor stove (that's paid for by the household budget, not the brewing budget). Do the boil on propane. The indoor stove couldn't boil 7g.

-a.
 
Funny that I just saw this thread. Currently I am brewing with a nooby. My SST pot (flat bottom) on my stove comes up to a full boil in no time. He has a pot that is rigged on the bottom and my stove (glass top) is having a hard time getting it there......Ooops it must have made it now...a bit of a boil over!! I do enjoy cooking indoors but soon I will have my new propane burner going outside. So there are many variables including what you are boiling in!!
 
Our 4 burner doesn't have the horses for a 5-6 gallon boil, and I think it is sager outside with all that hot liquid...also easier with hose hookup with chiller...

Winter is another story...gets chilly in VT, so try to stock up in summer and fall
 
Rain = easy up. Can get at Academy Sporting Goods for under $ 100.00

I started inside, then because of size, moved outside.

Looking to go back inside now (I'm trying to build a mini-micro brewery in the back yard, but SWMBO wants flowers there or some gay crap).

Outside is good on propane or natural gas (I do NG and it works fine - also do 25 gal. crawfish & crab boils on NG and works fine - beer is in 12.50 gal pots)

Do a boilover inside and it's a PITA - outside a hose will fix.
 
EdWort said:
I've brewed inside doing my mash and sparge water on the stove, but I would do my full boil outside on a turkey fryer. Too much heat and steam to be inside for 7 gallons boiling for over an hour.
Same here. I'll do five gallon PM/extracts in the dead of winter when it's impossible to find the garden hose under 9 inches of ice/snow. Otherwise, I do all my batches out in the garage on the banjo. Especially since they're mostly 10-gallon batches.
10Gallon_Setup@.JPG
 
Back
Top