My stove is WEAK

So, I have a tiny little apartment stove and, while it can get 3 gallons of wort to a boil (in an hour or so) it can never get to a ROLLING boil. Is there a solution? Should I buy a turkey fryer?

Can you straddle your pot over two burners?

Keeping the lid on also helps.

i had the same problem with my home cooktop. i bought a turkey fryer and bigger pot and never looked back.

the biggest PITA while brewing for me was worrying when/if i'd ever get a full rolling boil going.

I would suggest that if you're going to invest in a turkey fryer, you might as well invest in a quality set up. Get a banjo burner. It doesn't come with a pot but it's a sturdy, mean mofo that will get you to a boil in no time. If you have a smaller pot now you can still use it then upgrade later if you want.

With the free shipping, this is a steal at $65. I paid a bit more than that for mine, and it works like a charm. Just don't use it in your kitchen. Patio or garage (with the door open) work better.

arturo7 said:

Can you straddle your pot over two burners?

Keeping the lid on also helps.

Click to expand...

Keeping the lid on is a bad idea. You need the full boil to drive off DMS, which can easily reform if you have a lid on. It is ok to get to a boil like that, but you don't want to be boiling with the lid on.

carnevoodoo said:

Keeping the lid on is a bad idea. You need the full boil to drive off DMS, which can easily reform if you have a lid on. It is ok to get to a boil like that, but you don't want to be boiling with the lid on.

Click to expand...

Correctomundo. I should have qualified that.

There's a post on the forums about wrapping the kettle in that foil insulation.

However if you have a glass cooktop, it might be shutting off too often to prevent damage to the cook top surface, especially if your pot is more than a half inch wider than the burner diameter. glass tops are great...unless you wanna boil huge pots. an old electric coil or a natural gas top works better for those situations.

You need an old Detroit Jewel. Get rid of that modern thing made out of tinfoil and aluminum...



Edit:
Hm, for some reason that photo didn't seem to post.

Try this link:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=10128840&l=2341b0766e&id=823405474

I had the same problem. I found a Turkey fryer for $15 off of Craigslist. Awesome buy. I used it Sunday and it worked great. I had the power on low and it boiled 4 and 1/2 gallons easily.

I have the $65 dollar one from Ace and it is awesome. Full 6 gal boils in 15 minutes. As a matter of fact I turn the gas down so I don't scorch the wort.

If you do go AG and full boils then you should invest in a wort chiller.

I use electric also. It's too cold to brew outdoors! Your element may only be 2100W (or less?). Try changing it out for a 2600W element. The increase in amps is minimal (about 2 amps). Insulate the sides of the pot also.
http://reflectixinc.cskern.com/images/uploads/allpdfs/t20 hot surface performance c 411.pdf
http://reflectixinc.cskern.com/images/uploads/allpdfs/t62 reflectix db1 technical info.pdf

prrriiide said:

With the free shipping, this is a steal at $65. I paid a bit more than that for mine, and it works like a charm. Just don't use it in your kitchen. Patio or garage (with the door open) work better.

Click to expand...

damn that seems too good to be true!

to bad im in an apartment with no balcony...

Do NOT use any propane device in your house. The Bayou burners are amazing but you have to use them outside. Or you can use the electric water heater elements. 120 volts so you can plug them into a wall outlet. Put it on the stove and plug in the heater and you will be in business.
http://www.cedarcreeknetworks.com/heatstick.htm