Erlenmeyer flask without gas stove

Hi All,

As I look into getting a "real flask" I wanted to see what others do that have ceramic glass top stoves. I would like to do all my boiling and cooling in the flask, yet I don't have a gas stove. Does anyone use bunsen burners?

TIA,

M

Do you have a gas grill with a side burner , that's what I use?

JesseRC said:

Do you have a gas grill with a side burner , that's what I use?

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hmmm....yeah, I do happen to have that. I didn't think about it. I'm wondering if I would cause myself issues with all the things floating in the air out there! Course, no idea whats floating in the air in my pet filled house either!

Why cant you boil on a ceramic stove? I do it...

Or I just draw wort from the kettle after it has been boiling for 10-20 minutes and drain that to the flask, chill, innoculate, 16 hours later it is finished and pitched.

Nah, when your boiling it will be fine, if you feel the need just put some foil on it.

I've only had my ceramic for 1 year, I do recall in the booklet it came with, it said not to use cookware like pyrex. I think I read some forums out there that cited some examples of the glass fusing with the ceramic top. I dont recall what brand.

JesseRC said:

I've only had my ceramic for 1 year, I do recall in the booklet it came with, it said not to use cookware like pyrex. I think I read some forums out there that cited some examples of the glass fusing with the ceramic top. I dont recall what brand.

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I just put foil under it, for more even heating... seems to work fine.

I have had BAD experiences with glass and ceramic top stoves. I try to be careful with mine...wish I didn't have it, came with the house.

Ive used foil under mine... to more evenly heat the flask and to protect the surface from any potential boil over...

Any reason that this will not work?

After a year with my ceramic top, I am less paranoid with it. However sometimes when we go on vacation and use a rental house with a ceramic top, we've used foil on the burner to heat up tortillas. I have noticed that it leaves some marks. Have you noticed anything Pol?

JesseRC said:

After a year with my ceramic top, I am less paranoid with it. However sometimes when we go on vacation and use a rental house with a ceramic top, we've used foil on the burner to heat up tortillas. I have noticed that it leaves some marks. Have you noticed anything Pol?

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No, however we also clean our cooktop weekly...

I have just started making startes and I have used my glass top without problems.

What is the problem with glass tops and flasks? any links?

I have a glass top range also never had a problem with it. If you are afraid why not just boil it in a reg pot and transfer it to the flask with a SS funnel?

No problems doing it either, I just stopped doing it because it would always boilover making a mess.

there should be no problem with ceramic tops and pyrex, its done in the lab all the time.

Just make sure there is no water between the glass and ceramic. Even a small drop of water can crack the glass.

I just stick the flask in a 3 qt pot filled about half way with water and boil both of them. This prevents the glass from heating too fast (as one of my flasks did, and cracked)

What about an electric burner, are there any knowen problems with electric burners? I was thinking of doing it just like thelorax said, stick it in a hlaf full pot of water. Then a couple drops of ferm cap.

You can just use a "flame tamer" on a regular electric element. These are a wire deal sold to put between something like a Melitta or Chemex coffee pot on an electric stove; prevents hot spots. Or, you can just make one out of a coat hanger......

cheezerman said:

Just make sure there is no water between the glass and ceramic. Even a small drop of water can crack the glass.

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I think that's the safety issue with regards to various types of cookware on ceramic or glasstop stoves. The heat buildup between the two surfaces can cause issues. That's also why most of those indoor grill pans that span the burners aren't supposed to be used on smoothtop stoves. They can actually allow such heat to build up that it can crack the stove surface.

I use a flask for starters but would never heat it directly on the smooth stovetop. I boil the starter wort in a stainless saucepan and dump it into the sanitized flask.

Why not just stick a metal cooling rack over the burner, and set the flask on that?

I have used this directly on my electric ceramic stove for many times and had no troubles.