Anyone else have a hard time boiling erlenmeyer flask starters?

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Stevorino

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I'm constantly having to take my flasks off the heat and put them back on (even w/ my gas stove burners on the lowest setting) or I get boil overs. Anyone have any remedies?
 
Get a fireproof glove like a fireplace glove and keep it swirling. I used to have to do this in organic chemistry lab so I didnt get boil overs
 
Sometimes I position my flask so that only half of it is touching the element. A little tricky to get it perfect but it's a pretty easy solution.
 
I'm on an electric range and I just set it to medium. Takes a little longer than blasting it on high, but it's more tame.
 
Try it on a different burner. I have two burners that I can't use because of boil overs at the lowest setting, but the other two burners work OK.

-a.
 
I use the Fermcap-S in my boil kettle and it works great. I use about 10 drops in 7 gallons of wort, so I'm sure you wouldn't need more than a drop or two in your starter.
 
I always use a double boiler. Flask goes into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and I call it good
 
The reason you're having trouble boiling in an erlenmeyer is that the glass is so smooth, there are no nucleation sites for the steam to gather on and start the boiling process, so you get no boiling, superheating and then explosive boil over if the flask is bumped. you can put something in the flask to provide those sites and your boil will be a bit more controlled. Fermcap might do it, it'll certainly control boil over as well. You may also put your stir bar in for the boil, it's teflon and won't melt, then it's sanitized and ready to go as well.
 
Just make a gallon or two batch of starter, can it, and use that. I canned a small batch of it at the same time I was brewing a 5 gal batch one day, and have the canned starter wort in the garage. Making a starter couldn't be any easier now. Pop one open, pour it into the (sanitized) flask, add yeast, and throw it on the stir plate.

I used to have the same problem with boil overs in the flask.
 
Just made one yesterday on the gas stove, (1L flask) and needed to watch like a hawk...and I was surprised to see how long it took to get the boil going ...

Even at lowest setting, i needed to watch ..
 
I used to have a problem at first but learned to put the DME and water in there first, mix and then heat at a low burner setting. The malt makes it boil easier because it holds heat better than plain water and just move it slightly off burner to maintain an easy boil. If your burners are all big it is a bit harder to do but it can be done.
 
I boil my starter in a stock pot and pour it into my flask, that thing has boiled over so many times!!

+1

I do the same.. as long as its well sanitized you will never have problems.. plus its boiling wort so it will sanitize as it enters.. heck I even pour it in boiling with the flask sitting in an ice bath. Still scares the hell out of me, but I have never had one explode. I know its not supposed to explode and is made to handle it, but I have seen glass blow up from heat differential.
 
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