electric VS: gas brewing whats your choice?

[PleasantValleyHops]

so im having a long debate with myself about electic or propane for burners. right now i am currently running only gas but have tossed around the idea of electric elements for one im an electrician by trade but also bc as of now when i brew right now its cold bc of needed ventilation for gas fumes. so i just wanted to get everyones thoughts on which you choose.

please help my decision making!!!!!
thanks

 

[scottland]

There's something about electric elements mixing with wort that I'm just not wild about personally, I can't tell you why it bothers me, but it does. Aside from my personal idiosyncrasies, electric is better. Hands down.

Gas will bring you to a boil quicker. That's about the only plus. Electric is like 5x cheaper in terms of power/gas usage. I currently have an electric HERMS, and if i had easy access to 240v, I'd make an eHLT.

 

[unionrdr]

Yup,gas boils quicker but electric,We've found can hold an accurate temp. Great for steeping or mashing.

 

[weirdboy]

I would love to go electric, but I just don't have the necessary power required to do so. Even a 1500W element would be taxing my available power.

So I am using gas. I am considering adding an actuated gas valve, and doing RIMS/HERMS that way.

 

[Hoosier-Brewer]

I have been doing extracts on the stove, but then I got swmbo knocked up and subsequently was kicked out of the kitchen. I used a turkey fryer a couple of weeks ago when it was ~45 out, now it's too cold. Sooo, I reclaimed some space in the basement under my front porch and I'm building an electric brew room. I think electric is going to be the way to do it, comfort all year around, no worries of the weather at all. I hear it's pretty efficient too, I just wish I had the capability for 50 amps instead of finding a way to use the 3 wire dryer receptacle.

 

[badbrew]

There's something about electric elements mixing with wort that I'm just not wild about personally, I can't tell you why it bothers me, but it does. Aside from my personal idiosyncrasies, electric is better. Hands down.

Gas will bring you to a boil quicker. That's about the only plus. Electric is like 5x cheaper in terms of power/gas usage. I currently have an electric HERMS, and if i had easy access to 240v, I'd make an eHLT.

Do you mean propane and not natural gas? :fro:

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

thanks everyone, yea im really leaning toward the electric. i brew in the basement with windows/doors open to air out with LP. now i guess i need to start reading even more about the electric side of things : ) how i love new projects.

 

[badbrew]

thanks everyone, yea im really leaning toward the electric. i brew in the basement with windows/doors open to air out with LP. now i guess i need to start reading even more about the electric side of things : ) how i love new projects.

I hope you air that out well.

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

I am converting to electric. I like it more than I thought I would. I am moving off the gas stove top. 5500 watts brings a faster boil than stove top. For steeping/mash water it is great. Set the controller to a temperature. Come back a few minutes later and your done. With gas you have to stay on it or you overheat.

In fairness I am a EE. My current specialty is controls.

 

[Airplanedoc]

I'm currently using gas but I also have access to nice big commercial stove.

I am thinking about building up a ekeggle for the convince of set the temp and walk away as well as the cost of gas which I am not paying now.

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

I hope you air that out well.

just makes u feel a little more drunk!!
of course, im not too crazy.. have a carbon monoxide monitor on hand at all times..

 

[onthekeg]

Gas will bring you to a boil quicker.

Not in my book, I had two jet burners, and believe me, they would throw heat everywhere but in the kettle. My 5500w element is almost 2x as fast as they were.

OP When you ask a question like this, the electric people have had gas and switched, the gas people haven't tried it yet. I was one of those a few years ago, thinking how crappy an electric stove is compared to a gas stove. For brewing on our scale, there is really no comparison to operating cost, sound, ease of use, and control.

 

[PlainJay]

Your comment about fumes & cold sound like my experience. I would for sure at least make the HLT electric. It seems that heating my water takes the most time and generates the most fumes. I will be upgrading my HLT to electric soon. I like the idea of being able to walk away while my water heats up. I don't do that with a burner. Also, per Scottland's point, eletric is much cheaper too.

 

[twanger1994]

Plenty of points for both. Most are valid... But its gas for me...

 

[bigljd]

Electric all the way. I'm a former propane guy, and my electric rig is way faster, easier and cheaper. Nowhere on this planet is gas faster than electric - most of the heat from gas just floats off into space.
I understand the technical challenges of building an electric system can scare off a lot of people, but I guarantee most of the people in favor of gas have never tried electric. I would bet most would change their minds after 1 or 2 electric brews.

 

[Refly]

Electric for me. I brew on a lot of rainy days and I wouldn't want to lose the ability to brew indoors or outside depending on the weather or time of year.

It's also easy in that I just plug it in and I don't worry about walking away at certain points during the brew day.

I'm also fairly certain I won't run out of electric in the middle of a boil. Although to be fair we did go without electric for 4 days last year thanks to a hurricane and it's amazing how much time you have free when you go unplugged. Could have been brewing with gas...

 

[scottland]

Do you mean propane and not natural gas? :fro:

Ya, natural gas is pretty much equal.

 

[onthekeg]

Electric for me. I brew on a lot of rainy days and I wouldn't want to lose the ability to brew indoors or outside depending on the weather or time of year.

It's also easy in that I just plug it in and I don't worry about walking away at certain points during the brew day.

I'm also fairly certain I won't run out of electric in the middle of a boil. Although to be fair we did go without electric for 4 days last year thanks to a hurricane and it's amazing how much time you have free when you go unplugged. Could have been brewing with gas...

Or for 4 days, you could have been drinking and getting everything ready for another batch when you have juice again!

What if you were out of propane, those pumps use electricity to fill your tank.

 

[pickles]

I think the earlier posters that stated gas is faster that electric were refering to "external" heating element (ie electric range) and not submersed electric elements. Submersed elements are MANY TIMES faster than gas, hands down! It's also quiet, cheap, endless (reasonably speaking), and safe indoors. The only con I can think of an intrinsic electrical hazard, but would be mitigated if designed properly. Also, to some extent portability is a con depending on the power requirements of your system. For me it's electric forever!!

 

[kh54s10]

It's gas for me unless I have some sort of windfall. I would need a fairly major electrical upgrade to go electric.

 

[Calichusetts]

Electric...I live in the Northeast and think that people who use gas around here are crazy...you are really going to brew in sub-freezing temperatures? Have fun!

Seriously though, i don't have to worry about the weather, and that is all the advantage I need over gas

 

[Fennis]

Electric...I live in the Northeast and think that people who use gas around here are crazy...you are really going to brew in sub-freezing temperatures? Have fun!

Seriously though, i don't have to worry about the weather, and that is all the advantage I need over gas

I use gas for now as I've moved on to BIAB brewing, and my electric stove top cannot begin to do full boils. On my last brew day it was 15 outside, but I have an attached shed to the house, so once I fire up the burner, in about 15 minutes its warm enough in the shed to take off my jacket and be comfortable, even with the door wide open for ventilation. Yeah its a little cold, but it will have to do for now.

 

[I_B_Mongo]

I actually use both. LP for my 10 gallon batches, and electric for 5 gallons. Right now I've only got 2 heat sticks (1500w and 2000w). Most times I do two batches on brew day. I'll heat strike water for both batches in my keggle HLT on the burner, mash the 5 gallon batch in my cooler MT & 10 gallon in a keggle MT. Drain each batch into different pots/ keggles. Then the 5 gallon batch gets the heat sticks, the 10 gallon goes on the burner. Just a little more work and end up with a lot more beer for the effort.

I'd really like to outfit my HLT and BK with a 4500-5500w element and wire up the basement to run them, but just don't have the funds to do so yet.