Tanagra
Well-Known Member
Good Evening Fellow Brewers!
For over a decade I have been brewing on a Natural Gas free-standing Frigidaire Range equipped with a power burner (I think 16k or 18k BTU output, but certainly not more). I *never* had a problem getting SUPER aggressive boils with 7+ gallons of wort - even at the burner's 'medium-high' setting. The hot/cold break was absolutely massive and I was able to leave it behind when transferring to my fermenter. I no longer have the model number of that range because I moved several months ago...
The new home has a full kitchen in the basement that I have finally, after several months of settling into the new home, turned into the new 'brewery'. I scorched the side of my Formica countertop in the old house because of poor kettle placement, so I opted for a 'drop-in' cooktop since I found several with high output center power burners instead of a large power burner placed in the corner. I installed a nice variable speed 900CFM(max) hood vent and am ready to get back to the hobby I love!
After installing the new cooktop the other day (with a 17k BTU center burner), I am able to bring my usual 6.75 gallons to a LIGHT, RUMBLING boil, but it is nowhere near as aggressive as the stove I was using previously - there was virtually NO break material when I transferred the cool wort to the fermenter, a big whirpooled hop-cone in the center was all that remained. I ran out the next day and purchased a cooktop with a 20k BTU center burner and installed it this morning, but it does not show much improvement. I put the lid on and was able to get an acceptable boil, but once I removed the lid the boil quickly calmed down to a mere simmer. So now I have two RATHER expensive cooktops that will not function for the only purpose they were purchased.
I am struggling to understand HOW in the world I was able to boil so vigorously on my old range... They both connected to 1/2" pipes I am beginning to think that perhaps there was no regulator on the freestanding range at my old house or that something is wrong with the gas pressure at my new house (both new cooktops came with their own regulators, and I installed them as instructed).
Unless I can greatly improve my boil performance, I am contemplating adding a HOTROD 1500 watt electric heat element to my kettle during the boil to aid in obtaining a more aggressive boil...
Any Thought/Ideas Anyone??
For over a decade I have been brewing on a Natural Gas free-standing Frigidaire Range equipped with a power burner (I think 16k or 18k BTU output, but certainly not more). I *never* had a problem getting SUPER aggressive boils with 7+ gallons of wort - even at the burner's 'medium-high' setting. The hot/cold break was absolutely massive and I was able to leave it behind when transferring to my fermenter. I no longer have the model number of that range because I moved several months ago...
The new home has a full kitchen in the basement that I have finally, after several months of settling into the new home, turned into the new 'brewery'. I scorched the side of my Formica countertop in the old house because of poor kettle placement, so I opted for a 'drop-in' cooktop since I found several with high output center power burners instead of a large power burner placed in the corner. I installed a nice variable speed 900CFM(max) hood vent and am ready to get back to the hobby I love!
After installing the new cooktop the other day (with a 17k BTU center burner), I am able to bring my usual 6.75 gallons to a LIGHT, RUMBLING boil, but it is nowhere near as aggressive as the stove I was using previously - there was virtually NO break material when I transferred the cool wort to the fermenter, a big whirpooled hop-cone in the center was all that remained. I ran out the next day and purchased a cooktop with a 20k BTU center burner and installed it this morning, but it does not show much improvement. I put the lid on and was able to get an acceptable boil, but once I removed the lid the boil quickly calmed down to a mere simmer. So now I have two RATHER expensive cooktops that will not function for the only purpose they were purchased.
I am struggling to understand HOW in the world I was able to boil so vigorously on my old range... They both connected to 1/2" pipes I am beginning to think that perhaps there was no regulator on the freestanding range at my old house or that something is wrong with the gas pressure at my new house (both new cooktops came with their own regulators, and I installed them as instructed).
Unless I can greatly improve my boil performance, I am contemplating adding a HOTROD 1500 watt electric heat element to my kettle during the boil to aid in obtaining a more aggressive boil...
Any Thought/Ideas Anyone??
