How long have you been brewing electric? Did you go back to gas? Why?

[kal]

I'm surprised at the number of emails I get from people who are sceptical about electric brewing (I define electric brewing as boiling wort with a heating element in a kettle). Many think it's something new which I don't understand. I have friends who have done it for nearly 15-20 years now.

So I thought I'd throw up a poll:

How long have you been brewing electric? Did you go back to gas? If yes, why?

Thanks for the feedback!

Note: I'm not posting this in the electric forum as otherwise anyone who switched back to gas would likely never see this poll.

Kal

 

[Walker]

I answered 1-5, but that was a close call on it. I started buying parts, building, and waiting on people (electrician and welder) in february of 2010, wet tested things in may, and made the first batch on it in early june 2010 ... so just BARELY over a year.

 

[HHP]

I answered less than one, because I am in the process of building and wanted to see the results.

When I finish this deployment I will have all the parts at home to build my setup. I already have most of them.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Been loving it since October 2010.

TB

 

[beaksnbeer]

Going since 05 don't look back.

 

[brewmcq]

Prosted, and I'm just short a few more things before I start (so I answered "less than a year"), but I'll be 100% electric until I burn my house down. ;-)

 

[mavrick1903]

Working on my first electric rig now. Planning on starting with BIAB to get off the ground. Voted as less than, want to see how this pans out.

 

[rico567]

I'm in a category not covered by the poll: brewing with gas, would love to move to electric, but the cost of an electric system with controls (not just a heat stick) is far beyond what I can justify given what I brew in a year (last year, maybe 15 x 5 gal. batches).

 

[GRHunter]

Been loving it since 2 weeks ago.

 

[Brewstress]

We are also in the process of building our electric brewery. Will have a I bbl setup going here in the next few months.

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

I have never brewed with gas. I started on a stove top with extract kits, then over to larger full boil extract kits with a heat stick to supplement my stove. I have been using this method of AG since Christmas. Next stop, I am building my 1/2 bbl ekettle and eHLT HERMS rig. Should be doing the first batch on that next month.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The early years of electric brewing...

http://hbd.org/brewery/library/ElectBrKS0396.html
http://hbd.org/pcalinsk/HeatStk3.htm

Started brewing electric around ten years ago w/ very basic stuff when the only information was the links posted above.

We've come a long way baby.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

My all electric 3 keggle system is almost complete. Control panel is built and rig built, just need to wire up the elements in the Keggles.

 

[Junkster]

I recently sold my 3V propane-powered 3-tier rig I built & used for years and am currently building an electric modified BIAG setup and really looking forward to it. I will post the results here when I get further along....

 

[Bernie Brewer]

By your definition, I used heatsticks years ago, so I was at one time an electric brewer. I built a three-tier propane system a few years ago and no longer need the heatsticks. I have no interest in building an all-electric rig. Too expensive to start up, and I like the portability of a gas setup. I am not tethered to a wall, and can take my rig to brewing events. So I will stick with gas.

 

[billvon]

How long have you been brewing electric? Did you go back to gas? If yes, why?

Been using an electric HLT for about a year, still use gas for the kettle. Trying to decide whether to go all gas or all electric.

 

[bruin_ale]

Started brewing electric about 6 months ago, loving it so far...portability sux, but I like brewing at home anyways.

 

[smellysell]

Started the continuous upgrade of my e-brewery almost 2 years ago, and can't imagine what reason would lead anybody back to propane?

I have a banjo burner, kettle, and 5 gal igloo HLT left from my previous system that mostly collects dust, but I use it when I brew away from home.

 

[Palefire]

In process ... hopefully will have the whole system built in a few months, depending on how busy my life is. Until then, it's the prope, baby.

 

[samc]

started with stove top
switched to propane
switched to NG with electric RIMS
switched to BIAB all electric

electric is by far easiest, BIAB is far and away the best method for me. saves a ton of time on clean up and lifting.

Can't see moving away from electric, but you never know.

 

[SankePankey]

My first brewing experience came from my brewmation automated electric brewery I purchased a little over a year ago. I had hoped I'd get the "Craziest Newb of the Year" award, but alas... there isn't one... Now I have (basically) a brewpub in my living room. 5 tap kegerator, 2 ferm chambers, motorized grain mill, etc. It's pretty crazy and i've spent $$$$$$$$...

...and more $$$$$%%&$(&#&!!! but had a great time teaching myself all the tricks, trials, and tribulations of propping up a killer pilot brewing system. My wish to never pine over gear again and just tinker with ingredients has not come yet, but I'm almost there.

 

[redman67]

Thanks to your posts,Ive been brewing electric since the first of the year and im loving it

 

[Yooper]

I went all-electric in January 2010. I love it. I'm never going back to propane or natural gas, as I brew indoors and love it.

 

[wildwest450]

You'd have to pry my elements out of my cold dead hands.

If I ever want to brew on the road I just grab my old cooler and burner setup.

_

 

[millstone]

We (me and m son) have been at it for a year and and a half, just using heat sticks, one 1500 watt and two 2000 watt. we have done 30 brews, we do double 5 gallons per brew session. Love every minute. great heat control. Don't ever want to go back.

tom

 

[Zen_Brew]

Bought a used 15 gallon B-3 1550 set-up in Dec 2010 and converted it to electric and had it online a month later. I love it and have no desire to go back.

I have used the old propane and 9 gallon kettle for an off site event on big brew day, and use the old kettle and burner for stand alone 3 gallon batches, but that's it.

Love electric!

 

[rmullins]

Bought a used 15 gallon B-3 1550 set-up in Dec 2010 and converted it to electric and had it online a month later. I love it and have no desire to go back.

I have used the old propane and 9 gallon kettle for an off site event on big brew day, and use the old kettle and burner for stand alone 3 gallon batches, but that's it.

Love electric!

As a b3-1550 user I'm very intrigued. How did you do your conversion

 

[milldoggy]

Love electric, will not go back to gas unless I am doing a brew event with my extract gear.

 

[Zen_Brew]

As a b3-1550 user I'm very intrigued. How did you do your conversion

Lots of options really. I went with a herms system. The system I bought already had a fixed copper coil in the HLT. I plumbed it up with valves, splitters, disconnects, and Silicone tubing. I put a 240V 3500W element in the HLT and a 4500W element in the brew kettle. I added an additional March pump to whirlpool the kettle at end of boil. I put the stand up on wheels and made a 25 ft extension cord to be semi-mobil. I could have built a controller but had no time so I bought a basic pre-fab continuously variable power controller from high gravity brewing. It has one outlet so I have to unplug the HLT to put the kettle on line. It's basic, but works great.

There are pics of the rig in my profile galley.

Cheers