New Kettle Rocking While Heating

[mcartt11]

So, I just recently got a a cooler mash tun and 10 gallon Concord brew kettle in an attempt to step up my methods from partial boil extract with steeping grains to partial mash with a full volume boil (or at least as close as my indoor stove can get me to full boil). So, last weekend I did my first brew with the new equipment. In an effort to keep some of my processes as close to my old ways as possible, I didn't go for the full volume boil with this batch but instead went with about a 4 gallon boil.

I have a flat top stove. When I put the wort filled kettle onto my stovetop with the burner on high, the kettle started rocking back and forth and sort of vibrating on the stove top. It was doing this violently enough that I was afraid that it was going to break the stove top. I was able to get it to stop, by moving the pot around on the burner in such a way that the burner was sort of off to one side of the pot and not directly in the center.

Anyone else ever see this happen? Thoughts on what might be causing it?

I think next time, I am going to go for the full volume boil and have the pot straddle 2 burners. I am a little worried however that with 6 + gallon in the pot that if it starts rocking again that it will break the glass stove top.

 

[bbohanon]

Mine does this as well on the flat top stove. Not sure what causes it, but I can attest I have the same issue, I just move it a tad off the burner or stradle 2 burners on the flat top and its all good.

 

[mcartt11]

Mine does this as well on the flat top stove. Not sure what causes it, but I can attest I have the same issue, I just move it a tad off the burner or stradle 2 burners on the flat top and its all good.

Good to know that I am not the only one.

If I may ask, how much wort can you get boiling when straddling the two burners?

 

[bbohanon]

Good to know that I am not the only one.

If I may ask, how much wort can you get boiling when straddling the two burners?

I have managed to get 6 gallons slowly rolling boil-wise on the flat top straddling 2 burners..it takes a while, but it will get there.

The biggest issue with the flat top stoves is that the burners turn off and on quite a bit regardless of how hot the liquid is in the pot so stradling the 2 burners you at least have one or more on at least 99% of the time which help keep heat going into the pot.

I don't do full wort boils on my flat top stove any longer, just extracts and even with that I will sometimes straddle the burners to speed up the heating process.