Read right past the "btu" I would have known you were talking natural gas if I had read closer. That's an approach I considered and it is very good. The house I was in when I devloped my present system was all-electric so using natural gas was out. The permenent plumbing involved is the only...
I personally avoid having any heating element in direct contact with the wort. Scorched beer is a unpleasent flavor. The residue that collects on a hot water tank element is enough evidence that that is happening at some level even in the best of cases. Besides the difficulty...
I bought a cooktop, put it in the unfinished part of my basement,and installed 2 of the canning elements. Big screen TV, stereo, bathroom, and Bar w/serving fridge all just around the corner. That's how I spend my winter.
Yes the a145a 2600 watt canning element is raised with a "heat ring". It was developed for those large dia. canning pots to prevent just what you experienced. The owners manual for my fridgeidare cooktop cautions to never use a pot that overhangs the element by more than 1". This element cures...
I know how you feel. I moved 100+ miles in July. I still haven't got the 240 run for my basement system, and the temperature is single digets outside. Maybe after the holidays! My new house has a bar also and setting up and modifing that has been time consuming.
Have a 20 gal outside system, 5 gal electric basement system, and I still do mini-mashes to try a style or when brew time is limited to keep beer supply up. I did a 20 min kit with my son-in-law to plant the seed a week ago.
Try a late addition of LME at flame out. It keeps the extra boiling from darkening the wort. (LME is already boiled to concentrate) The late addition techique has made my light beers several points lighter. Just boil hops and DME for 60 minutes. I also haven't noticed that extract "twian" that I...
Take a look at these: http://www.appliancepartsofamerica.com/SFRIGBURNER.html It was the first site on a quick search. I don't remember the brand of the coil I got but it had one more row than the old one.
I replaced one of the large diameter coils on my electric stove with 1800 watt coil that I got at Ace hardware. I have seen them at other hardware stores and even walmart sense. It shortened the time to reach a boil quite a bit. I was told that there are 2200 watt coils that can be special...
My computer. I was brewing old school, out of the book, until I got online and have been introduced to so many new techniques and time saving ideas. The communication with other experimenting brewers has made continuious improvements a everyday part of brewing.
I use a HERMS coil in my HLT thru which I circulate the wort with a pump to raise (or lower) the mash temp.
The coil is typically in boiling water in the HLT and increases the wort temp. quickly.
If you haven't purchased the pump yet? Might I suggest you consider a Wort Wizard it works well using the water flow of the CFC and is available for under $20 if you check around.