120v to mash, then propane to boil?

[kohalajohn]

I expect to be getting a ClawHammer 10 gallon 120V biab.

I know that for these smaller batches, 120v could do the boil.

But I happen to already have a large powerful propane burner.

Are there advantages to moving to the faster propane for the boil? Or does the 120V work just fine for the boil?

 

[doug293cz]

You risk heat damage to the element power cord and connections at the kettle end if you put the kettle on a burner. Transferring to a second kettle to use the burner would eliminate one of the major benefits of BIAB.

Brew on

 

[kohalajohn]

I agree.

I have ordered a 240v instead.

 

[odie]

I think about this a lot. I have a homemade 120V E-kettle. Mash is fine but takes time to ramp up to a boil. My boil off rate is 1/2 gal/hr...I'd like much higher so I can sparge more to boost my efficiency . You would need a way to deflect the flame/excessive heat from any electrical connections or anything that might melt.

 

[kohalajohn]

Yeah. I think it's a bad idea. With 110V, I think the only solution is to wait. There's always other stuff to do in the meantime.

 

[Whisky River]

I’m a pretty big defender of 120v systems but even I wouldn’t say they “work just fine for the boil”. They have some significant considerations to account for, even more so on a system like the Clawhammer. The traditional 120v all in one systems have tall and narrow proportions to minimize heat loss to the atmosphere through the surface area at the top of the boiler. They also usually include an insulating jacket or built in insulation to minimize heat loss through the walls of the unit. The base is usually raised off of the resting surface and often made of plastic, again to reduce heat loss through the bottom of the boiler to the table or floor thats its resting on. These systems also generally utilize a pour-over sparge which reduces the total boil volume considerably compared to a full volume BIAB system.
If you do plan to use 120v you might think about those issues and if it’s worth trying to mitigate them on that system versus going in a different direction.

 

[doug293cz]

These systems also generally utilize a pour-over sparge which reduces the total boil volume considerably compared to a full volume BIAB system.

These systems also generally utilize a pour-over sparge which reduces the total mash volume considerably compared to a full volume BIAB system. FTFY.

Brew on

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I have one of the early versions of the Digiboil that was designed to just be a water heater, (no pump). Later, they created an upgrade package, (false bottom, mash tube w/ handle, support ring), that allowed one to use it as an all-in-one.
I have used it a few times for mashing when doing 5 gallon batches. I think I have used it for a couple 10 gallon mashes where the grain bill was not large and I mashed a little thicker than usual, (I typically mash to the thin side).
I have never attempted to boil in it. In the end, I have no more to clean up at the end of the brew day than if I had done a BIAB because I clean up the Digiboil during the boil time. Since I am only mashing in it, it is not that difficult to clean; nothing really “cooked on”. So, regardless of whether I use the Digiboil or strictly do a BIAB, I still just have the boil kettle to clean at the end of the day.

 

[kohalajohn]

I have solved the problem by just buying a Brewzilla gen 4 220V.

Electrical all the way

 

[EscapeArtistBrewing]

You risk heat damage to the element power cord and connections at the kettle end if you put the kettle on a burner. Transferring to a second kettle to use the burner would eliminate one of the major benefits of BIAB.

Brew on

I've seen comments that the Clawhammer can be propane-boiled/heated. That claim always gives me pause.
I don't think the smell of bakelite and neoprene in the morning smells like Victory at all...

 

[kohalajohn]

I can report that the bzg4 35 240V with neoprene jacket is super fast to reach boil.

I"ve even done cold pour overs and that barely slowed down the rise up to boil

 

[odie]

if you can shield the wiring and such, maybe set the burner on low while using 120v in parallel with propane? basically, just a small propane boost to reach boil? Once at/near boil, you can cut the propane and go.

120v will achieve boil...just takes a while. but once it's there all you are doing is holding temp.

my kettle is about 15 gal total. my homemade 1500w 120 set up will bring it to boil (or at least near enough boil)....just takes a long time to get there. even 6 gal of wort takes a while.

granted, 120v is not going to have a rolling boil...more of a simmer. but you don't even have to reach boil to make beer. we just boil cause in old days, there wasn't much heat control so it just boiled...and it ain't ever gonna exceed 212' anyway (well technically, just a litte due to the sugar in the wort).

 

[kohalajohn]

Odie, I recall a brulosophy experiment where they found out that a vigorous boil had no discernible improvement over a gentle simmer.

And I think the lodo tribe deliberately do simmer, as they feel a vigorous boil will stir in oxygen.