electric brewing?

[sam_cotter]

Hello all, I am on the cusp of breaking in my 10 gallon home brewery. I am going to mash in a 15 gallon sanke keg with rims via a heat exchange coil in a pot on the side with a 1200 watt element and a wilhi controller to fire the element to maintain mash temp. I am going to sparge from a ten gallon round HD cooler. I will them boil with a propane burner. My question, way back in the day I was lead to believe that electric stove top brewing would scorch sugars and darken wort. Do immersed electric elements scorch wort and darken the wort? I am asking mainly because I am attracted to the apparent ease of electric brewing as a more automated process.

Sam

 

[aspiffymofo]

What you are describing sounds like a HERMS system, from the heat exchange coil you talked about. I have never heard of anyone scorching their wort using a HERMS type...

Now a RIMS tube is another story...

I still batch sparge and have an electric kettle, so I might not know what I'm talking about.

 

[sam_cotter]

What you are describing sounds like a HERMS system, from the heat exchange coil you talked about. I have never heard of anyone scorching their wort using a HERMS type...

Now a RIMS tube is another story...

I still batch sparge and have an electric kettle, so I might not know what I'm talking about.

Thanks for the feedback but I was not asking about my current plan but forward thinking to progress to all electric. I am Concerned about potential scorching sugars and darkening wort during the boil process with immersion heaters.

Sam

 

[doug293cz]

Scorching potential is a function of the watt density of the heating element. That's why most electric brewers use what are termed ultra low watt density (ULWD) elements. The watt density is the maximum rated wattage of the element divided by the surface area (in sq inches) of the element. ULWD is about 50W/in^2 (according to The Electric Brewery), but I think I've seen others define it as less than 70W/in^2.

Brew on

 

[passedpawn]

Do immersed electric elements scorch wort and darken the wort?

No.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Scorching potential is a function of the watt density of the heating element.

Brew on

Ime, the protein content, or trub allowed to stagnate at the element is critical, perhaps more so than the watt density of the element.

There are reports of ULWD elements scorching as well as high watt density elements scorching.

Not allowing heavy trub to settle on or at the element is advisable. A little bit of stirring as you come to boil may be wise with heavy trub wort like wheat or rye....

Be warned, pausing a boil and re heating without stirring the trub up off the bottom of the kettle was a big problem for me.
Only one batch of many ever scorched using high watt density elements.

 

[augiedoggy]

Hello all, I am on the cusp of breaking in my 10 gallon home brewery. I am going to mash in a 15 gallon sanke keg with rims via a heat exchange coil in a pot on the side with a 1200 watt element and a wilhi controller to fire the element to maintain mash temp. I am going to sparge from a ten gallon round HD cooler. I will them boil with a propane burner. My question, way back in the day I was lead to believe that electric stove top brewing would scorch sugars and darken wort. Do immersed electric elements scorch wort and darken the wort? I am asking mainly because I am attracted to the apparent ease of electric brewing as a more automated process.

Sam

The only way the electric stovetops could scorch more than gas as far as I know was if non triclad pots were used.

To answer your question, As long as you use ULWD elements you wont get scorching with the exception being if you are making a really high protien/ alcohol beer and turn off the element for some reason for a while , let the sediment settle onto the element and then turn the heat back on without stirring first. this as well as pouring extract onto the hot element can scorch.

 

[sam_cotter]

OK, I am learning quite a bit. I think ultimately I will end up with a full electric brewery. It is very cool that the equipment is very adaptable. Thanks for the help.

Sam