Electric Stove Equipment and Process Questions

[melbow]

I'm very new to brewing. I just racked my second batch and the brewing process went infinitely smoother than the first time, but it is still taking a very long time because I'm boiling 6+ gallons on an electric stove. It takes about an hour and a half to get to boiling.

I live in an apartment complex and can't brew outside here, so propane is out of the question. I've read some people use immersion water heaters like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VK0DRY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 to help give your stove a little umph, but there are issues with that like having to submerse it too deep in the wort. Are there better options that are also fairly inexpensive that can get me boiling faster?

I am doing partial mashes, so while my grain is steeping, can I boil up a couple gallons of water and just dump it in after sparging to lower my boil time?

When should I add my extract to get the best results? I've been adding after sparging and before boiling, so it can dissolve nicely before getting so hot that I need to worry about scorching, but should I really add it at the start of the boil? Are there potentially negative effects due to adding extract then having to wait an hour+ to get it to a boil?

Thanks for the help. HBT has taught me so much.

 

[pablosbrewing]

This is what you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422150975&sr=8-1&keywords=heat+stick

 

[JohnSand]

You can make smaller batches or smaller boils. Plenty of extract+grains recipes don't call for a full boil. Those that do can be adjusted. Or, brew half batches and brew more often. There is always a way.

 

[melbow]

This is what you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422150975&sr=8-1&keywords=heat+stick

Do you have experience using that? If so, how much would you say it lowered your boil time by? Is it durable enough to handle boiling temps without damaging the wiring?

You can make smaller batches or smaller boils. Plenty of extract+grains recipes don't call for a full boil. Those that do can be adjusted. Or, brew half batches and brew more often. There is always a way.

I like doing 5+ gallon boils rather than small boils because it really feels like I'm making something great and not taking any shortcuts. Also, my understanding is you lose efficiency with smaller boils and certain styles don't work well as small boils, like paler styles, because the wort tends to almost caramelize and the color gets darker. I've never experienced this but I read it somewhere (probably on this forum?).

I have thought about doing 1-2 gallon batches and brewing more frequently, but I my girlfriend bought me a 5 gallon kit to start with and I don't want to put it to waste. Plus I don't have the ability to control the fermentation of a bunch of different batches right now. There's just the one fridge.

 

[flars]

Look at the extract and partial mash recipes on Northern Brewers sites. These are designed for partial boil. Also look for information on the technique of late extract addition, and the Maillard reaction.

 

[jethro55]

I use late extract additions (DME and/or LME) with good results. I add a little less than half at the beginning and add the rest just prior to flame out.

If you are steeping grains in the normal way (for flavor), then there are no starch conversions to be concerned with.

Hops utilization is the only real reason to boil for an hour. And that can be shortened by a bunch by doubling up (or even tripling) the hops additions.

Most of the kit extracts are darker in color in most every case. The lightest color extracts usually are called "ultralight". Ultralight DME's seem to be the lightest. I just don't see the ultralights in the kits that I have used.

I brew on a kitchen stove top as well. I use two pots and it seems to work. It takes about 20 minutes to reach a boil with 3 gallons in each pot.

 

[h22lude]

I like doing 5+ gallon boils rather than small boils because it really feels like I'm making something great and not taking any shortcuts. Also, my understanding is you lose efficiency with smaller boils and certain styles don't work well as small boils, like paler styles, because the wort tends to almost caramelize and the color gets darker. I've never experienced this but I read it somewhere (probably on this forum?).

I have thought about doing 1-2 gallon batches and brewing more frequently, but I my girlfriend bought me a 5 gallon kit to start with and I don't want to put it to waste. Plus I don't have the ability to control the fermentation of a bunch of different batches right now. There's just the one fridge.

You can't think of a partial boil as a shortcut or inferior product. It isn't a shortcut. If anything, you are adding a step (topping off). I have done it all. Partial boil extract, partial boil extract with steeping grains, full boil extract, full boil extract with steeping grains, full boil AG...All came out great.

Sure there are a few advantages to full boil but there are advantages to partial boil too (especially if your equipment can't handle a full boil).

IMO, I would save your money and keep doing partial until you can afford a full electric system. There are plenty of e-BIAB systems that work just as good as propane if not better and they take up less space. If you have an electric dryer, your wiring is already there.

 

[pablosbrewing]

Do you have experience using that? If so, how much would you say it lowered your boil time by? Is it durable enough to handle boiling temps without damaging the wiring?

The average stove top 8" burner is 2000W, so it is a pretty good boost. One Amazon review says he does all grain and takes almost 2 hours to boil 7 gallons on the stove, this reduced his time to 45 minutes.

The wiring is rugged, it was designed for farm use outdoors. Homebrew on the stovetop is light duty compared to that.

You can heat water in a white HDPE bucket with it.

I do agree that you can make good beer with partial boils, I did for many years, but this could give you some flexibility to heat water for various purposes, allowing you to go all grain indoors if you choose.

 

[melbow]

You can't think of a partial boil as a shortcut or inferior product. It isn't a shortcut. If anything, you are adding a step (topping off).

...

IMO, I would save your money and keep doing partial until you can afford a full electric system. There are plenty of e-BIAB systems that work just as good as propane if not better and they take up less space. If you have an electric dryer, your wiring is already there.

Sold. I'll give partial boils a try. I don't plan to brew an IPA any time soon, so the IBU cap of partial boils shouldn't be an issue. If it still takes too long still then I may temporarily invest in the water heater and eventually retire it to a heating element for my fermentation chamber.

Thanks everyone! HBT for life.

 

[petey_c]

h22lude, glad to see you finally settled that whole three/four wire thing on diychatroom.... Pete

 

[h22lude]

Sold. I'll give partial boils a try. I don't plan to brew an IPA any time soon, so the IBU cap of partial boils shouldn't be an issue. If it still takes too long still then I may temporarily invest in the water heater and eventually retire it to a heating element for my fermentation chamber.

Thanks everyone! HBT for life.

I think you will find out this is the better route. Like I stated above, I went the long route from partial extract, partial extract with steeping, full extract with steeping, etc. There was nothing wrong with it but almost at every step I had to buy at least 1 piece of new equipment. I wish I went from partial extract with steeping to all grain full boil electric biab. Would have saved me some money.

h22lude, glad to see you finally settled that whole three/four wire thing on diychatroom.... Pete

That thread was awful lol Glad people wanted to help but some people just couldn't grasp what I was talking about. I have a thread in the electric section on here basically asking the same question. P-J answered my question in two replies.