Help with first batch: Glasstop Stove

[SquirrelMaster]

Been reading this forum for little while now and just picked up my first kit and ingredients at my LHBS. Think i'm all set on the equipment, have the 7gal primary plastic bucket and a 5gal glass carboy for secondary (not sure im gonna go to secondary on first batch), and then all the rest of the fun stuff.

For the recipe, they use northwestern products and i went with the gold. Doesn't say exactly what each ingredient is but has LME, bittering hops and aroma hops.

Already did a test run to see if my stove can handle the boil, it got 3.5 gals to a rolling but took almost 90 min. Have since gotten the reflectix aluminum insulation and will see if that helps. But i think if i do 3gal for the wort i will hopefully be okay.

Now on to the questions:

1. I don't want to get the wort too caramelized because of the glasstop stove. i will use the hanger trick and straddle two burners so im hoping that will prevent burning and obviously stirring should help. I've read on here that some people don't add all the LME in the beginning. If i do some at first and then the rest at some other time will that help? How much should i use at first and when should i add the remainder?

2. After i take the first sample for the hydrometer, can i keep that sample in a jar and keep testing that so i will be opening the primary as little as possible to get additional samples?

Any other tips for glasstop stoves and this recipe? i've read through a ton of threads on glasstop but haven't found threads about this recipe im using. thanks!

 

[Andy_LV]

Does it have any specialty grains?

 

[SquirrelMaster]

no specialty grains. just LME and the two bags of hops

 

[SquirrelMaster]

also only provided me with one packet of ale yeast, says it expires 5/11. should i get another packet for backup or will i probably be fine with that one?

 

[scrambledegg81]

1. I don't want to get the wort too caramelized because of the glasstop stove. i will use the hanger trick and straddle two burners so im hoping that will prevent burning and obviously stirring should help. I've read on here that some people don't add all the LME in the beginning. If i do some at first and then the rest at some other time will that help? How much should i use at first and when should i add the remainder?

Most kinds of electric stoves are pretty weak in the BTU department. As long as you stir it in slowly, you'll be fine. If you want some more assurance, you can switch off the burner before adding it, and stir constantly while you pour it in. Late LME additions have their own threads, and I don't know much about it, so I won't cover it here.

2. After i take the first sample for the hydrometer, can i keep that sample in a jar and keep testing that so i will be opening the primary as little as possible to get additional samples?

It would be an awesome day if this were the case, but sadly, no. Temperature variations, CO2 production, and a host of other reasons would make it impossible to accurately judge fermentation by a single sample. Beer is pretty hard to screw up (as the saying goes), and taking the airlock off to take samples is standard practice. The yeasties produce a CO2 layer that keeps oxygen out (as long as you don't go swirling the fermentor around...), and just a few moments of air exposure won't infect your batch, in all likelihood. The norm for pulling samples (for me) is 3 to 4 times over 4-6 weeks.

Any other tips for glasstop stoves and this recipe? i've read through a ton of threads on glasstop but haven't found threads about this recipe im using. thanks!

Post the recipe and we'll tell ya.

If you're having issues getting a rolling boil going (used to use a glasstop myself), try rotating the boil kettle around on the burner every so often. As for the yeast, is it dry or liquid? 5/11 for an expiration date is fine irregardless, but if you bought dry yeast, you need to re-hydrate it.

 

[Andy_LV]

start the boil, you dont need violent boil, just rolling boil - as soon as it starts to boil, turn fire off to avoid boilovers, start mixing in malt extract (not all at once, by portions and stir stir stir, disolve all the clumps), once its done, turn fire back on, add bittering hops and start your timer - you should boil for one hour adding ingredients as per recipe. you dont have to boil it violently, just a rolling boil.

you should be fine with dry yeast. what you can do to improve chance is rehydrate it - it takes about hour maximum.

after 45min boil, you add flavoring hops, 5min before its done add irish moss, more aroma hops if recipe requires it and wort chiller to sanitize it.

did I forget anything?

Honestly, I dont do this just because I have glass top stove - it takes helowa tima to get boiling. Anyway, Im really curious how it turns out on glasstop, so please let us know

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 to taking the kettle off the heat to add your extract. Even stirring, it can sink straight to the bottom and stick.

I usually do late extract additions like you ask about. Usually I do pretty big partial mash brews so I boil with the wort from my grains and add the extract at the end. If I'm doing all extract, I'll add between a quarter and a half of the extract at the start and then add the rest right at the end.

+1 on taking hydrometer samples from the fermenter as well. What you're talking about doing is called a "satellite fermenter". It won't tell you what's actually happening in the fermenter. The one thing it's good for is to give you an idea of what your final gravity will be because the smaller sample will usually ferment out faster than the larger volume in the primary.

Don't be afraid to take hydrometer samples! After your pitch your yeast, seal it up and install your airlock and then leave it for a week before you take your first sample. The yeast will have a good foothold and your brew will be more resistant to infection. I usually ferment for at least 3 weeks and I take samples about once a week to see how it's going.

 

[RippinLt]

I used the hanger trick and i had hanger shaped scorching in my kettle. I removed the hanger luckily and the scorching came right off. Had I left the hanger there I would have seen devastating results. Therefore, I do not recommend using a hanger. Once I got my wort to boil, I put the heat down from 9 to 5.5. I stirred every minute or so and it would only pause the boil until I put the lid back on.

 

[tasq]

I used the hanger trick and i had hanger shaped scorching in my kettle. I removed the hanger luckily and the scorching came right off. Had I left the hanger there I would have seen devastating results. Therefore, I do not recommend using a hanger. Once I got my wort to boil, I put the heat down from 9 to 5.5. I stirred every minute or so and it would only pause the boil until I put the lid back on.

Don't boil with the lid on! You'll have DMS problems and your beer will taste like vegetables.

 

[SquirrelMaster]

I usually do late extract additions like you ask about. Usually I do pretty big partial mash brews so I boil with the wort from my grains and add the extract at the end. If I'm doing all extract, I'll add between a quarter and a half of the extract at the start and then add the rest right at the end.

Got it, so i can do half with the bittering hops and then the other half with the aroma hops at 15 min left.

 

[SquirrelMaster]

Don't boil with the lid on! You'll have DMS problems and your beer will taste like vegetables.

right, but i could put the lid partially on if i wasn't getting a rolling boil correct? just have to be really careful abut boilovers.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

right, but i could put the lid partially on if i wasn't getting a rolling boil correct? just have to be really careful abut boilovers.

you can start it with the lid on but once it starts boiling and you start adding ingredients keep the lid off.

 

[northernlad]

Do not straddle burners on a glass stove. You need complete contact with the entire surface of your burners to maximize efficiency.
You are over thinking this. Turn the burner off, maybe move the pot to a cool burner when adding LME, then move it back. I have a glass top and when I was doing extract I never had a scorching problem and I never moved the pot. I stirred...
As far as the lid, take a spoon or something else that will fit your the top of your pot side to side and stay there, and put your lid on top of that. The crack will allow the steam to escape and help your boil vigor.

 

[Skarekrough]

The thing I found was once you get the water up to boil, consider that momentum and make your moves accordingly. It's like an old Buick on the highway; it's going to be easier to change lanes rather than try to slow down. Keep the potholder handy and if you need to slide the kettle over a few inches to get the results you're looking for then go ahead and do it.

Never had a problem keeping the top on the kettle. My stove takes an hour to get 3 gallons up to a rolling boil. Without the top I can't imagine how much longer it would take.

 

[theschick]

I used the heating element from an electric turkey fryer, to speed up the process. If you don't want to build a heatstick, this is a great option. I looked on Craiglist, and found somebody getting rid of their electric turkey fryer very cheap. It is like a 1650w element, so it can run off pretty much any outlet (GFCI recommended), and mine also has its own GFCI switch built in.

I just use it to get the rolling boiling started. Afterwards, the stovetop can keep it that way.

 

[mojotele]

Glass top stove = electric stove.

With an electric stove, you really want to move the pot OFF the element entirely when adding your extract. Electric stoves use a heating element and, even if you turn off the heat, it will remain quite hot for some time. Northernlad said he never had a problem, but it's really easy to do and insures you will have no problem with burnt LME. Just slide it over to the next burner that is, hopefully, off (and has been for hours).