How can I keep my aluminum pot from burning my wort?

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

I just can afford to get out and buy a thicker pot right now, though it is my next equipment purchase. Do any of you know if a diffuser or whatever they call those things would work and where I could get one or rig one from.

I've tried lowering my burner temp and stirring a lot. It makes it better, but doesn't eliminate the problem.

 

[Walker]

My wife is going to pick up a heat spreader/diffuser/whatever the next time she is shopping for cooking gear. The ones I have seen are basically big, heavy, flat, copper discs (often coated in SS). You just lay it on top of the burner/flame and put the pot on top of that.

I big chunk of cast iron would probably work, too. Got a big ol' frying pan laying around? If not, check to see if you can find one of those stove-top griddles. They are basially just a big hunk of cast iron.

-walker

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Yeah, I've got an iron skillet that would work. It'd be worth a try. I can't believe I didn't think of that. Probably all of the alcohol!

 

[Brewby, my beer]

Are you cooking on gas or electric?

I just brewed my first batch and I did it on the electric stove. I bought a turkey cooker but I just used the aluminum pot from it. Next time I'll do it on the gas burner from the turkey cooker, takes half the time to bring water to boil.

I may have to experiment to see where I can get the best flame but not burn the wort.

"I must drink beer, beer is the mind killer!" - Duncan Idaho

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

What do you mean by 'burning'? Darkening of the wort, or scorching of the wort?

I blast my turkeyfryer wide freakin' open on my AG batches and don't scorch anything. I would assume (if you're talking extract) that if you get the extract mixed in well off the heat that you shouldn't have a scorching problem, but wort darkening during the boil is something all of us deal with to an extent (extract brewers more than AG).

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

cooking with electric for now.

It's leaving blackened bits of itself on the bottom of the pot. That'd be scorching, right? You know, it hasn't ever made my beer taste burned that I'd notice. It does have an off flavor sometimes, though.

Beer is the mindkiller indeed.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Yeah, I'd call that scorched. I'm no expert on this, but I'd guess you need to somehow get the pot off the heat (maybe move it to another unoccupied burner?), vigorously stir in your extract, and then move it back to the heat. In my experience with starters, DME seems a lot less prone to scorching than LME which torpedos to the bottom of the pot.

 

[Beer Snob]

I actually was in a camping store and for the hell of it checked out the fryers that they had. It was a high quality camping store so I figured they woudl have a selection. They did... about 5. But I have to say that they are the cheapest looking pots I have ever seen. I cant imagine using them without some heavy scorching. Seems that getting offlavors from using allumimun would be the least of your concerns. Eventually its going to burn up and if allumimun does not leave off flavors this certainl would.

I think I'm going to stick to partials till I can at least get a halfway decent pot. Which looks like Northern who has them in the $85 range. Now the toss up is whether or not I can use the indoor stove with them I know. I do have a patio, but if I would go outside, outside of using the patio that is..... that would mean carriing the wort up a flight of stairs. Scary thought.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I blast my turkeyfryer wide freakin' open on my AG batches and don't scorch anything.

That's probably due to the fact that you are boiling the entire batch volume plus boil-off and your gravity is relatively low. I can't speak for Billy, but when I'm doing partial boils for an extract batch, the concentrated wort gravity is really high and therefore easy to scorch.

I bent a coat-hangar into a 2-d star-shape, put it on the electric element and it made all the difference.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

I can't speak for Billy.

Aw, go ahead.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Aw, go ahead.

Okay, ummm... Billy says: Somebody bring me an elephant and some cheese-whiz!

 

[Walker]

Okay, ummm... Billy says: Somebody bring me an elephant and some cheese-whiz!

Explain. I understand the elephant part, but... cheese-whiz?

 

[El Pistolero]

Explain. I understand the elephant part, but... cheese-whiz?

I think he meant Cheesefood...Cheyco's still pining after his avatar, tho it's not clear what he's gonna do with the elephant.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

And a wench!

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

You guys don't have cheese-whiz? It's like smooth peanut-butter textured cheese spread, and it comes in big jars.

The Orange Death

It destroys the skin in your mouth leaving you with bleeding ulcers, but it's awesome on toast, and elephants...

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

That's probably due to the fact that you are boiling the entire batch volume plus boil-off and your gravity is relatively low. I can't speak for Billy, but when I'm doing partial boils for an extract batch, the concentrated wort gravity is really high and therefore easy to scorch.

Good point...I was responding more to Brewby who was saying he needed to experiment with the flame on his turkey cooker...IMO if you're using a turkey cooker there's no reason not to do a full-wort boil.

And pass the cheese whiz with some captains' wafers!

 

[david_42]

My turkey burner was burning wort in a pattern that followed the shape of the stand. I've had good luck with a simple heat diffuser. I purchased it from http://www.sciplus.com, but they seem to be out of them. It's just a corrigated metal sheet with 1/8 inch holes in it.

 

[Pumbaa]

any good heavy square of cold rolled steel or even a expanded metel screen will help diffuse your heat if you are using a turkey fryer.

As for the eletric stove . . . I hate them. I have one myself and trying to get the SWMBO to let me replace it. I dunno what a good way to diffuse the heat from that would be. I suppose the methods above would work, but I dunno how bad they would cut down on the heat you are actually getting from them. Youre best bet may be what BeeGee said and get your water to a boil then add your extracts, and try to keep the boil going at the lowest possible heat.

 

[UNOmar]

When I was using my electric stove and doing 1/2 boils I noticed that I would get the burner pattern (spiral) scorched on my SS pot. After a few bouts with the steel wool I found a wire heat diffuser that worked like a charm. I would think it could be made out of a metal hanger even. It just raises the pot just barely off the burner which gives it more even heating. Although it does slightly reduce the heating power. I don't have a picture of it, but it looked like a 6-pointed star.

 

[Kevin K]

When I was using my electric stove and doing 1/2 boils I noticed that I would get the burner pattern (spiral) scorched on my SS pot. After a few bouts with the steel wool I found a wire heat diffuser that worked like a charm. I would think it could be made out of a metal hanger even. It just raises the pot just barely off the burner which gives it more even heating. Although it does slightly reduce the heating power. I don't have a picture of it, but it looked like a 6-pointed star.

Chairman Cheyco said the same thing in post #9 above.

I bent a coat-hangar into a 2-d star-shape, put it on the electric element and it made all the difference.

I'll have to remember to do this when I start my first brew (electric stove).

 

[UNOmar]

Chairman Cheyco said the same thing in post #9 above.

Whoops, good catch. I guess I kinda breezed through some of the replies.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Just make sure you get a hangar with no paint on it!!!:cross: