Is the only way to test the boiling ability of an electric stove

[damdaman]

to attempt a brew and see if it can boil enough wort to do a 5gal all grain batch? I just moved and my old place had a gas stove which worked well. New place is one of those fancy weird "glass"-topped electrics that heat up underneath a glass-like surface.

I would prefer to not spend money on a propane burner just yet if I don't have to, but I don't want to start a beer and find out it can't boil 6.5+ gallons of wort halfway through the brewing process.

I'm currently still doing partial-boil extract batches so it's not an immediate problem, but I'm feeling comfortable enough that I want to try my first AG batch within the next month or so.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

just see if you can get a real heavy, strong boil out of 7+ gallons of water.

my guess is: no. electric burners suck. but, YMMV

 

[mosquitocontrol]

If you need to improve the boil, wrap your pot with a tower, or that metallic bubble wrap type insulation. That should get you to where you want to be for larger partial boils.

 

[Beernik]

Mine's a electric coil range and I boiled 7 gallons on it last weekend using two burners on under the pot.

I have heard if you try cook an oversized pot on those induction surface stoves it will discolor the glass.

 

[Gritsak]

I think everyone's stove and setup will yield different results. I had no improvement wrapping insulation around my pot.

If your stove can't handle the job on its own, best option IMO is to build a heat-stick. I can boil 7 gallons with ease using mine and a little help from my dinky apartment size electric stove.

 

[ikonis]

I get a very vigorous boil on my glass top stove. It isn't a newer induction burner.
Albeit, it does take a while to get 6.3 gallons to a boil. But my turkey fryer boil kettle works just fine on the stove.

 

[Arkador]

My burners are too far apart to get a pot over 2 of them. It took plenty of time to boil 3gal. I bought a propane burner and moved outdoors.