Stevorino
Well-Known Member
Hey Guys,
A week ago on here we were talking about the impact of using electric heating elements vs. gas in your boil kettle. I emailed Jamil Zainasheff (most awarded homebrewer) about it and this is what he said in response:
"Steve,
There will be some additional melanoidin formation using the heater elements. It works for many people. I know you need to make sure you find the elements with the lowest heat density per inch, yet with enough total wattage to do the heating necessary. You will most likely find that you'll need to tweak your recipes a bit to compensate for the additional melanoidins. Recipes that worked fine before might be a bit off now. Of course, that applies to any major change in brewing equipment.
The only other con that I know of is the possibility of electrocution. Anytime you mix liquids and electricity, you're running the risk. The more ways you integrate electricity, the more opportunities there are for a deadly outcome. There are people who have done it safely for years, but you'll want to keep that in mind.
JZ"
For me personally, Jamil's word is as good as it gets regarding homebrewing. Hopefully this will help others as well!
A week ago on here we were talking about the impact of using electric heating elements vs. gas in your boil kettle. I emailed Jamil Zainasheff (most awarded homebrewer) about it and this is what he said in response:
"Steve,
There will be some additional melanoidin formation using the heater elements. It works for many people. I know you need to make sure you find the elements with the lowest heat density per inch, yet with enough total wattage to do the heating necessary. You will most likely find that you'll need to tweak your recipes a bit to compensate for the additional melanoidins. Recipes that worked fine before might be a bit off now. Of course, that applies to any major change in brewing equipment.
The only other con that I know of is the possibility of electrocution. Anytime you mix liquids and electricity, you're running the risk. The more ways you integrate electricity, the more opportunities there are for a deadly outcome. There are people who have done it safely for years, but you'll want to keep that in mind.
JZ"
For me personally, Jamil's word is as good as it gets regarding homebrewing. Hopefully this will help others as well!