Kitchen stovetop induction BIAB

[Consigliere]

I have been doing all grain BIAB on my Bosch induction cooktop for 2 years. I can give you some input if you want to PM on details.

the burner is not full size of the pot and I don’t see issues with mash temps (I do recirc as well). Boiling does take a bit of time to get to compared to gas but can get to a boil and maintain a vigorous boil without issue. Because of the pump and plate chiller I use for cooling I do everything in one spot and only have to carry cooled wort in a sealed fermenter when done brewing.

 

[IslandLizard]

I have been doing all grain BIAB on my Bosch induction cooktop for 2 years.

Those are encouraging words, thank you!

I can give you some input if you want to PM on details.

We really would prefer if you could elaborate here, so others can benefit from your experience. Just leave private, identifiable, or other sensitive information out.

Boiling does take a bit of time to get to compared to gas but can get to a boil and maintain a vigorous boil without issue.

What is the wattage of your burner? I use 3500W induction plate, it's pretty speedy heating strike and sparge water for 5.5 gallon batches and bringing the wort to boiling temps. By the time I'm finished lautering the last (2nd) batch sparge, the kettle is already boiling.

One could speed up the heating process using a heat stick. Or an element mounted in the kettle.

10 gallon batches take quite a bit longer and would surely benefit from some extra heating capacity, such as a 2nd or even a 3rd burner.

 

[Consigliere]

Those are encouraging words, thank you!


We really would prefer if you could elaborate here, so others can benefit from your experience. Just leave private, identifiable, or other sensitive information out.


What is the wattage of your burner? I use 3500W induction plate, it's pretty speedy heating strike and sparge water for 5.5 gallon batches and bringing the wort to boiling temps. By the time I'm finished lautering the last (2nd) batch sparge, the kettle is already boiling.

One could speed up the heating process using a heat stick. Or an element mounted in the kettle.

10 gallon batches take quite a bit longer and would surely benefit from some extra heating capacity, such as a 2nd or even a 3rd burner.

was offering for PM on specific questions or details. There is nothing to elaborate on to me without specifics. It is just stovetop brewing in the end. I don’t know the burner outputs etc. never looked them up just tried it and it worked so kept going.

 

[bagbrewer]

I’ve done induction cooktop BIAB and agree the weight issue is something to pay attention to. My pot more than exceeds the limit but you can build a wooden frame flush to the height of the cooktop to distribute that weight. Foil insulation also helps retain heat during the mash and boil. Mine is/was a 1800w model so you should get better boils than I did. I ended up installing an additional element in the kettle ran to a separate circuit which gave very vigorous boils (4000 watts total). I’d usually end up turning the induction cooktop down to 500w or so once it got going. As far as lifting the bag I made a small frame double the height of the kettle + induction cooktop height and an eye bolt with a hoist to drain it while it comes to a boil. If I were buying one today it’d definitely be a steel frame model to alleviate the need for the frame. Last pointer would be to get a rolling cart to move it all. In fact my whole setup sits on the cart and to avoid lifting/moving anything full of hot liquid.

 

[Brewer dad]

Thanks everyone for their input! Thought I’d do an update just for anyone reading this thread in the future with same question I had.

Went with eight gal Megapot, and actually realized I had a cooler sitting unused in my shed, so converted that. The megapot fits perfectly on my burner, but truely the ten gal would’ve fit ok too I believe.

Obviously I chose the two vessel route. But since making this purchase I’ve realized I could also do three gal biab with this pot. For me the reduction in weight from using less grain/water puts me in a range I’m comfortable placing on the stovetop. Initially what drew me to this was batches with more expensive ingredients like fruit, and then also to more easily follow some recipes with more complicated mash schedules due to ability to directly heat mash. Not trying to start any debates just giving my reasoning.

I think going this route achieved not only my main goal which was using my stovetop again, but gave me some flexibility too. I did a test run last week, and I got my strike water to 160 degrees in ten minutes. Though to be fair I was starting with hot water since I’ll have that capability with my brew water, still pretty good in my book.

 

[beerisyummy]

Right on, Brewerdad! Thanks for circling back.

By the way, I've been noticing something interesting about the induction cooker, maybe someone on this thread can explain it?

Quoting myself here:
I have a 10 gallon Megapot I bought from Northern Brewer which is induction compatible, and a 3500W induction cooker I think I found somewhere on Amazon. System works well even though the "footprint" of the pot doesn't exactly match the shape of the cooker. If you add heat during the mash though, 2 things. (1) Get a false bottom for BIAB from www.brewhardware.com - otherwise you'll burn a hole in the bottom of your bag. Guess how I know that, heh. (2) I find that I gotta stir a LOT or I will get crazy hot spots.

It's more than that too... it seems like induction heating really behaves quite differently than a conventional heat source. Stirring or not, for a long time nothing happens. Occasionally there are little "eruptions" that come up to the surface, look like they're gonna be geysers, but they don't really spurt. Still no significant rise in temperature. Then all of a sudden, the temp rises rapidly, and if I'm not careful - or even if I am - I will overshoot my target!
What gives with this?

 

[IslandLizard]

I did a test run last week, and I got my strike water to 160 degrees in ten minutes. Though to be fair I was starting with hot water since I’ll have that capability with my brew water, still pretty good in my book.

Glad to hear your induction stove works well with your new kettle. You can probably do moderate high gravity (say, up to 1.065) 5 gallon BIAB batches with it, if you incorporate a (batch) sparge to make up the volume, while increasing mash efficiency at the same time.

Make sure to treat all your brewing water with Campden (K-Meta or Na-Meta) if it's chlorinated (or chloraminated).
Also find out its mineral composition. and plug the values into a (mash) water calculator.

 

[Brewer dad]

@IslandLizard Thanks, I’m working with well water so no chlorine. We had it tested not too long ago, actually posted the results here in below linked thread. Had an issue with a strange off flavor in two of my beers which I think was water interacting with extract related. I’ve downloaded Brewfather and my water seems like it’ll be ok for AG per them. Have some lactic acid to adjust mash ph.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/mineral-y-bite.689944/#post-9085449

 

[Imhoppy]

Induction heating is awesome! My Spike+ 15 gallon kettle on an Avantco IC3500 works perfect for BIAB full volume mash. No worries at all about the weight on the induction plate as it has a stainless frame for support. There is some overhang, but again no worries with that either. I set it to max. 3500W, supplement the heat input with a 1500W heat stick, and can get 7 gallons strike water from 55F to 161F in 27 minutes (indoors, with ambient temp 65F, no lid on kettle, and one layer of reflectix insulation around kettle).

And with a 15 gallon kettle, I don't have to worry about boilovers, now a thing of the past forever more for 5 gallon batches. Plus, the Spike steam condenser lid is fantastic in eliminating steam in my brew room. After a few brews, I find that I'm using about 16 gallons of spray water for a 60 minute boil, with the spray nozzle positioned about 49" above the spray pump suction (btw, I'm not concerned about water usage). The lid also helps to reduce the heat input required for a good boil, 2300w setting (65.7% of max power). It could be dialed back even more I suppose, but that's good enough for me.

 

[Brewer dad]

Finally got a chance to brew. Went smoothly and was only .004 off on pre boil and OG, and I will definitely take that. Mash process was really no big deal.

Biggest issue I encountered today was my wort was not as cool as I thought it was. Likely combo of temp probe being in contact with chiller, temperature variations throughout kettle, and my trying to rush a little and not taking final temp after transfer but before pitching. If I’d taken a second to check again I would’ve caught it but was up against dinner time. No big deal lesson learned with new equipment. Depending on where I took the reading on fermenter I was anywhere from 77-82 instead of the low 70s I thought I was at. This was a saison with 3711 so should be slightly more forgiving of this than other things.

My setup today was kettle on the stove, then cooler sitting on a chair just to the side of the stove. Vorlauf, collect mash/sparge runnings with another vessel, then pour into back to kettle. This probably seems obvious to most, but again wanted to provide example for someone in the future with similar dilemma I had. Though this adds a vessel it has a high degree of versatility.

Thanks for everyone’s help!

 

[Stormcrow]

Finally got a chance to brew. Went smoothly and was only .004 off on pre boil and OG, and I will definitely take that. Mash process was really no big deal.

Biggest issue I encountered today was my wort was not as cool as I thought it was. Likely combo of temp probe being in contact with chiller, temperature variations throughout kettle, and my trying to rush a little and not taking final temp after transfer but before pitching. If I’d taken a second to check again I would’ve caught it but was up against dinner time. No big deal lesson learned with new equipment. Depending on where I took the reading on fermenter I was anywhere from 77-82 instead of the low 70s I thought I was at. This was a saison with 3711 so should be slightly more forgiving of this than other things.

My setup today was kettle on the stove, then cooler sitting on a chair just to the side of the stove. Vorlauf, collect mash/sparge runnings with another vessel, then pour into back to kettle. This probably seems obvious to most, but again wanted to provide example for someone in the future with similar dilemma I had. Though this adds a vessel it has a high degree of versatility.

Thanks for everyone’s help!

Awesome! And I can definitely relate to the chiller being too close to a temp probe. I've had several mid sixty degree worts magically jump to the mid seventies in the fermenter.

 

[RM-MN]

Biggest issue I encountered today was my wort was not as cool as I thought it was. Likely combo of temp probe being in contact with chiller, temperature variations throughout kettle, and my trying to rush a little and not taking final temp after transfer but before pitching. If I’d taken a second to check again I would’ve caught it but was up against dinner time. No big deal lesson learned with new equipment. Depending on where I took the reading on fermenter I was anywhere from 77-82 instead of the low 70s I thought I was at. This was a saison with 3711 so should be slightly more forgiving of this than other things.

When you are heating water for your beer, natural convection keeps it pretty well mixed so the temperature variation is small throughout the kettle. Cooling is different and I have been caught with wort that was warmer than I thought going into the fermenter. When you cool wort the coolest is the most dense so it goes to the bottom and wants to stay there rather than circulate. If your thermometer is near the chiller or in the middle of the kettle near the bottom it will show that the wort is cool but the top center can be quite a bit warmer. I now put my thermometer near the top center so I get the reading of the warmest wort as when it is cool enough to pitch the yeast, all the wort will be cool enough.