Stove is weak!

[CoreyG]

Hey I've got a random question. My stove seems pretty weak, when its on max I can get 15L I am to boil to a light boil, but its not a real rolling boiling. More halfway between simmering and rolling. I've been keeping the lid on and wiping off the condensation so I doesnt go back in ( I heard it causes off flavors ) but Im not sure if this is the best idea.

Anyone have any suggestions? Does it really matter if its strongly boiling or is light boiling okay?

 

[Germelli1]

Turkey Fryer.

Or if you are a little bit DYI savy, you can make a heat stick for pretty cheap that can help you obtain a boil.

 

[maxamuus]

Get a burner and move outside. I swear i cut like a hour off my brew day not waiting for that stupid stove to heat up water. Gas burner outside is the way to brew.

 

[jollytim]

Works to get the temp up to boiling, but shouldn't really be done during the boil. You are boiling out compounds (sulphurs of some form, I believe) that you don't want back in the wort. At least keep the lid slightly open.

Can you straddle two burners with the pot? That sometimes works to get some more horsepower out of your stove top.

 

[sportscrazed2]

Get a burner and move outside. I swear i cut like a hour off my brew day not waiting for that stupid stove to heat up water. Gas burner outside is the way to brew.

not an option for some people winters here are brutal

 

[maxamuus]

not an option for some people winters here are brutal

I don't live in Florida Those burners put off a LOT of heat. Just started brewing this year so this will be my first winter but cant imagine i would be too cold with a jacket by that burner.

 

[wyzazz]

Heatstick! http://www.3d0g.net/brewing/heatstick

 

[avidhomebrewer]

not an option for some people winters here are brutal

I used to brew inside on my weak and pathetic stove. It would boil similarly to how you are describing yours. Plus, I had the added bonus of wrecking the stove by the weight of the wort bending the burners to the center of the stove. That didn't make the wife happy. Anyways, I got a turkey fryer and moved outdoors and live in Wisconsin, so I can relate to the brutal winters. Then I brew in the garage; still not ideal, but better for blocking the wind of winter. Try that if you can. Or, if that doesn't work and you are an all grain brewer, you could always brew extracts during winter.

 

[sportscrazed2]

i brewed my first extract last night and my stove was pretty weak. hopefully it got hot enough to get the job done properly. i would love a turkey fryer setup if only i had a heated garage. how much heat does the turkey fryer give off anyway. lol you could use a snowbank to chillwort. maybe i will use my stove in winter but take it outside to chill wort

 

[CoreyG]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Im gonna try the heat stick. I dont think outsides much of an option. Montreal gets pretty cold lol so I would be impressed if I could get it to a boil in -20 degrees!!!

 

[sportscrazed2]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Im gonna try the heat stick. I dont think outsides much of an option. Montreal gets pretty cold lol so I would be impressed if I could get it to a boil in -20 degrees!!!

nope but cooling the wort shouldn't be too big of a problem

 

[KevinW]

When I did my extracts I would cover the stove in aluminum foil.($1.00 store foil is great) and it seemed to help create a quicker, more vigorous boil plus any wort that dripped fell on the foil that I just tossed at the end of the brew session!
I kept the lid on until the boil then covered with the lid just enough to maintain a good boil. Probably got some DMS but now I am on the propane outdoors so I don't have to worry!!

 

[user 53515]

I must be blessed. I can get 5 gallons of liquid to boil on my regular GE electric range stovetop. It takes a long while to get up there, but I can definately get a good boil going.

+1 on the heatstick idea though. If it's powerful enough to heat water for your showers, it's good enough to boil your water

 

[Steinhaus]

I have an electric kettle that I use to get 5 gallons of water boiling. The kettle kicks off around ~190 degrees and it gets 1.75L of water there in about 3 minutes. Then I just add the water to the pot and keep that burner on high while I refill the kettle and start again.

$20 kettle, well worth it to speed up the water heating for steeping or boiling.

 

[BenS]

I also recommend a heat stick if boiling outside is not an option. You would not believe how much even a 1500W 120V stick would help when stuck into a full boil wort on a stove. All the BTU's from the stick are being utilized because it is submersed into the liquid. Plus it's cheaper to make one than to buy a turkey fryer. (not by much though)

 

[vitoma]

You could also try adding insulation to your kettle.