Stovetop Brewing the inexpensive way

[Chemstudent]

My first batch was one gallon all grain - it turned out pretty well, and I wanted to scale up to 3 or 5 gallon batches. The problem I'm running into is what kind of equipment to buy. The simplest way I am imagining it would be to buy a 5 gallon carboy or bucket to ferment in and a large, 8 or 9 gallon pot that would serve as the main pot for the mash and boiling, considering an all grain method.

I realize that there are a lot of factors to consider in this next step and I've been contemplating a lot of them. The main limiting factor in my design will be money and the fact that I am using an electric stove-top. Has anyone else perfected such a system at a reasonable cost that would be willing to share any specifics? (for example, what size pots to get or whether to forget about pots and use a mash tun)

Thank you in advance!

 

[CGish]

I have an electric stove and have found that 1.5 gallon A.G. batches is about as large as I can make (I use a 5 gallon pot). Partial mashes and extract batches can be bigger, but if you want to go all grain and do large batches you will need a different setup. Turkey fryers are cheap, and you can use large aluminum pots on them. Small batches allow me to experiment and develop recipes, but if I want a larger batch I go outside and use the propane burner.

 

[Captain Damage]

I do 3 gallon AG batches on an electric stovetop with a 5 gallon brew pot. The pot is stainless steel from some discount store, maybe Wal-Mart; it was <$20. It's tight, volume-wise but I use FermcapS for foam control, and it works well. How good a boil you get depends on your stove. My current stove is great and I get a very strong boil - actually much stronger than the gas stove in my previous apartment. I'd recommend getting 6 gallon carboys, rather than 5 (BetterBottles FTW!). They'll be more useful if/when you do decide to step up to 5 gallon batches, and you (probably) won't need blowoff hoses when fermenting 3 gallons.

 

[chungking]

About the cheap aluminum pots that come with turkey fryers: I have made a few batches with this pot and can say that each one has a weird metallic taste to them. I have read online that it is from using these cheap non-stainless steel pots. Anyone else vouch for this? I'd drop some more money into a nice pot if you can...

 

[mikeysab]

I've been using a bayou classic cheap aluminum pot and have had no wierd metallic taste whatsoever.

 

[timewasted]

I have been doing full boils for 5 gallon batches on an electric stove. No problems at all. I generally need to straddle 2 eyes on the stove though. I also occasionally use a heat stick to get it boiling stronger. I have an 8 gallon aluminum tamale pot. As long as you oxidize the pot first (do a large boil with just water when you get it) and be sure not to scrub it too hard, you should have no problem.
+1 on what Captain Damage said. All of it.

 

[boscobeans]

About the cheap aluminum pots that come with turkey fryers: I have made a few batches with this pot and can say that each one has a weird metallic taste to them. I have read online that it is from using these cheap non-stainless steel pots. Anyone else vouch for this? I'd drop some more money into a nice pot if you can...

1. Did you do a serious boil in the pot before you first used it. The interior surface must be oxidized by doing a pre use boil with water to build up a discolored layer of Al oxide..

2. If you did the above did you scrub off the discoloration (oxidized coating) before using the pot. If you scrub off or use a cleaning product that strips away the oxidized layer you must do the full boil with water again.

Leave to discolored coating in the pot. Just wash out the pot after use with a sponge or washcloth and hot watrer.

OMO

bosco

 

[chungking]

So how would you sanitize they pot post boiled wort? Or are you not worried about sanitation the next time since you will be boiling in it? How long to pre boil?

I'll try the pre boil tip next time I use it.

 

[boscobeans]

Fill it with water and give it a good 30 minute boil. Done.

After using it for boiling your wort just rinse it out with hot water and if needed a little dish soap and a sponge. The next boil sanitizes it.


bosco