Stovetop Problems with AG

[Sublime8365]

Ok so I've done 2 batches of extract kits and would like to go AG (BIAB). Problem is that my crappy apartment has an even crappier stovetop. I figure I would try to start with 2.5 gal batches. Problem is that even with only a 3 gallon boil, it takes around an hour to get it to a boil and after that, I cant really maintain a boil with the kettle lid off. I've read on here to wrap the pot with aluminum foil but that really didn't help me at all (3 layers of foil). I can maintain a nice rolling boil with the lid partially on but that's not ideal.

Does anyone have a cheap and effective e way to insulate the pot?

Are there any burners that are safe to use inside? I can currently brew outside in my current apartment but I'm moving in a few months and I doubt I will be able to in my new place.

My crappy boil with no lid, is this sufficient?

Lid partially on. Do you think enough of the steam is escaping? What if I wipe off the condensation every so often?

 

[Sublime8365]

This may be dumb but will something like this work:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Jaccard-H...0000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=12220829

 

[starrfish]

This may be dumb but will something like this work:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Jaccard-H...0000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=12220829

I still wouldn't use that inside... they tend to get hot below + around and could be a fire hazard. they do make a good small camp stove for cooking (outside), but not sure how they would do boiling a large (even a few gallons of water or wort)

As a stove top brewer for years I've found getting the temp up to 220 (boiling) is good enough it may not be a VIGOROUS roll, but as long as you get a hot break of proteins and see particulates moving around in your pot with out touching wort your fine. Brewed this way for years, and produced some best of show extract beers at local home brew club.

 

[pokerfreak2]

So is there a problem with steam not escaping ? I do like you and leave the lid partially on then lower the heat to maintain a slow boil. What would wipeing off the condensation help?

 

[starrfish]

WELLL... It's best to take top off once you reach boil... Some say compounds like DMS (Dimethyl sulfides) are boiled off.

Here is a link to our Wiki on DMS ( https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/DMS )


I don't cover after I get to a boil anymore. I did experience that off DMS once... now, I was using liquid malt extract that was less than fresh from a store that had homebrew stuff as a side item, and their hops where on a rack next to a working fireplace (all bad bad things, but it was when I was first starting and didn't know any better, and it was close to work & home at the time)

 

[bootsbier]

I have used crappy stoves to brew. I got a big ass kettle and spanned it across two of the burners.

 

[starrfish]

Never seen or heard of the foil wrap on a brew pot... no offense... seems silly, and may draw more heat away from the pot.



IF you have an old coil stove and have problems with scorching (burnt wort on the bottom of the pot in the shape of the coil) bend a wire coat hanger straight, take some course sand paper and strip off any coating down to the bare metal. bend hanger into a triangle or 4 point star depending on size of coil burner. then put this between brew pot and electric coil burner. DO NOT DO THIS WITH A NEWER GLASS TOP STOVE!!!! Only works on old school electric coils. It will reduce your scorching of wort. (late extract additons of dry or lquid extract also help this)

 

[htc]

I've got the same problem, my boil falls just as the lid is removed. I think it might be worth a small batch to test a partial cover, but DMS is the main concern here.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Partial_boil#The_Boiling_Process_2

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Dimethyl_sulphide#Preventing_DMS

A possible solution if indoor brewing is a must:
http://www.3d0g.net/brewing/heatstick

 

[bovineblitz]

Never seen or heard of the foil wrap on a brew pot... no offense... seems silly, and may draw more heat away from the pot.

The foil wrap definitely insulates the pot. I boil 8 gallons on my stove using this method.

I use a 10gal pot and place it over two burners. The pot is not quite big enough to fit completely on both burners so I put it just barely covering the entirety of the large front burner and 1/2 on the smaller back burner and crank them both to max.

My foil method is to remove the coils, lay down criss-crosses of foil in the "bays" such that, when the coil is replaced on top (by punching a hole in the foil), there's about two feet of extra foil sticking out in all directions from underneath the coil. Then, I put the pot on the burners, flip those foil flaps up against the pot, take a large strip of foil and wrap it around the pot all the way. I add a couple more strips around the pot, making sure to create a 'seal' against the stovetop so that as little heat can escape as possible. Since the pot only covers half the back burner, the foil just wraps directly over that burner and up the pot anyways... that heat is still useful even though it's not directly touching the burner. It makes a big difference to wrap the foil around the pot AND the burner as opposed to just the pot... most of the heat you lose on an electric burner is lost to the air underneath the pot or lost to the metal of the stove itself. Without the foil wrap, I can't touch the stove at all or it will burn me. With the wrap, I can put my hand on it indefinitely.

When bringing the pot up to boil I leave the lid on, then remove it for the boil (sometimes I leave it 1/2-1/3 on to make the boil more rigorous if need be, a partial cover works fine, I'm leery of covering it more than halfway though). It helps if you use heavy duty foil... I recently picked up some 18" wide foil, it's great for wrapping around the pot. It also helps to try to "seal" the foil against the side of the pot near the top since heat loves to rise... you want to trap it in there as best you can... the majority of the heat 'wants' to take the easiest way out, you basically want to eliminate all easy ways out so as much heat as possible gets transferred to the liquid in the pot.

With this method, I went from not being able to boil 7 gallons to getting a rigorous boil from cold tap water in about a half hour. It makes a huge difference.

The one thing to look out for is if your stove has any plastic dials or switches near your pot, watch out for heat venting directly onto the dials, it's possible to melt them.

Also, buying a canning element can help... it's an electric burner that outputs more heat since it has a couple extra coils. I got one for about $20 and switched out the large burner on my stove for it. I use it all the time for brewing and it's great for my wok and other cast iron cookware.


I'm brewing tomorrow, I'll take a couple pictures and post them up.

 

[starrfish]

SWEET! That's Why I LOVE HBT!!! learn something new all the time!

I still heat sparge water or mash water on the stove... I have a glass top stove. but when I had coils that would have been great. I may try wrapping the sides and just under the pot. anything to speed the process! Pics would help slow learners like me!

Thanks

 

[trigger]

I second the heatstick suggestion. That would be my first choice, and a 1500W heatstick should be enough to maintain a good strong boil in 7-8 gal. Check the electric brewing forum. The foil idea is also a good one, but if you don't know about your new place it may not work there. A heatstick is infinitely portable to any GFCI circuit. Also, if you do go propane in the future you can use your burner to hit a boil then the heatstick to maintain and save yourself a bunch of propane.

 

[bovineblitz]

Alright, took my pics today. As you can see, I have a really crappy, really small stove (excuse the burnt crap on the stove, haha...)

placing the foil underneath the burners

foil flaps flipped up, strip of reused (used it last brewday) foil wrapped around the pot and the ball valve in front... this is for heating strike water so I don't insulate it super well yet because I'll be removing and replacing the pot.

Punched ball valve through to run off hot water

took off the hot water pot (I heat the water in the pot with the ball valve and do my boil in a plain old 8gal pot, this way I can heat and hold the sparge water while mashing/running the mash)

Insulated the boil pot, used all the foil from before and added a new 18" strip all the way around and some extra recycled foil over the back (cuz there's a second burner back that's not 100% on the pot, I figure a little more insulation will help trap that heat if possible). I'm sure to seal the foil against the top of the pot and against the stove... also I think it helps to leave some airspace between the foil layers (and the pot even), this is really what insulates... I don't think foil without any airspace would do a very good job of insulating. That explains why it looks a little poofy (along with only being partially on the second burner)

just about to boil!


Also, I've never done this before today, but I used a bucket heater in conjunction with my stovetop to get my strike water up to temp faster. I'm just trying to shave precious minutes off my brewday, I don't need to do this but it's helpful.

Perhaps if you can't get a boil going at all even with the insulation, you could either make a heatstick as suggested above, or if you suck with electricity (like me!), just purchase one of these for an extra heat source to help your boil along. You'd probably have to rig up some sort of harness for it to keep only the element in the pot with the handle outside the pot... maybe something cheap and simple like a hook on your ceiling with a chain and a stepladder to change the height or something.