Time to boil in stainless steel on electric range

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DarkHelmet

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I ran some tests to see how long it takes to boil water on my electric stove in stainless steel stock pots. I figured this information might be useful to others, so here is a time vs. temperature graph.

electric range: Frigidaire free standing electric range, Model #FEF326ASM

electric burner: 8" stock electric coil, 2600W, part #316443201

stock pots: stainless steel stock pots (11 qts and 22 qts) with 3-ply aluminum-encapsulated bottom


H2O-Boiling-Test-Graphs.jpg


Edit: I guess the image isn't showing up, just the link...? I used the IMG tags. Can someone help?
 
Pretty good. Did you run a 5 gallon with the lid?

Thanks for fixing the image!

I didn't run a 5 gallon with lid test yet. That's next on my list when I can find another spare hour. I'll update the graph when I do it.
 
Great information. This would be a good exercise to try on my natural gas stove.

I've actually been thinking about getting a propane burner and a larger kettle, but came across some information on efficiency; propane vs. natural gas.

Seeing that natural gas contains approximately 1,030 BTU per cubic foot and propane contains 2,490 BTU per cubic foot, we can easily derive each fuel's cost per BTU and compare their differences in price for more realistic volumes.

Let's assume the cost for natural gas is $15.00 per 1,000 cubic feet. This means that $15.00 will purchase approximately 1.03 million BTU's of energy. This would be equivalent to 11.26 gallons of propane. At $2.50 per gallon of propane, natural gas would be a more cost effective energy solution. Breaking it down even further, natural gas needs to be more than $28.00 per 1,000 cubic feet for propane to be a more cost effective energy solution (provided the cost for propane is $2.50 per gallon.


It seems that natural gas is much more economical than propane. I only brew in five gallon batches, so I guess it's not "necessary" to bump up to a large kettle and propane burner. It would be much easier for me, though, if I were to purchase a second 6-8 gallon kettle to help with the extra wort, mash water, and sparge water. Just did my first AG, and it was a bit of a hassle using one pot. With two, I could split the wort, boil off to the correct volume, then combine.

So, does anyone see any reason to use propane over natural gas when you're just brewing 5 gallon batches? I don't mean to hijack this thread, just felt it was on the same topic....

FYI: in Utah, it's kinda difficult to get your hands on full sized kegs. In fact, it's illegal to have kegged beer, even in your own home.....but what they don't know won't hurt em.'
 
I don't know about natural gas vs. propane. It seems like if you're happy with the performance of your stove, your process and your beer, there's not much reason to add the extra equipment cost, even assuming the two fuels cost the same.

In any case, it would be great to see how your natural gas stove compares to my electric stove.
 
Not really an apples to apples comparison, but.....

Lid on
3.75 gallons
35 minutes to boil
120 deg - 212 deg
natural gas

If was looking for my principles of technology textbook, but couldn't find it. It would have helped me convert btu's to heat up, cost of natural gas, etc. Then we could have done the same for an electric range and compared the two....maybe even propane. That would be cool to compare the three.....
 
Not really an apples to apples comparison, but.....

Lid on
3.75 gallons
35 minutes to boil
120 deg - 212 deg
natural gas

If was looking for my principles of technology textbook, but couldn't find it. It would have helped me convert btu's to heat up, cost of natural gas, etc. Then we could have done the same for an electric range and compared the two....maybe even propane. That would be cool to compare the three.....

Do the tests with insulation on the kettle and lid you'll save some time to reach boil. Just figuring out the surface area of the kettle and lid, this comes to a rather large area by itself.
 
Great information. This would be a good exercise to try on my natural gas stove.

I've actually been thinking about getting a propane burner and a larger kettle, but came across some information on efficiency; propane vs. natural gas.

Seeing that natural gas contains approximately 1,030 BTU per cubic foot and propane contains 2,490 BTU per cubic foot, we can easily derive each fuel's cost per BTU and compare their differences in price for more realistic volumes.

At $2.50 per gallon of propane, natural gas would be a more cost effective energy solution. Breaking it down even further, natural gas needs to be more than $28.00 per 1,000 cubic feet for propane to be a more cost effective energy solution (provided the cost for propane is $2.50 per gallon.


Your math is great and how you posted it, congrats on your time spent.

Here in Calif. with Blue Rino as a local propane supplier in my area they now call the 20# 5 gallon propane tanks a 15# and this only filled to 3.25 to 3.75 gallons maximum. They add this new valve/flat and repaint the standaed old 20# propane tanks. This because of the new valves with a shutoff / float to allow for more gas space above the liquid level to expand. Doing the math it comes to $8.47 a gallon for their bottle exchange propane program. Another EPA or some other off the wall tax dollar eating plan of attack on the public.
By far natural gas is way cheaper if you must use gas. I'm into electric heating only.



FYI: in Utah, it's kinda difficult to get your hands on full sized kegs. In fact, it's illegal to have kegged beer, even in your own home.....but what they don't know won't hurt em.'

Now that flat sucks but then look at us crazy California people, we would of not allowed that to happen to us in the first place. Breweries everywhere and homebrewing I can locate 5 within a square mile of my house. We are not to be told what we can do or have this including a lot of ********* with weapons. )Wow bleeped out without any bad words or anything that would upset the pope) .Granted we have other problems but that no kegged bier Utah state of yours, come on wake up Utah to the rest of the country, even the world. Do they enforce the law or look the other direction if they know you have a small home brewing system?
My group of brewing friends are enjoying life, we're all going down stairs as all our friends will be their waiting when the time comes.
 
To tell you the truth, homebrewing in Utah just became legal about two months ago. I've never heard of a person being hastled prior to that point, though. I'm guessing the cops turned a blind eye. We have three, yes THREE homebrew shops throughout the state. Those were there prior to the lifting of the homebrewing ban, so it's pretty obvious that the government didn't press the issue of homebrewing.

On the other point, I have seven guns...high capacity clips, an assault rifle, etc. I would be pissed if Utah gun laws were like Cali's. I'm assuming you were mentioning that point above.....I use the weapons for fun on the range. Criminals use them to be better criminals. When will the government learn this? On the topic of beer, people homebrew it for great variety and flavor, not so they can get more smashed by drinking five gallons at a time. Utah finally realized this. The reason (i'm guessing) why they had the ban was state tax income. You can buy 3.2 percent beer at any store. But....anything above that is sold in liquor stores only. They place something like a 70 percent markup tax on those beverages. BS, eh?
 
So that high sales tax is added to any of the great tasting foreign biers as well the high ABV stouts? Now that isn't right. Just when it starts to taste good they add a heavy tax on it. The 24 oz water biers are for the high school kids, they have no taste buds just the desire to get a cheap buzz.
It's good to hear the law looked away on homebrewing. I ran across a forum that showed the number of breweries for each state with California leading with 233 I recall. Warm weather, beaches, women with thongs and bier. Yup I'll stay here on the island sand while enjoying a big homebrew stout with some eye candy.
 
Yup...all foreign beer and alcohol percentage above 3.2%. It really is a joke. Insane as it sounds, they also just moved all of the "cheerleader beers" into liquor stores. You know....."mike's hard lemonade" etc....

There is a leniency on local breweries, though. They are allowed to be around 4% and still be on the shelf in normals stores.

Yes, stupid laws, but they have done a couple things this year to move towards alcohol laws that are a little more sane......

THANK GOD FOR HOMEBREW.
 
As a native Kaliforian i'll put up with the rat race of people, it seems even the instructions on food packages have English on the bottom of the list. Taxes with all the HBS stores and the brewing to look forward to. I have seen a few brewing sessions that met the states maximum allowed within a weekend and they kept brewing without any law problems. Heck only a short hop to Hawaii when needed. Basically I put up with all the crap that goes on in Kalifornia.
Gun laws, what are those we don't have any that I know about or shall I say I obey? Crooks do not why should I?
Now i'll go around the corner and get a bottle of 11.4% homebrew, you made me thirsty.
 
Here, the law is 100 gallons per year per person over 21 in the house. They turned a blind eye when homebrewing was illegal, so i'll assume the same on this "limit." They just don't want people running microbreweries out of their houses without licenses.

Speaking of Hawaii....lived there for five years before moving to Utah....
 
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