I have a glass top stove and i’m just gtrying to find a good brewing kettle. Keep reading alot off bad reviews for kettles on glass top stoves, i’m new to this and would greatly appreciate if someone can help me.
I’d pass on brewing on your stovetop, and invest in a turkey fryer for outdoor brewing, if that’s an option for you.
I wouldn’t trust that amount of heat on a glass top stove. I’ve heard stories from others about having them crack. Also, brewing creates strong odors and lots of moisture, both of which could be a problem for you. There are also lots of opportunities to spill and dribble things, so outdoor brewing (garage, shed) is the way to go.
:cheers:
Just wondering, but how could the odors and moisture be a problem for me.
My family has banished me to brewing in the garage because they don’t enjoy the smells of brewing as much as I do. The moisture issue is that with boiling a large volume of liquid indoors, which can cause frost to form on the inside of your windows. Other things that can occur with repeated brewing indoors are mildew and mold.
I totally understand, thanks for the info i’ll defenitley get some type of burner for the garage.
You are introducing way more steam into the air than a standard kitchen was designed for…if you plan to brew with any frequency.
I do all grain and in cooler weather mash in my basement. Yesterday I brewed a Wee Heavy. My wife came down as I was sparging ang commented how great it smelled ( a first). I boiled outside and used my CFC inside to cool the wort. Wife came down and said " That is the smell I hate".
This is what you would be sending throughout your house.
I have done BIAB mashes on a glass top stove, but I have been banished to the the propane burner for the boil outside.
how many brews would a full propane tank usually do.
It depends on the size of the burner and how well it transfers heat to the pot. A gallon of propane has 92,000 btu/hour, a 20# tank holds ~4 gallons, with a 45,000 btu burner you could get roughly 8 hours of burn time.
It’s a 38,000 btu.
Estimate 3-4 all grain brews on a tank of gas, if you heat the mash water with propane. Less if you do exchanges, some like Blue Rino don’t completely fill the tanks. 5-6 if doing extract beers.
Keep your eye open for a second tank. I have found old tanks on rummage sales for $5. Exchange them for a newer one for less than buying a new tank.
ya, i have two tanks now from my grill looks like my brewing is gonna take over my grilling,lol.
There is 433,000 BTU in a 20# tank.
[quote=“chuck”]There is 433,000 BTU in a 20# tank.[/quote]True, but most suppliers won’t fill them to 20#. I have a good friend who’s been in the propane biz for 25+ years, 17# is the max he’ll fill a 20# tank. Tank exchange companies at convenience and grocery stores usually only fill them to 15# for liability reasons.
That’s good to know. I thought I got ripped off when I filled my Mother’s tank.
I have a 5-gallon kettle that I use for 3-gallon all-grain batches on my glass-top stove. It works just fine for me. If I use Fermcap-S I can get 4 gallons up to enough of a boil for my liking. And boilovers are much easier to clean on a glass stove 
I would recommend spending a little extra money on your kettle. Something with a thick and/or clad bottom is ideal, because if the bottom warps then you won’t get a good contact with your cooktop. Also, I do find that I get a better/faster boil if my cooktop is clean. If there’s crud on the burner, it doesn’t seem to work as well.
My place has a nice General Electric glass top that is just a beast. It boils 5.5 gallons no problem for me. I do 4 gallon batches in my 6.5 gallon kettle on it. Been brewing on it for a year and a bit, no problems. I don’t think the moisture will be too big of a deal if you have some kind of hood to turn on during the boil.
But I can see the concern for brewing on a glass top…perhaps not doing big batches helps, maybe it’s the weight in addition to the heat that cracks stove tops.
I’ve done about 90 all grain batches on a glass stove top in a 30Qt kettle with no problems. It definately puts some extra moisture in the air but I’ve had no issues with that.
My family has banished me to brewing in the garage because they don’t enjoy the smells of brewing as much as I do. The moisture issue is that with boiling a large volume of liquid indoors, which can cause frost to form on the inside of your windows. Other things that can occur with repeated brewing indoors are mildew and mold.[/quote]
I brew indoors (3 gallon batches) in the basement kitchen. A box fan facing out in the window blows the smell and steam outside. We’ve lived here over nine years and nary a trace of mold or mildew.
Most people won’t have to many problems with moisture, a fan that can move 60-80 cfm vented outside though a window will keep the house clean. I think (see also i may be wrong :shock: cheers
