School me: Why Electric Brew Over Kettle

[mrbeachroach]

Willing to be the student.

Someone said today if they cold do it all over again they would have went electric from the begging when going all grain.

I'm getting ready to upgrade my brew pot and thought I should put on the breaks and ask you all for advise first.

 

[ancientmariner52]

I can only speak for myself, but here goes, in no particular order.

1. Efficiency. With a flame, about 80% of that expensive heat goes to heat the world and not the beer. With elements submerged in liquid, all the heat goes to the beer. Insulation is difficult to impossible with direct flame heat. Very easy with electric.

2. Noise. Ever notice how quiet the world is when you finally can shut off that damn noisy roaring burner?

3. Convenience. The power is just there. It's like changing from whale oil lamps to electric lights.

4. Safety and cleanliness. You can brew indoors without poisoning yourself and loved ones. No soot or fumes.

5. Precise control. Choose mostly manual, full bore automation, or anywhere in between. You can do it with gas, but it is more complex.

The down sides that I can see are:

1. Don't mess about with electricity until you know what you are doing. You can get dead real easy, otherwise.

2. Portability, or lack of. Gas works everywhere. With electric you have to consider voltage, amperage, type of outlets available.

I've just completed my electric setup. I'll never go back to gas.

Good luck!

 

[bstacy1974]

Everyone will have their own reasons, but for me, it was a safety issue. I live in Alaska and mostly brew in the winter. I have a large, drafty garage, but I was still concerned with CO build up. And when it's 40 below zero outside, brewing with the door open is out of the question.
Second reason was convenience. I'll never run out of propane in the middle of a boil or forget to refill my empties. I can literally brew at a moments notice now.
Lastly, control. You can really dial in the mash and later, the boil with the right controller.
Personally, I think every brewer should want to go electric. And in the current market, it's easy to start with an electric setup.

 

[Horseflesh]

I'm a pretty dedicated brewer these days... Went through the usual steps starting with extract. I also wish I could have told myself to go electric BIAB when I jumped to AG.

I really like being able to just punch in the temperature that I want. Being able to do multi step mashes without extra work is also great. This is much easier to do with electric than gas. Also, I am brewing inside, and I never have to refill a tank. Never going back!

 

[augiedoggy]

I brew in a spare bedroom next to my bathroom, I turned it into the home brewery (and pilot batch recipe room for the nano brewery im opening)
I have more free time to brew in the winter months and that works out great with electric.
BTW the new electric brewery I'm building now is 3BBL with ports for 4 elements. I've been told for anything 5 bbl and under electric still makes sense..

 

[itsnotrequired]

efficiency directly relates to cost. lots of variables with propane but it seems most folks are getting 4 or so 5 gal batches out of a 20 lb tank. propane tank exchange costs vary but around $20 seems pretty standard. for simplicity, looking at about $5/batch for heating. compare that to electric, where it can be as cheap as a buck or so per batch for electricity. i brew 10 gal batches with a 5500 watt element and pay about $0.11/kwh. factoring in heat times, duty cycles, etc., it cost me about $1.50 in electricity for that 10 gal batch. with the shorter heating times of a 5 gal batch, might be more like $1.25 or even less for a 5 gal batch.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

+1 on pretty much everything that has been said so far. Single vessel is less to store, less to clean, better temp control, can brew indoors, won't suffocate from carbon monoxide, won't have to pay $15 a tank for propane. Downside is that it can be a bit technical to setup, and you have to have the amperage and wiring in the right place for it. In retrospect I would have gone to single vessel recirculating e-BIAB from the start.

 

[jlinz]

Brewing inside.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

I just finished the conversion to natural gas, got tired of propane. I am building a “brew shed” this summer in my backyard. I currently have a mild steel brew stand. I will be making a stainless steel stand after the shed is complete. I will be able to store everything in the shed, and just roll out the stand to patio, hook it up to the natural gas line, and not have to worry about running out of gas, or the expense of propane.

Even with all that, I am still slowly collecting all the pieces I will need to go all electric. I have a dedicated space for it already established in the basement, with plumbing, utility sinks, electric, and venting. Just need to finish getting all the bits and pieces for the brewing aspect.

I plan on outdoor brewing with natural gas when it is warm out, and inside with electric when it is not.

 

[golfindia]

The biggest benefit of electric to me is the time savings.

 

[BeardedBrews]

I can only speak for myself, but here goes, in no particular order.

1. Efficiency. With a flame, about 80% of that expensive heat goes to heat the world and not the beer. With elements submerged in liquid, all the heat goes to the beer. Insulation is difficult to impossible with direct flame heat. Very easy with electric.

2. Noise. Ever notice how quiet the world is when you finally can shut off that damn noisy roaring burner?

3. Convenience. The power is just there. It's like changing from whale oil lamps to electric lights.

4. Safety and cleanliness. You can brew indoors without poisoning yourself and loved ones. No soot or fumes.

5. Precise control. Choose mostly manual, full bore automation, or anywhere in between. You can do it with gas, but it is more complex.

The down sides that I can see are:

1. Don't mess about with electricity until you know what you are doing. You can get dead real easy, otherwise.

2. Portability, or lack of. Gas works everywhere. With electric you have to consider voltage, amperage, type of outlets available.

I've just completed my electric setup. I'll never go back to gas.

Good luck!

All of these points are great, I can add a couple more:

Pros:

1. Reduction of hot surfaces - With gas the kettle, stand, handles, and surrounding area get hot. With electric you still have boiling wort, but everything else is safer to touch.


Cons:

1. Obstacles in the Kettle - The element sticks into the kettle and makes it somewhat harder to clean the inside, and it gives you something to get in the way of baskets, bags, immersion chillers and the like. This can be mitigated by using a removable mount, but it is noticeable.

2. One more thing to clean - The element will always need a wipe down at the end of the brew day unless you're using a rigorous CIP program.



For me I can't see going back to gas. Since I converted I have done a couple batches on the propane burner and they are fine, but I don't regularly use that setup so I always feel like I'm about to run out of gas, or I'm about to boil over. It's not nearly as relaxed.

 

[itsnotrequired]

forgot one other negative, power outage while brewing. i suppose it isn't really that different than running out of propane while brewing but you can plan for a low tank or worst case, run somewhere and get a tank. if the power is out, there is little recourse for the electric brewer, unless you have a funky gas-electric hybrid system or access to a large generator.

 

[WitShadow]

The main reasons I’m considering going electric are for easy step mashes and more precise mash temperature control in general.

 

[Spartan1979]

I'm considering it for two reasons. First I brew in my garage and everything except by burner is stored in the basement. It would be so much more convenient to brew where everything is stored. Second to be inside to not have to worry about extremes in the weather.

The downside is that I need to have my electrical panel upgraded and 220 ran to the brewing area. Also, I would have to cut two 6 inch holes through a brick wall in the front of me my house for proper ventilation. But I discovered the steam condenser in this forum so I'm going to try that and not cut any holes!

 

[Dcpcooks]

I’ve brewed three batches the past few weeks on my new electric set up. It’s been between 0-10 degrees out. It’s awesome in the cold climates.

It’s warm
It’s quite
It’s spot on temp control.

Wish I did it 6 years ago!

 

[Vincanity]

I love electric brewing for most of the reasons everyone mentioned and also for the learning and tinkering aspect. This can get over complicated at times when your trying to build your electric kettle, there’s so many options to choose from. I’m currently In the process of Getting my electric rig up and running but I do enjoy brewing with gravity and an old propane burner. Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go.

 

[cyclonebeer]

Lack of portability with electric rigs doesn't bother me at all. I have dedicated brew space in my basement and all of my "stuff" is right there. Makes life easier.

 

[itsnotrequired]

Lack of portability with electric rigs doesn't bother me at all. I have dedicated brew space in my basement and all of my "stuff" is right there. Makes life easier.

i thought the same thing at first but after a couple years now, it can get tough on a beautiful summer day, stuck in a basement brewing area that doesn't even have a window. winter is a no-brainer but this summer, i'm going to be looking into an 'easy' way to move the brewery up into the garage for summer. probably on a table with casters that i can roll out into the driveway. worst part i can see is the fermentation, i'll still want my conical down in the basement. i'm thinking of running chilled wort into a 5 gal bucket and carrying it downstairs, probably a few trips.

 

[Bobby_M]

i thought the same thing at first but after a couple years now, it can get tough on a beautiful summer day, stuck in a basement brewing area that doesn't even have a window. winter is a no-brainer but this summer, i'm going to be looking into an 'easy' way to move the brewery up into the garage for summer. probably on a table with casters that i can roll out into the driveway. worst part i can see is the fermentation, i'll still want my conical down in the basement. i'm thinking of running chilled wort into a 5 gal bucket and carrying it downstairs, probably a few trips.

It sounds like a lot of trouble just to brew outside. My brew day is down to under 4 hours and so much of it is hands off, I would just get the brew done and then go outside and enjoy the day. What about all those night time and bad weather brews too? I think brewing outside is just left over nostalgia from the days when you had no choice?

 

[itsnotrequired]

It sounds like a lot of trouble just to brew outside. My brew day is down to under 4 hours and so much of it is hands off, I would just get the brew done and then go outside and enjoy the day. What about all those night time and bad weather brews too? I think brewing outside is just left over nostalgia from the days when you had no choice?

oh, it is just a fantasy at this point. i figure once i really get into it, i'll realize it is a hassle and scrap the whole idea.

sure wish i had a window to look out of though...

 

[doogie]

efficiency directly relates to cost. lots of variables with propane but it seems most folks are getting 4 or so 5 gal batches out of a 20 lb tank. propane tank exchange costs vary but around $20 seems pretty standard. for simplicity, looking at about $5/batch for heating. compare that to electric, where it can be as cheap as a buck or so per batch for electricity. i brew 10 gal batches with a 5500 watt element and pay about $0.11/kwh. factoring in heat times, duty cycles, etc., it cost me about $1.50 in electricity for that 10 gal batch. with the shorter heating times of a 5 gal batch, might be more like $1.25 or even less for a 5 gal batch.

Nothing to add for the move to electric (I'm still using propane), but I wanted to pass on some information that I found out a few years ago. When you use one of the tank exchange places instead of getting your tank filled you are NOT getting a full tank. Check the details if you can find it, but in general the are 3/4 full.

I only use them when my tank is getting close to needing a re-inspection.

 

[BeardedBrews]

oh, it is just a fantasy at this point. i figure once i really get into it, i'll realize it is a hassle and scrap the whole idea.

sure wish i had a window to look out of though...

You could grab one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W9B1GT2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and then watch your kettle boil from your iPad while you're sitting on the porch

 

[itsnotrequired]

You could grab one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W9B1GT2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and then watch your kettle boil from your iPad while you're sitting on the porch

it's not like i'm chained in the basement while brewing. i go do other things during the mash, boil, etc. just nostalgia i guess, sitting outside, chatting up neighbors, etc. has me thinking of doing some outdoor stuff. chance of me doing this? probably 5%.

 

[Owly055]

I use propane, and can't imagine any reason to change......... however I do it indoors on the kitchen stove, small batches, and buy propane in 1000 gallon batches for a tiny fraction of the cost of those silly exchange bottles. I also have two 100 pound bottles (20 gallon) which I've used outdoors.... I have them filled when the truck comes to fill my big tank....... about $30 each. When brewing on the stove, I have a 1500 watt floating element I built to bring the brew to a boil faster along with the stove burner, which is modified for higher output. I get about 10 deg F per minute.... About 6-7 minutes to bring the wort from mash temp to a full rolling boil. Brew size ranges from 2-3 gallons, and I rarely boil longer than about 30 minutes.

H.W.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

It sounds like a lot of trouble just to brew outside. My brew day is down to under 4 hours and so much of it is hands off, I would just get the brew done and then go outside and enjoy the day. What about all those night time and bad weather brews too? I think brewing outside is just left over nostalgia from the days when you had no choice?

While I understand where you are coming from, for me, I would rather brew outdoors. Sure it can be a tad bothersome in the winter months, dragging a kettle and pumps outdoors, but in the summertime it is more of a community recreational type thing.

I live on a corner lot in a very active neighborhood, and all brew day long I get people stopping to ask what I’m doing, what I am cooking, and just idle conversation. First timers cannot believe that’s actually the way beer is made. And the seasoned vets usually stop by to “help”, to hang out, and/or to sample.

I also have friends that are interested in brewing but don’t want to make the commitment, so they buy ingredients and brew at my place, and sometimes friends and family just want to hang out and brew for something to do.

I cannot donthise things in my basement. The area I have set aside is based on maximum efficiency of space. I could probably have 1 other person in the area, but definitely no more than that. Perhaps if I had a man cave/bar/brewery in my basement it would be different, but size restraints won’t allow for that.

All that said, I am hoping to have my electric setup working by next winter, and will have my brew shed set up this summer, so I can enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

[AzOr]

a Couple of reasons I’m considering;

1) going all stainless. I’m currently using a water cooler w braid. I’m not super paranoid about leeching plastic, but it would be nice to have a ss mash tun. I recently purchased an Anvil brew bucket and I love the thing.

2) eventually I want to upgrade my brew kettle. These things can easily run $150-250. The robobrew and mash and boil are fairly inexpensive for accomplishing both tasks.
Ok ok a bonus reason- being able to wake up to water that’s already at strike temp.
I’ll still brew outside because it’s relaxing to sit outside and brew.

 

[Transamguy77]

I do not use electric and I have no plan to. I like portability and I don't mean that I brew all over and need to take my rig somewhere, i don't own my home and since I built my rig I have moved 3 times and there has not been electric anywhere to use.

Also for me the upfront cost is way more than I want to invest, the cost will take years to recoup.

And as far as brewing outside when I was on the east coast I enjoyed brewing when it was cold out the cold didnt really bother me and now on the west coast it's never really cold but it's crazy hot in the summer so I was doing some evening to late night brewing to beat the heat.

I think it's definitely a personal preference just like everything else about brewing everyone does it differently and has their own way to do it.

 

[jalc6927]

I brew in my garage or just outside of it, live in Texas where the wind comes sweeping down the plains and blows out flame regularly, even with guards and what not

Then everything stated above with an exclamation on complete temp control at all times which makes consistency easier

And consistency is what makes great beer time after time and that’s all I’m gonna say bout dat

 

[BitterSweetBrews]

I agree with pretty much everything said. Cheap to run, accurate temps, convenient, no worries about running out of propane, brewing inside any time of year (although I ran an outlet to my garage so I can brew outside if I want to). You can start with a one vessel BIAB or a 3 vessel fulll system with a RIMS or HERMs. You do have to make sure you have plenty of ventilation. This is for venting the moisture though, not fumes (I put a couple fans in my basement window). If you are close to your laundry room (and you have an electric dryer) you can pull power from there (get a generator extension cord). A laundry sink is a plus.

Alternately, you can get started pretty cheaply with propane, if you already have the tank. You can get a turkey fryer at Walmart for under $50 and just add a valve.

 

[augiedoggy]

i thought the same thing at first but after a couple years now, it can get tough on a beautiful summer day, stuck in a basement brewing area that doesn't even have a window. winter is a no-brainer but this summer, i'm going to be looking into an 'easy' way to move the brewery up into the garage for summer. probably on a table with casters that i can roll out into the driveway. worst part i can see is the fermentation, i'll still want my conical down in the basement. i'm thinking of running chilled wort into a 5 gal bucket and carrying it downstairs, probably a few trips.

This depends on the person too.
I dont waste a great summer day brewing myself... do it all indoors in the colder months or on a rainy day while theres nothing else to do.. Its just my outlook but theres a lot better ways for me to spend a nice sunny hot day than standing over a boiling kettle in my garage or driveway.. I enjoy grilling and smoking meat outdoors as much as the next guy but I have no desire to move my kitchen outdoors either..

 

[Wizard_of_Frobozz]

I'll throw my 2¢ in:

Advantages to electric:
1. Brewing inside when it's 10°F outside
2. Brewing inside when it's 95°F, 95% RH outside
3. Brewing inside when it's raining outside
4. Brewing inside when it's snowing outside
5. Brewing independent of weather...ok, I think I've made my point now!

Disadvantages to electric:
1. It can be harder/more expensive to set up (installing 30 or 50 amp circuits, drilling holes in your shiny new kettle, controllers, etc)
2. Power outages during a brew session are a pain

I'm never going back to propane. Where I live, we get cold winters and hot, humid summers. Electric allows me to brew whenever I want without worrying about weather. I like the work/fiddling that comes with building an electric rig, so there's that too.

I'll point you to @BrunDog and his thread about a boil condenser to avoid steam all over your brew room: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...denser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/ This type of thing really makes electric brewing 100% weather independent - you'd have to have some kind of outside ventilation without it, which would bring the weather somewhat back into the equation.