Mine is a ceramic top too, and I don’t have any problems. Try moving it off to the side. Also, how full is your flask? I always limit mine to 1/2 to 2/3 full.
I did move the flask to the side yesterday, about 1/2 way off, and I think that also helped. Besides less heat, it seems to help that the bubbles are all coming up one side then settling on the other - instead of rushing up on all sides of the flask.
I’m in line with the last couple of posts. I boil in a 5L Pyrex flask, then allow to cool a bit on the stove before transferring to an ice bath. No problems, thanks to Pyrex…
i’ve broken a 2 liter and a 6 liter flask heating on the stove. after the second one(slow learner) i just got one of those diffusers(little metal plate) that better distributes the heat and have had no problems. fermcap works great as long as you dont push the volume in the flask. i’m way to paranoid to transfer cooled wort to another container. its gotta stay in the boiling container unless im transferring in a hood and my wife ixneyed that idea. anyone working figured out how to implement that walk-in autoclave?
What kind of stove? Heating on a gas stove works fine (at least for me). Heating on an electric range is a no-no.
I’m on electric with no problems. But it of course has to be Pyrex…
mines gas but instead of a solid platform it has the spiderweb design. pretty easy to see why i should have been using a defuser anyway with those concentrated hot spots.
Google “pyrex flask on electric stove” for hundreds (thousands?) of people who have broken Pyrex flasks by placing them directly on an electric stove.
I used my 2L Erlenmeyer flask for the first time last night (on a gas range) and not only did it eliminate several potential contamination points, but it was fascinating to watch the wort boil. Plus there was almost nothing to clean up–no pan, no funnel. I had been using a one-gallon growler for the starter, and it had such a narrow neck it was a pain to clean. This is one of those small “convenience” upgrades I’m glad I made.
For all 5 (!) of the starters I have done I have just taken the flask straight from the stove boiling into the sink, which I then fill with tap water, and once it is full I put ice in the sink - it takes close to an hour and its ready to pitch, though I’ve never timed it.
As far as boiling over, I use a bamboo skewer. I just stick it down in the bubbles and flick it back and forth rapidly. This breaks the bubbles up and releases the heat. It works pretty good!
Steve
i boil in a microwave oven in a mason jar
I’ve always made the starter in a pan & poured the hot wort in to the flask for chilling. The one time I boiled in a flask I received a nasty burn from stupidly swirling the wort while trying to fully dissolve the DME.
Be careful out there!
I did the same exact thing. My wife bought me brewing gloves a few days later and I now boil in a pot.
I cracked a 2L flask on the range top once. So lucky it didn’t shatter everywhere. I boil in a pot now.
Every time I try to use the conical flask directly it boils over. :o It’s easier for me to use a pot then transfer.
Yeah, boiling in a flask is like playing chicken.
Here’s a trick I started doing lately when making bigger starters (maybe not so tricky to some, but it has helped me):
I boil 3/4 of the water i need directly in the flask a day before I need to make a starter. after it’s boiled for 15 min or so, I cap it with foil and let it cool down on the counter and then eventually, it goes in the fridge.
The next day, I boil a super concentrated (4x) wort with a little over 1/4 of the planned volume. Boil for fifteen minutes, then cover and let it cool down on the stove. Once its cool enough - say about 150df or so, I pull the flask from the previous day holding just water, and direct pour the wort in and its usually right at 60df or so! Put in a sanitized stir bar and its off and running.
Just thought that may help some of you out there.
My wife gave me gloves for Christmas!
I sure hope I’m not jinxing myself, OK already did so:
I’ve been boiling on my electric range with a Bomex 5L erlenmeyer for the past year and 30-40 starters later, no prob…
I’m sure it will crack next time now. :-\
I like it, I think that’s a great idea.
You could put the stir bar in the flask first.