I’m toying with the idea of using induction cookers when I build my brew stand. Has anyone used these to brew? I’m hoping to get some pros and cons before I shell out 200.00 a piece on them. I will be using Jarhill 24 gallon pots. Any help would be appreciated.
I brew 3.5-gallon batches with an induction range. First off, you need to use kettles that are induction ready. Not all kettles (stockpots) are induction ready, and they have to be high-quality induction ready stock pots to make the most of the technology. Secondly, an induction range that is powerful enough to bring 10+ gallons of wort up to boil at less than glacial speed will set you back much more than $200.00, more like $3K+. You will also need 3-phase power.
This has been discussed in the past. For pots that large, you will likely need to opt for the 220V variety as the 110V may no have the wattage needed to get you to a boil.
Like me, Josh is brewing on a sub-5-gallon after boil scale. I disagree with Josh’s assertion that stockpot quality has no bearing on heating efficiency. I use the same induction range that Josh uses to brew beer. I own a Chinese-made induction-ready Vollrath stockpot and an American-made induction-ready Vollrath stockpot. Guess which one heats faster? Just like transformer cores, the actual metal alloy used in the construction of a stockpot makes a difference in the amount of magnetic flux that can be induced into it.
One of the major problems with the portable 120 and 240 VAC induction ranges is the diameter of the hob, which is smaller than the diameter claimed by Josh in the presentation. The induction hob is more like 6" in diameter, and both the 120V and 240VAC portable induction ranges share the same diameter hob. This design results in the magnetic field being concentrated in a small area of the base of the kettle. One can see the outline of the hob on the bottom of the stockpot after it has been emptied.
Finally, the boil off rate is much slower with an induction range than it is with a propane stove. I am averaging a boil-off rate of roughly 0.65 gallons per hour. It is not uncommon to have to boil for an hour before starting one’s hopping schedule. Induction brewing with less than a true restaurant-level stockpot induction stove is not for time constrained brewers.
In the end, a portable induction range is better than nothing, but it does not beat a well-built low-pressure propane stove like a Camp Chef Pro 30 by any stretch of the imagination. My 30K Camp Chef Pro 30 outperforms my Update International IC1800 by a large margin, and I can get 13 to 15 batches out a standard 20lb propane cylinder that costs $12.00 to fill. The IC 1800’s major advantages are that it is nearly silent in operation and it does not present as much of a fire hazard as a low-pressure outdoor propane stove. However, it struggles to boil 5-gallons with the lid off, even with a couple of layers of Reflectix.
To continue off topic the French spell it with a “c” no matter the religion. I have a friend of french heritage who was a Trappist monk for 12 years who spells it with a “c”.[emoji3]
I wish U.S. operated on 220 power as standard. It would make electric brewing more attainable for so many brewers. We’re like cavemen with our fire rituals.
You could use a cable run from your clothes dryer or electric cooktop, but there are safety considerations with that.
1 - The cable should be as close to the exact length you need as possible. You do not want the cable to coil at all or else it can overheat
2 - Extension cords are a big no-no
3 - Can’t operate the other appliances at the same time
4 - Major tripping hazard!
Oh, should have been more clear. I would be running an appropriate cable through the walls of the beer basement, through the garage walls, and out into where the brewery sits in the back of the garage. I would hire an electrician to hook up the ends and install the appropriate breaker in my box.
The sizable scope of this project is what’s stopping me from going electric tomorrow.
And I should have been more clear, I was just offering that as a stopgap solution. I’ve been researching it a lot lately, and in my latest apartment hunt, I have focused on floorplans with the laundry near the patio, off of the garage, or in the garage.
Well then! I’m not doing the stopgap solution because of all the reasons you stated.
When I bought our house, I wasn’t planning on having an electric brewery (just bought the Sabco) so planning on converting to electric is now a slight pain.
All American homes are supplied with 240 VAC power. The difference between the U.S. and Europe is that our residential distribution transformers have a center tap in addition to two “hot” lines that run to one’s home. The voltage potential between the two hots is 240 VAC. The voltage potential between either of the hots and the center tap wire is 120 VAC. The transformer center tap is known as neutral (white wire). This configuration is known as “split phase.”
With that said, I have no idea as to why the U.S. chose to use split-phase for outlets and lights, but I bet that the knock-down, drag-out that occurred between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison had something to do with the decision. Nikola was behind the adoption of alternating current (AC) instead of direct current (DC) for power distribution. Thomas Edison’s power distribution system was based on DC.
From looking around, the reason why North America uses 110 is mostly anecdotal. One theory that makes the most since to me was the bulbs Edison designed, sold, and already had in wide distribution, were made to operate at 110.