Immersion Heater Or Italian Spiral Burner

[a1149913]

Hey guys, i'm struggling to get my 30L of wort to the boil on my current setup.

I'm trying to figure out if i should steer away from gas and get a 2400 watt immersion heater ($150-inc 240V 20A residual current device) or if i should go with gas and get an italian spiral burner ($150 inc- stand and low pressure reg). I do have a gas bottle but its about to go out of date so i'd have to swap that.

The main thing i'm worried about is the immersion heater not being able to get the wort up to the boil quick enough. Has anyone else had any experience with them?

Thanks

link to the burner and immersion heater are here - http://beerbelly.com.au/burners.html

 

[Pennywise]

Plenty of discussion in This thread about gas vs electric. FWIW I have an Italian Spiral & love it

 

[felon]

+1 for the Italian spiral burner. I usually do 54L boils with it using a medium pressure reg.

 

[manticle]

Get both. Gives you flexibility.

I use my immersion element if I miss strike temp and to step mash*, to bring the kettle to the boil quicker (element and gas on) and to boil if I have run out of gas (which has happened mid boil before).


*NOTE: some people have had issues doing this with scorching wort etc but I'm stuffed if I know how they do it - never had a problem. Keep the element submerged at all times when it's on though because having it on and in the air will burn it out. Also keep gently stirring the mash while heating.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

Get both. Gives you flexibility.

+1, though if I have to choose one, I'd go the italian spiral every day of the week

 

[QldKev]

Import a NASA, or get one of these burners

Perfect for a single or a double, even more if you want to push it.

There's a lot of threads on here about elec Vs LPG. It also comes down to how patient you are to wait for the temps to be hit.

QldKev

 

[keifer33]

Got no dramas with my immersion element and it heats up 30 lts no problems.

 

[scott_penno]

I'm all for electric elements as all the power goes into the wort and for me at least, its so much easier. Maybe a fixed 2200W element ($40) in your kettle and a 2400W over the side immersion element (~$100) for adjusting strike water/mash temperature and also getting your wort up to boilling.

sap.

 

[Bretto77]

Wow you guys that have immersion heaters must be living in a different country were electricity is cheap!

Very happy with my Italian Spiral +1

Hey guys, i'm struggling to get my 30L of wort to the boil on my current setup.

I'm trying to figure out if i should steer away from gas and get a 2400 watt immersion heater ($150-inc 240V 20A residual current device) or if i should go with gas and get an italian spiral burner ($150 inc- stand and low pressure reg). I do have a gas bottle but its about to go out of date so i'd have to swap that.

The main thing i'm worried about is the immersion heater not being able to get the wort up to the boil quick enough. Has anyone else had any experience with them?

Thanks

link to the burner and immersion heater are here - http://beerbelly.com.au/burners.html

 

[scott_penno]

Wow you guys that have immersion heaters must be living in a different country were electricity is cheap!

I'm curious to know what you're paying for gas if you don't mind me asking... and is it bottled LPG or do you have mains LNG?

Have you ever calculated what it costs you in gas usage for a typical brew day?

sap.

 

[keifer33]

Unless my maths is super wrong but say the element is 2400w and my power provider charges 22c per kw/h. 2.4kw x 0.22$ = 52.8c per hour. If at worst the element is on for 3 hours it works out to be about $1.60 per brew.

 

[QldKev]

Unless my maths is super wrong but say the element is 2400w and my power provider charges 22c per kw/h. 2.4kw x 0.22$ = 52.8c per hour. If at worst the element is on for 3 hours it works out to be about $1.60 per brew.

Yep and LPG is between $3 and $3.50 a brew


QldKev

 

[keifer33]

So based on QldKev's figures if you had to run 2 elements or one bigger element to equal the power of an efficient gas burner the cost difference between the two is negligible.

 

[flano]

am using an immersion wand thingy right now as we speak.

No worries about it getting up on a boil...doing the 12 ltr water in 19 litre pot BIAB thing.

it is 10 dgrs here at the moment.

 

[The Pope]

I have a 60 litre alloy pot with a 2200w immersion element & a 2400w portable over the side wand...