Thanks! I’m feeling pretty good about this little project.
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Thank you!
Hm, I’m gonna have to see where I can find fresh grape leaves around here… probably one of the international markets, huh?
So I get mine from my back yard, but I swear it’s like rosemary. If you start looking, they are everywhere. I don’t invade peoples back yards… But if they peek over a fence I may pluck a few.
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So not directly related to fermenting but quite close…
My office/shop is two weekends away from being done. It is almost climate controlled so I can store pickles, beer, wine, cheese there, and almost all the electrical is done. When I finish the ceiling I will install herb drying racks as well.
For those of you who brew, I shall now be all electric. No more propane. It is a simple setup, and while similar to electric systems I’ve built before it will finally have Enough Power.
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I’ve wanted to get off using propane for brewing but haven’t put any real effort into figuring out exactly how I might do that. Did you have to hand build something to get the requisite amount of power?
So over the course of time I accumulated induction capable kettles. An 1800 watt induction burner ($75 at amazon, works with any modern outlet) can bring 5 or 6 gallons to a gentle boil. No electricians required.
However. Most of my stuff is in the 10+ gallon range.
So I had an electrician come over, install a 40amp two pole breaker, and run a new sub panel to the office/shop I am working on. I have tons of capacity, but at the moment a 240v 20amp circuit and two 110v 20 amp circuits.
So with induction, and absolutely no chance of liquids near electricity, I have 3000 watts of heating. And if I need more, supplementary heat sticks work great. And it’s easy, safe, efficient, and relatively cheap.
And I can run pumps, or AC if it is hot out, or watch TV at the same time.
One thing that some people forget, induction burners can support about fifty pounds. So to be safe constructing a support for a giant kettle is a good idea.
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My honey primed beer still hasn’t dropped bright 
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I love brewing with honey, and I hate brewing with honey.
Sometimes it is the only thing that works, but makes cleanup and yeast reuse more painful.
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Are your “induction-capable” kettles necessarily heavier gauge or specific material?
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Specific material. Basically they have to be magnetic. They work by creating a field that heats the bottom of the pan, so there is no ‘element’. Which means they are wildly efficient and safe.
The down side is they tend to have a smallish area where the heat is transmitted, so they aren’t great for say sauteing or items with a small amount of liquid.
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Ooh! I would make it by the gallon in glass cider jars with an airlock on top. I’ve made plenty of cider vinegar this way and it’s faaaaaaantastic. If you can get your hands on some mother of vinegar, you are all set!
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There are expensive stainless steel conical fermenters. But there is also a food grade plastic version that was around $250. Let me dig for the link… Wait. Just google plastic conical fermenter. There is a cheap 15 gallon version from plasticmart for about $75. It doesn’t have any valves or fittings. I would just add them myself instead of paying hundreds to a brew supply.
Yes. I’ve bought cheap steel Farberware from Walmart and it doesn’t work… Too thin. You must use something heavy bottomed and ferrous for induction.
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What’s the energy usage with those induction burners? I see things like “3000 watts” and it makes me think of the energy difference between using a toaster versus a toaster oven to make toast.
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Do tell.
No, really: do tell!
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240v, 20 amps, and you use it for four hours. So depending on a ton of variables, about tje equivalent of four or five hours of Air-conditioning. In OR it costs about four, five bucks including startup energy and cooling for ten gallons. Probably half that with insulation.
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Ferrous and magnetic is the key. I think 315 (too lazy to Google) is magnetic, but the test is to simply stick a magnet to it. If it sticks, it is induction compatible. If not, it has too much, what, nickel? And won’t work.
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When I had apple trees, I’d press cider and drink as much of it as I could. Then make vinegar with the rest. Just fermented it with brewing yeast, then put in a chunk of mother and let it chew up the alcohol and turn it acid. So yum. I made my own mother the previous year by letting a few different batches sit out and naturally ferment. Then picked the best one, tossed the rest and I’ve been using it ever since.
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I didn’t think of that. You are completely right! It has to be magnetic and it’s easy to test them in store before buying.
