Electric Coil to heat brewing setups

[Stevorino]

I've been hearing a lot elsewhere on the internet that electric coils are becoming the new way to heat HLT/MLT/Boil Kettles.

I'm yet to see a con that hasn't steered me away from it.

It seems like the initial cost/wiring mess are the two biggest cons with long-term cost/ease of automation being the biggest pros.

What are everyone's thoughts?

[Mylo]

The biggest con to me is that then my rig would be completely and totally stationary. I could never take it on the road to do a brew session. I like the ability to go mobile. Anywhere I go, I can bring bottled propane. All I need is water and 110v power which is available everywhere I brew. That, and high voltage IN water scares the shit out of me.


Mylo

[Stevorino]

The biggest con to me is that then my rig would be completely and totally stationary. I could never take it on the road to do a brew session. I like the ability to go mobile. Anywhere I go, I can bring bottled propane. All I need is water and 110v power which is available everywhere I brew. That, and high voltage IN water scares the shit out of me.


Mylo

Hmmm, maybe I should do it then-- I don't really have a way to transport my stand even if i wanted too without renting a truck. If I haven't killed myself w/ electricity yet, I think I can make it another 24 years.

[TapItGood]

With gas you can shut off the heat source immediately avoiding nasty boil-overs, but with electricty you have no control of the heat source. Once that baby get's into boil over mode..all you can do is stand back and watch the volcano erupt...noooo there's goes your precious wort!

[Stevorino]

Hmmm-- that's a good point too.

If I do electric, I'd only put it in my HLT, i think. I'm worried about that control and carmelizing in the Boil Kettle and Mash Tun.

But then, if I'm only putting it in my HLT-- it doesn't seem like it's worth saving $100-$200 to lose the option of brewing elsewhere and having the added worry of spilling water/wort on my electrical components everywhere.

[Mylo]

And you don't NEED to spend the extra money on the intermittent pilot. It's just cool... and I am predisposed to eliminating standing pilots from any system I build. My BK will actually have an ASCO valve and NO pilot. I intend on putting on a separate piezo ignitor to manually operate from the comfort of my control panel... because I am tired of searching for a lighter.


Mylo

[Stevorino]

And you don't NEED to spend the extra money on the intermittent pilot. It's just cool...


Mylo

Well, if you don't do the intermittent one then you just have a flame sitting there, right?

How exactly does the intermittent one work?

[Monster Mash]

I use electricity in my MT and HLT with Gas under the boil pot. The nice thing about electric elements is the ease of automation. I have my elements on timers to turn on before I go out to brew, they are already up to heat when I get up in the morning.

I don't trust gas to turn on automatically when I'm not there to watch it.