Dogsboll Ox said:
So it turns out my induction heater really struggles to get 5 gals to 212 F. Would the addition of an immersion element help and possibly insulating the boil kettle?
Also, might be a dumb question, but does wort reach a boil quicker than water?
Wort takes more time to get to a boil than water because of sugar, but the difference shouldn't be all that noticeable. What's the btu rating of your burner? Most stovetop burners seem to be about 5000 btu. Btus are an hourly output rating.
Insulating the sides of your kettle might help. An immursion heater will definitely help, but it might be better to just spend money on an outdoor propane burner. Or, simply split the boil amongst two or three pots.
The boil needs 1 btu per pound per degree F to get to 212, plus a little more cover waste heat. Another 1000 btu per pound of steam created (16 ounces) is needed.
For boiloff and trub loss, many brewers start with 6.5 gallons.
There are 8.33 pounds per gallon of water, so 6.5 gallons weighs 54.12 lbs. Coming from room temperature (70Fo) to a boil will take 7689 btu. Boiling off 1 gallon will take 8330 btu
212F - 70F = 142 btu
142 * 54.12 lbs = 7688.6 btu
1000 btu * 8.33 lbs = 8330 btu
8330 + 7689 = 16,019 btu
I think you'd need a 1500 watt immersion heater to get reasonable results. Be gareful with that, mixing electric and open heat sources can be dangerous. Most outdoor propane burners are at least 65,000 btu, which easily handles a 6.5 gallon full rolling boil in an hour.
