Beer Forum

On another forum I routinely read, a thread was started about whether or not it's ok to put heat an Erlenmeyer flask directly on an electric stove. I've been doing it for quite some time, and didn't know that there was any issue with it, but some people are saying that eventually it'll cause the flask to crack, and you should lift the flask above the burner with a trivet made of metal coat hanger. So, I put it to the . Am I courting disaster by placing my flask directly on the burner?

I do it, but I put a few layers of aluminum foil between the flask and the heating element. It's my attempt to even out the heat on the bottom of the flask. I've only done maybe 5 starters with this method and one of my flasks already cracked at the bottom. I don't know if boiling on the electric stove caused it or if the rapid cooling from putting the flask in a water bath immediately after boiling caused the crack. I might try the coat hanger trick next time I make a starter though.

Ive been making starters for a year on an electric stove and no cracks. I too have read what you have...and am worried. Would love to hear alternative suggestions, outside of the asshat reccomendation of replacing my stove.

cheers

The Northern Brewer catalog says "Flasks should not be used on electric coil heaters". I'm guessing the glass can't withstand the stress of the coil shaped heat source. A heat spreader should do the trick but I would definately replace the electric stove with a gas unit first!

I have only done 2, but I have one of those glass top electric stoves, so I opted with the side burner on my gas grill outside, you know, the one that never gets used for anything ... until now!

Hawkeye wrote:Ive been making starters for a year on an electric stove and no cracks. I too have read what you have...and am worried. Would love to hear alternative suggestions, outside of the asshat reccomendation of replacing my stove.

I use a propane camp stove in the garage/brewery for starters.

i use to do it right on the stove.. never had a problem. then i heard that you wern't sapose to. so i put it in a fry pan just to dispures the heat and it broke. i think there was a wee bit water under it and as soon as the water boiled it pushed up the flask and cracked when it landed.... i think

I put the flask on the glasstop stove using a piece of tin foil in between.