Electric guys. Do you use boil chips?

[mash rookie]

I have always used glass boil chips when using a propane burner. They would rattle pretty good and always let me know when I was near boil.
This weekend I ran electric for the first time. The chips were silent. Do I need them with the electric system? If so why?

MR

[vetting]

I dont use them. The reason they dont work is because the boil bubbles arent really coming off the very bottom.

You can either put a screw in thermomter in the side of the keg if you really want to know the temp, or just drive it like normal and use the thermometer in the column.

[Prairiepiss]

Boiling chips won't do anything for an electric fired boiler. Except maybe decrease flow around the elements? And maybe damage the elements by rattling on them? Just my thoughts anyway.

[Dnderhead]

boiling chips "brake the boil" they give a place for the bubbles to form..withe something smooth like glass
whatever is in the boiler can over heat on the bottom.then pockets of steam can form let loose all at once with explosive results.most use mettle boilers that have machine marks/scratches so it wont do this but some use them to signal that its starting to boil,,or their lonely?

[MuleKicker]

nope. never used em.

[frozenthunderbolt]

I use some stainless scrubbies to give nukliation points sometimes. Dont seem to make a huge difference.

[banter_king]

always read about guys hearing them rattle when the boiling gets going. I have kept some copper scraps in mine and never heard them or noticed any difference in my boil.

[bentstick]

Used them with propane, went elect. don't do any good now, but you can hear noises when it is cold and turn on element, as it gets hotter it gets quieter the reverse of running propane.

[mash rookie]

Thanks for the replies guys. I had already pulled them out after my first two runs. It did not make sense if the heat was not from beneath. You have confirmed my thoughts. Thanks again.

MR

Bitchin controller MK. How is the new business going?

[jake_leg]

I use an electric element. Never used boiling chips and never had it puke. Can't see that it would do any harm to put them in though. In theory you could get superheating near the surface of the element just like you would at the bottom of a fire heated still. If anything I would have thought the problem is potentially worse in an electric still because the surface area of the element is so small.

[Bushman]

I run propane and have never used them because I have hearing aids and probably wouldn't hear them anyway. I do not have a temp gauge built in but bought a high end temp gun from a local car parts store. It is a very accurate read however it is not exact as it gives an outside temp. I use it though as it lets me have a rough idea when I am getting close to temps so I can make my adjustments accordingly.

[mash rookie]

I used them with propane because it was the conventional thinking on the forum to promote even boiling and of course had broken glass on hand.

Bushman I do enjoy having a temp probe in my boiler. It tells me when I am getting close to boil temp on the way up. It tells me about my wash ABV when the boil is at a lower or higher temp and tells me when I am nearing the end of a run and I should start watching for my tails.

Many discount boiler temperature monitoring but I find it to be a valuable tool.

MR