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SamuraiSquirrel · 02-11-2013, 01:41 PM

I had a 10 gallon megapot and that boiled off 2 gallons per hour which is in the 20% range ...... i would simply make my preboil volume 2 gallons greater than my ending batch size as calculated in beersmith.

I have a keggle and that boils off 1.5 gals per hour. Again, simply adjust preboil volume so that you end up with the appropriate post boil volume.

I think that its the pot dimensions more than anything that determines boil off. Wider mouth pots boil off more.

No need to use a lid. Just plan for it and after a few batches u will be nailing the post boil volumes. Also ditch the "boil off %" mentality and think of it in gallons per hour.

5 gallon or ten gallon batch my gallons per hour boiled off are the same.......

**BreezyBrew** · 02-11-2013, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamuraiSquirrel

I had a 10 gallon megapot and that boiled off 2 gallons per hour which is in the 20% range ...... i would simply make my preboil volume 2 gallons greater than my ending batch size as calculated in beersmith.

^ Same here. I have to boil 8 gallons for a 5g batch. 2 gal boil off then approximately .5 g left in the pot, and .5g trub loss.

Btw, your beer will taste better if you do a full boil rather than adding in the water at the end.

allgrainpa · 02-11-2013, 03:29 PM

Kayos:

To answer your question. I dont have a themometer on keggle (as of yet). I do keep a vigourous boil and typical boil for 60minutes. My preboil OG was 1.042 and according to brewsmith it should have been 1.049. I almost hit my target after boil OG at 1.052 the target 1.053.

I bottled the beer (trying to make sierra nevada PA) and it seemed a little weak from the standpoint of bitterness and aroma.

Let me ask: I batch sparge and typically get 1.5-2 gallons on my inital sparge and then try to put enough water in to get 6.5 gallons. I realize i need to get more preboil wort from my mash. Can you over batch sparge? Im reading by leaving sweet wort behind in MT this could effect my hop utilization which i feel may be the cause of my low bitterness and aroma. Do you agree and what is everyone suggestions?

Thanks again for all the help

acidrain · 02-12-2013, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allgrainpa

Kayos:

To answer your question. I dont have a themometer on keggle (as of yet). I do keep a vigourous boil and typical boil for 60minutes. My preboil OG was 1.042 and according to brewsmith it should have been 1.049. I almost hit my target after boil OG at 1.052 the target 1.053.

I bottled the beer (trying to make sierra nevada PA) and it seemed a little weak from the standpoint of bitterness and aroma.

Let me ask: I batch sparge and typically get 1.5-2 gallons on my inital sparge and then try to put enough water in to get 6.5 gallons. I realize i need to get more preboil wort from my mash. Can you over batch sparge? Im reading by leaving sweet wort behind in MT this could effect my hop utilization which i feel may be the cause of my low bitterness and aroma. Do you agree and what is everyone suggestions?

Thanks again for all the help

You don't need a thermometer for boiling.
Pretty much all recipes call for 60 minute boil, unless otherwise specified. Always boil for the entire length of time, and add hops additions as specified.
The boil is a function of reducing the wort (a known value) and hops isomerization.
"Original gravity" refers to the specific gravity just before pitching yeast.
"Starting gravity" is the specific gravity pre-boil.
Beersmith will figure your efficiency if you enter the numbers. It calculates it by how much pre-boil volume you collected, and what the SG gravity was. This is your "Mash house efficiency".
It will also calculate "brew house efficiency" when you enter the post-boil volume and OG.

**Kayos** · 02-13-2013, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allgrainpa

Kayos:

To answer your question. I dont have a themometer on keggle (as of yet). I do keep a vigourous boil and typical boil for 60minutes. My preboil OG was 1.042 and according to brewsmith it should have been 1.049. I almost hit my target after boil OG at 1.052 the target 1.053.

I bottled the beer (trying to make sierra nevada PA) and it seemed a little weak from the standpoint of bitterness and aroma.

Let me ask: I batch sparge and typically get 1.5-2 gallons on my inital sparge and then try to put enough water in to get 6.5 gallons. I realize i need to get more preboil wort from my mash. Can you over batch sparge? Im reading by leaving sweet wort behind in MT this could effect my hop utilization which i feel may be the cause of my low bitterness and aroma. Do you agree and what is everyone suggestions?

Thanks again for all the help

You need to manipulate your Beersmith numbers. Try telling beersmith you want to make a 6g batch instead of a 5g. Aim for a high pre boil gravity and batch sparge with that beersmith tells you to. Yes, you can over batch sparge, you don't want your grain pH to get too high. If you don't have a meter, just taste it and when it stops tasting very sweet, it's time to just use water for the rest of it. If you are leaving some of your first runnings behind, it will make your numbers pretty far off. Get a dip tube or at least have the braid feed off the bottom of your MLT to get the wort, not the top. A 7 point difference is a pretty big deal pre boil. But that does not affect your hops so much - if anything it will taste more hoppy/bitter.

What's your main concern - to get a better taste at the end or your boil off rate?