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comer88888 · 11-19-2011, 06:40 AM

So I am doing my first full boil and was wondering should I steep my grains in a different pot first? 2 gallons of water isnt very much water to steep in a 8 gallon pot. Thanks for the help.

butler1244 · 11-19-2011, 10:34 AM

I'm still newer to brewing, but from what I've read it is better to steep the grains in all 5 gallons if that is what size batch you are brewing. It's a bit harder to get the temp exactly where you want it to be, but the result will be better beer.

Here's another post on the topic...
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/what-volume-water-temp-time-timing-steep-grains-51609/

Surly · 11-19-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butler1244

I'm still newer to brewing, but from what I've read it is better to steep the grains in all 5 gallons if that is what size batch you are brewing. It's a bit harder to get the temp exactly where you want it to be, but the result will be better beer.

Here's another post on the topic...
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/what-volume-water-temp-time-timing-steep-grains-51609/

I take a couple of gallons of water and heat to steeping temp. At the same time I am bringing my boil kettle up towards boiling, but not quite. After my steep in the smaller kettle I add it to the BK and bring it up to boiling. Saves a bit of time.

Rev2010 · 11-19-2011, 01:29 PM

Do it in the same kettle. I often steep in 3 gallons of water and never had any off flavors and such that are sometimes quoted steeping in large volumes of water.

Rev.

**RM-MN** · 11-19-2011, 01:41 PM

The reason the kit instructions call for steeping in 2 gallons is that many people have kettles that will hold that much and the ability to heat that quantity of water on the kitchen stove. If you have a big kettle and heat source to bring that much to a boil, by all means steep in the full amount.

***Yooper*** · 11-19-2011, 01:43 PM

You might not have any astrigency issues with steeping in the full volume, but I still wouldn't do it. I'd steep in the correct amount of liquid in a second pot, bring the rest of the volume up to a boil in the boil kettle, and just add your liquor from your brewing grains to that after the steep. That will get you up to a boil fast, as well as not risk any tannin extraction from a too-high steeping pH. It would also work well just in case you had in grains in there that were to be mashed like Munich malt.

**HopSong** · 11-19-2011, 03:11 PM

Is there anything wrong with doing what I did in my current batch.. unbottled yet. What I did what to bring 2.5 gals to steeping temp while bringing my BK up to a boil... but not yet boiling.. When I finished steeping my grains, I rinsed them in the BK which was being held at 155*.. then continued to bring the BK up to a boil.. I should be able to get the full richness out of the grains w/o changing volumes by rinsing.

Also, on a similar note.. Is there a reason to NOT steep, add to BK and then add the hops per instructions W/O adding the extract? IOW, add the extract at flameout and stir like crazy before starting up the chiller? I would think that would tend to keep the extract from changing color. Cuz the extract should already be ready to go straight out of the can/bag.

Am I missing something here?

***Yooper*** · 11-19-2011, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HbgBill

Is there anything wrong with doing what I did in my current batch.. unbottled yet. What I did what to bring 2.5 gals to steeping temp while bringing my BK up to a boil... but not yet boiling.. When I finished steeping my grains, I rinsed them in the BK which was being held at 155*.. then continued to bring the BK up to a boil.. I should be able to get the full richness out of the grains w/o changing volumes by rinsing.

Also, on a similar note.. Is there a reason to NOT steep, add to BK and then add the hops per instructions W/O adding the extract? IOW, add the extract at flameout and stir like crazy before starting up the chiller? I would think that would tend to keep the extract from changing color. Cuz the extract should already be ready to go straight out of the can/bag.

Am I missing something here?

No- that sounds exactly like something that I would do! It should work great.

**HopSong** · 11-20-2011, 01:31 AM

Thanks Y.. I haven't seen any mentioning that.. Figured getting the grains and hops done separately and then mixing in the malt would make sense.. but wasn't sure.

NewSoCalBrewer · 11-20-2011, 02:22 AM

I have my first full-boil extract in primary now. I steeped my grains (2lbs) in the full volume of water (6.5 gal) for 1/2 hour at 158*. I don't know if I'll get any off flavors from the full kettle steep (the OG sample tasted great), but is there any importance to boil the extract to precipitate a hot break to coagulate any proteins in the wort?

I did a 60min boil with my 10lbs of extract. It's Janet's Brown Ale, so I was not concerned about color, but I've never heard of adding the extract at flame-out. Does this affect hop utilization in a recipe?

Sorry if this has been discussed before. I've only brewed 4 batches so far.

*nevermind: Sort of answered my own question

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/hop-utilization-178668/