Boiling all 5 gallons vs. using just 1.5 gallons of water

rockout · 05-10-2007, 06:02 PM

Yeah, even for a newbie question, this seems like I'm ultra-noob - but I wanted to ask just in case.

The Papazian bible tells me to use 1.5 gallons of my water when boiling, then add the other 3-3.5 gallons (I buy a 5 gallon thing of spring water for each batch) when I'm ready to start fermentation.

The first beer I made was from a kit, and the kit instructed me to use all 5 gallons in the wort. Obviously the advantage of doing it the book's way is that it takes less time to cool down (I also use a copper wort chiller but it still takes a while). Also would take less time to bring to a boil, I imagine.

My question is, is there any DISadvantage to boiling 1.5 gallons and adding the 3.5 gallons of cold water to the fermenter before I add my wort? Or have I just been wasting many valuable minutes of heating/chilling time by using all the water in the wort?

Many thanks.

Got Trub? · 05-10-2007, 06:17 PM

I'm not sure what your question is.

If it is about getting cooler faster then yes limiting your boil to 1.5g will definetely be faster.

If it about the difference between a partial boil vs full boil then there are BIG advantages to doing a full boil:

1) better hop utilization for bittering
2) less kettle caramelization of your wort which affects flavour and color

rockout · 05-10-2007, 06:33 PM

The second part of your answer, answers my question exactly.

I looked through the Joy of Home Brewing and saw nothing about the partial boil vs. full boil, even though in the beginner section Charlie instructs you to do a partial boil.

Thanks. I guess I'll stick to the full boil.

rdwj · 05-10-2007, 06:39 PM

I noticed the BIGGEST improvement in my beer when I went from partial to full boils. It's a bigger difference than extract to all grain. If you CAN boil the whole volume, you should do it.

I honestly think that the twang people sometimes associate with extract is really the added water in a partial boil. The only twang I ever noticed in my beer was from a partial boil.

homebrewer_99 · 05-10-2007, 06:47 PM

I've been doing 1.5 gal boils for years...13+ (minus the 5 years I lived in Germany).

I put 4 gal s of water jugs in the freezer 4-5 hours prior to brewing to cool my wort in the primary.

About the hop utilization...the max bittering you can extract is 30% in 1 gal of water and 1 lb of malt. 30% at 60 to 90 mins...so why boil 90 mins when 60 does it. Additionally, you can boil for 30 mins and double your hops and get the same bittering.

I also only use 1 lb of malt for the entire 60 min boil. At 45 mins I remove the pot from the flame and add all the remaining malt for the recipe. I've also boiled 15 additional mins as well as just let it sit for 15 mins. Letting it sit pasteurizes as well as keeps the carmelization (and dark color from burning the sugar).

I have made beers almost as light in color as Buttwiper...although much tastier.

There are more ways to brew than there are brewers.

rockout · 05-10-2007, 07:46 PM

Thanks Bill! Good to know that either way I'm not doing anything "wrong" - also your method of only boiling 1 lb of malt and then adding the rest off the flame seems interesting as I hadn't heard of that yet. Any disadvantages to that method that you've ever noticed? I understand the positives.

homebrewer_99 · 05-10-2007, 08:04 PM

None that I can recall...

The DME has already been cooked once. I let it sit for 15 mins to pasteurize and...