I started two weeks ago with a five gallon pot, got excited, and tried to boil four gallons to start, having read that the more you are able to boil the better the beer will be.
Result: the boiling water hopped out when the hops hopped in. Lost some; had to clean a stove. Everything else seems to have gone fine, bottling next week.
Fast forward to today: 36 QT pot, partial mash. I started with 7 gallons of water to allow for some to boil off, however, I ended up with a similar issue (boil-over, though I did end up with almost exactly 5 gallons). Luckily this one was outside on a Bayou burner, so there's no cleanup. But I don't like losing or loosing wort.
What is the best way to do this? Start with 5 gallons, and add water during the boil if the amount seems low? Twenty gallon pots?
Result: the boiling water hopped out when the hops hopped in. Lost some; had to clean a stove. Everything else seems to have gone fine, bottling next week.
Fast forward to today: 36 QT pot, partial mash. I started with 7 gallons of water to allow for some to boil off, however, I ended up with a similar issue (boil-over, though I did end up with almost exactly 5 gallons). Luckily this one was outside on a Bayou burner, so there's no cleanup. But I don't like losing or loosing wort.
What is the best way to do this? Start with 5 gallons, and add water during the boil if the amount seems low? Twenty gallon pots?