Why not do partial-boils?

Hello guys,

I have to do partial boils right now because my stove sucks BAD (have a hard enough time getting a couple gallons to boil). Anyways, I was thinking... what’s the downside to doing partial boils? I can think of 1 really good thing about them; you can cool the wort down almost immediately by pouring in cold water when the wort has finished boiling. With that major benefit in mind I am thinking that there must be a big down-side or else most people would be doing partial-boils. What is it?

Thanks!

Hops useage

You get better use from your hops if there is a larger boil for them. Think of it as trying to make chocholate milk. If you make half a cup then add that to another half a cup for a full cup, trying to get the syrup to disolve is harder then trying to get the same amount to disolve in a whole cup right away.

OK bad analogy but I'm beat, on 5 hours of sleep in the last 48

also, you'll get more caramelization of your extract if you boil at higher gravity.... but the real reason a lot of people aren't doing partial boils is that they're all-grain brewers... i think a majority of extract brewers are in fact doing partial boils

Can you guys shed some light on Late Addition of extract to reduce carmelization? I have heard it mentioned before, but I don't know the procedure nor do I know the downsides to that method... Also, will adding more hops at least offset the hop-utilization problem a little bit?

Thank you!

one last question...

I am probably going to try the late-addition method (I suppose you just add the extract during the last 15 minutes of the boil)... which doesn't make much sense to me because when you add the extract it will kill your boil... so I guess I would bring it back up to a boil for 15 mins? Also, the recipe I am doing now (Russian Imperial Stout) uses both dry malt extract and malt extract syrup... I suppose I would add both of them in late?

I don't do partial boils, but most recipes I've referenced have the DME being added for the full boil, and the LME added for the last 15 minutes. It should return to a boil with a few minutes which is fine...keep the ticker running.

I do know that LME is significantly more prone to scorching than DME, and hence it is added later. I wouldn't boil the hops by themselves and add both extracts late because it affects the hop extraction rate and what is extracted...you want to add the hops to a wort with some SG, hence go ahead and add the DME for the full boil.

Adding more hops is definitely a method which may be used to combat the lower utilization of hops in a partial boil...I'm sure the formulas are covered in any of the reputable sources such as howtobrew or Papazian, but can't remember off the top of my head. In Beer Captured the bittering hops are usually reduced by 18-20% for a full-wort boil.

I've done about a dozen "Late Brews" lately.

I heat up 1.5 gals of water. Remove from heat and add 1 lb of DME (I use Extra Light DME), bittering hops, gypsum, whatever...and boil for 45 mins.

Remove from heat. Add remaining DME 1 lb at a time, dissolve the malt and add another pound. Repeat until you put in all your malt. Then add any more hops you are using along with Irish Moss (if you use it).

Turn the heat back on once the malt is all dissolved.

Boil for 15 mins. Rack to primary as you usually would.

My brews have been coming out pretty light. I am really satisfied with the results.

Unlike a souffle, interrupting a boil to add LME doesn't case any problem. As mentioned, bittering hop utilization and caramelization are the two main drawbacks of partial boils. Since I like porters and stouts, neither of these is a problem. I do partials in the winter, if I don't feel like standing out in the unheated garage for three hours.

homebrewer_99 said:

I've done about a dozen "Late Brews" lately.

I heat up 1.5 gals of water. Remove from heat and add 1 lb of DME (I use Extra Light DME), bittering hops, gypsum, whatever...and boil for 45 mins.

Remove from heat. Add remaining DME 1 lb at a time, dissolve the malt and add another pound. Repeat until you put in all your malt. Then add any more hops you are using along with Irish Moss (if you use it).

Turn the heat back on once the malt is all dissolved.

Boil for 15 mins. Rack to primary as you usually would.

My brews have been coming out pretty light. I am really satisfied with the results.

Click to expand...

i've been wanting to do this, but wasn't sure how to split it up well... i did my last brew half & half and it's pretty light, but i would've liked it be a little lighter.... i think i'll try your method for my next light brew...

This forum is great!!

I was wondering why my Hefeweizen turned out so dark, and more importantly, how to fix it next time.

So, at the end of the boil and you add the last amounts of extract, do you continue to boil to the hot break and then remove and cool?

david_42 said:

Unlike a souffle, interrupting a boil to add LME doesn't case any problem.

Click to expand...

How much LME do you use in your souffles?

Bills Brew said:

This forum is great!!

I was wondering why my Hefeweizen turned out so dark, and more importantly, how to fix it next time.

So, at the end of the boil and you add the last amounts of extract, do you continue to boil to the hot break and then remove and cool?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Once you add the remaining malt and get it boiling again you will get another hot break - and usually before the 15 mins are up, so you are good to go.

Just remember to boil 1-2 lbs of the lightest malt in 1.5 gals of water and add your hops. Add the rest of the malt after 45 mins.
I bottled a batch of HW earlier and am brewing a batch of HW right now!