Full boil went from rolling to not

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

chuckda4th

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
45
Reaction score
2
Location
Ardmore
Did my first full boil AG batch this past weekend. Started with about 7.5g, and landed at about 6 over an hour & 15 min which was exactly what I was expecting.

Although I had no issues getting the 7.5g to a rolling boil, after about 40min it was down under 7g, but wasn't "rolling" anymore. It was boiling, just not vigorously. My range was on "high" the entire time, and the beer always maintained at least 212*, although when it was rolling it was at 214*.



I'm a little worried that as the water boiled off and the wort became more and more dense, although there was less volume, the stove couldn't keep up with the density any more. This would mean that doing beers with higher OGs via this method may be problematic.

Thoughts?

Anyone else ever seen it where a boil went from rolling to gradually not over the course of a brew?

TIA!
 
Not many people are successful doing full boils on a range and the issue you experience scan happen for the reason you stated, I'm actor surprised you got the full volume boiling! I would look into going to outdoor brewing and propane if you plan on doing bigger beers. Otherwise people will split their batch into two kettles
 
chuckda4th said:
Unfortunately, the layout of my property isn't really conducive to outdoor brewing.

Then you might want to go back to partial boil or split into 2 kettles

A vigorous boil halos drive off DMS assuming you all grain or partial mash, extract less of an issue but still you really want a good rolling boil throughout the process
 
this is the exact reason i'm going from stovetop boil (using multiple pots) to outdoor propane brewing
the 8g kettle i bought couldn't get above 210*F even after over an hour
 
I noticed the same thing when I was still trying to stovetop it and I was fighting DMS issues with Rahr 2-Row malt or Pilsner malt even with 90 minute boils.
 
Kegged the first batch I did like this about a week ago, and no DME issues thus far. Did a second brew the same way, and again I was at a rolling boil for about 80% of the time, after which it was still clearly boiling...just not "rolling"

I think I'm just going to throw together a 1500 watt heat stick when I have a chance. Like I said...I'm so close...just need that extra little oomph.

Anyone know if anywhere sells them already built?
 
spent $50 on a walmart turkey fryer and it works like a friggin champ
and it passed my durability test: partigyle brew day, on for about 5 straight hours and didn't explode
 
Hi, inside I use a wok burner (65,000btu's) it's made to be used on top of the stove. Amazon has them,
 
I partially drape a hand towel over my pot to get it to a full boil on my electric stove. This way DMS will either get absorbed into the towel or out the small opening. I usually flip it over halfway through the boil to ensure nothing drips back in. I have yet to have any DMS issues with 3 AG batches under my belt.
 
You can also make smaller batches. I found that to be the easiest solution when I was living in apartments.
 
I do full volume boils on my gas stove inside with no issues at all other than taking a while to get up to a boil. I can see how many stoves don't have what it take to do the job and have considered the heat stick option myself to speed things up. I have seen pre-made heat-sticks on Amazon, check this link: bucket heaters[/B]
 
Consistent (between batches) is more important than how vigorous. If you get dms do a longer boil, or cool quicker or (the secret nobody seems to know about) agitation. Yes if you have a pump and run it during boil you will drop dms, or atleast stir and splash it around a bit.
Electric boil is a great option though, and no you don't need 50 amps of 220 to brew. At home I use a 110 20 amp outlet to brew and it works great, plusses way better than going outside to brew in the winter.
 
214 degree boil at atmospheric in an open vessel? Two degrees superheat at atmospheric. Very interesting....You can't superheat water/wort at atmospheric. The only way you can increase the temperature above boiling point is by raising the pressure on top of the fluid. Like what a pressure cooker does.....You had a hard boil in the beginning because the wort was full of gunk. Once you boiled the gunk out, it settled down. A good, long boil gives the velvetty smoothness and tight bubble found in true Pilsner and Porter.....You did well for your first full boil. Work on mash and sparge technique to keep the gunk out.
 
Setting a SS bowl into your wort to increase surface area will help your boil.
 
Quick update...

My kitchen has 4 20amp GFIs all on separate circuits, so I've gone partially electric. I built a 1500 watt heat stick to use in addition to my gas stove, and I'm having no issues whatsoever getting a really strong rolling boil going. I started my last batch around 8.5g and boiled down to about 6.5g in an hour.

A few last tweaks to a couple recipes, and I'll be diving into 10g batches by the end of the summer all in the comfort of my kitchen.



Just a note for anyone else thinking about doing this size boil inside that due to humidity reasons, I did have to purchase a small window fan for my kitchen window. The walls in adjacent rooms were literally showing water stains on them it was so humid. Once I started using the fan to exhaust the humidity I've had no issues.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is the wok burner, they are listed cheeper around amazon but becasue they are cast iron shipping may account for the higher price shipped for prime shoppers.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CUUASU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

From the link:
Product Description
Complete cast iron propane burner set includes hose assembly and fitting connector, ideal for outdoor cooking and barbeque.

Please do not use this inside unless you have VERY good ventilation. Carbon Monoxide will kill you!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Those are words to live by. Also take into consideration, if you have a gas stove/range each top burner is about 10,000btu's and the oven burner is 20,000btus so that's 60,000 to run the stove on full. I'm not telling anyone to be blind of safety. In my post I said "I" do this.
 
brewingmeister said:
How do you know it was 214? Unless you are under sea level boiling is 212 or under depending on altitude.

I'm in Philly area, so not below sea level. Between the hard water I have in my house, and increased sugar content, 214 is plausible from my research.

I haven't gotten to the point of testing my water yet, but I put in a whole-house humidifier a couple years ago fed via one of those puncture valves, and every winter I have to work it in and out a few times before first use to clear the mineral deposits, so the water is definitely hard.

Either way, can't recommend a heat stick enough if you relatively know what you're doing wiring electrical appliances. Building one and knowing if your house can handle it is not for everyone though.
 
I'm in Philly area, so not below sea level. Between the hard water I have in my house, and increased sugar content, 214 is plausible from my research.

If you do any candy making at all you learn that as the sugar to water ratio increases the boil temp goes up. 214 is real possible with a little sugar added. Most people have no issue with a little salt lowering the freezing point of water, but don't believe a little sugar will raise the boiling point.
 
Back
Top