Partial boils

Is it imperative to start with a specific amount of water to make wort? I ask because I have a recipe with conflicting amounts - one says 2 gallons, the other 2 1/2. As long as the hydrometer reading is on at fermentation does it matter? Planning on resolving this soon by getting a nine gallon brew pot. Thanks all! Happy brewing!

I'm fairly new so no expert.... But from what I've read and learned I don't think it will hurt. The larger the boil volume the less darkening of the wort which will result in a lighter more true to color beer and you also get better hop utilization with larger boils.

But either way you will make beer!

Good luck and happy brewing!

awiens said:

Is it imperative to start with a specific amount of water to make wort? I ask because I have a recipe with conflicting amounts - one says 2 gallons, the other 2 1/2. As long as the hydrometer reading is on at fermentation does it matter? Planning on resolving this soon by getting a nine gallon brew pot. Thanks all! Happy brewing!

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Well my brews were darkening. Upgraded to a 9 gal pot, boil 6 gal, I add 1/2 lb of LME/DME per gal of water, then my hops additions, then the rest of the LME/DME at flame out. Now my coloring is spot on for all my brews.

You can get the 9 gal pot on overstock.com for $55. Oh and make sure you have a burner with enough BTU 55000-60000 Great deal.

Hope that helps ya.

richlong8020 said:

... Oh and make sure you have a burner with enough BTU 55000-60000 Great deal.

Hope that helps ya.

Click to expand...

A must. I'm still cooking on my electric stove doing the whole 5.5 gallons at once... It takes a good hour to get up to temp. Still scraping together pennies to get me an SP2 Double-jet, 210k BTU burner

I've not heard of splitting the malt extract additions. I always follow the LHBS recipes I get. I'm using 5 lbs of dark DME for my chocolate stout next. Any suggestions?

Thank you. What do you mean by "Steep covered to pasteurize at flame out?" I know what steeping is in regards to specialty grains but that's it. Also, flame out I assume means the time you stop the boil. I can add DME then? It doesn't compromise the wort and make it prone to infection since its out of the boil? Thanks again - I've only been brewing a few months so I still have lots of questions!