Should I be doing a partial boil?

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BlendieOfIndie

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On my last (first) batch, it took almost an hour to get 5.5 gal. to boil. Then I boiled the wort for an hour. I'm using my kitchen stove (weak gas burners). Is this an indicator that I should be doing a partial boil? Does it matter how long it takes to bring the pot to a boil?
 
It doesn't matter how long it takes to heat the wort, but if the burner won't maintain a rolling boil, you have problems with DMS (dimethyl sulfide). This chemical is created during the boil and if you can only simmer the wort, it will stay in your brew and cause an off-flavor. Covering the kettle will make matters worse.

I'd stick with partial boils until you have a better heat source.
 
I'd suggest if you CAN do a full boil, do it. I used my kitchen stove to boil before I moved to a propane burner and never had a problem. One trick that helped me was placing my pot over two burners instead of one. It heated up a little quicker, but more importantly, helped me maintain a rolling boil.
 
another option is two smaller pots and split the boil evenly, as well as ALL the ingredients.
smaller volumes are easier to cool without a wort chiller, and lighter to transport and pour.

otherwise, if you can boil outside, go pickup a turkey fryer w/ propane hookup. if you have an outdoor natural gas hookup, you could get a natural gas burner setup.
 

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