Longer Boil Times?

One question I have never gotten a true answer to, is why do you see recipes that ask for longer boil times such as 90 and 120 min etc.

I understand the need for a longer boil when using pilsen malt to avoid dms. I also can understand for more involved hop schedules. But that is not the case with most of these recipes. What am I missing?

There are a couple of reasons that I know of; others will likely contribute more. Beers brewed with pilsner malt often require a longer boil to drive off DMS. Also, some large grain bills may require more water and require you to boil down to your intended pre-boil volume.

Ahh, I did not consider the need to use more water for larger grain bills. That is most likely it. Thanks

celticcolorado said:

Ahh, I did not consider the need to use more water for larger grain bills. That is most likely it. Thanks

Click to expand...

An example would be a barleywine. Besides the evaporation of extra water the long boil gives the resulting beer a deeper, darker color.

In some cases like Scotch ale (some Wee Heavy grain bills consist only of pale malt and a tad of roasted barley), some strong ales, and some other styles, the longer boil is to give time to caramelize the wort to darken it and add some caramel flavors without adding inappropriate caramel type malts to the grain bill. It can also be done by drawing off wort and reducing it and adding it back to the boil.