Why one hour????

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snickers104

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Why do we have to boil the wort for one hour?? I know hop utilization and all but.....any other reason??
 
I assume it also have to do with evaporation rates in order to achieve the correct volume of wort at the desired gravity. Flavor development is another reason, from concentration & mallard (sp?) reactions.
 
Drive off DMS precursors...although you probably don't need all 60 minutes for modern base malts (except maybe pilsner). Sanitation should be taken care of in the first second of boiling. It's also helpful as mentioned for having enough water to mash and sparge and still be able to hit your volume.
 
Ok.. I can see if you have too much wort after mashing out but.....even extract recipes call for one hour boils starting with only 3 gallons of water and then topping off to 5 gallons.
 
I've never had it occur but it's meant to taste (and maybe smell?) like cooked vegetables.
 
I'd say it has most to do with getting the most out of the alpha acids in your hops. You increase utilization pretty well up to 60 then just a little bit more up to 90 minutes. More than anything, I'd say that's it cause that's what everyone agreed on! :)

I don't think evaporation and volume has much to do with it since you could just adjust your recipe to cover that part. It's true though you get less efficiency doing all grain with lower grist ratios, but if you wanted you "could" mash 20 pounds of grain with 25 QTs (or so) of water, no sparge, and be at your finishing volume and gravity with no need to boil.
 
You dont but it is just the standard time, you can go less or more. If you want to play around with the time the longer the boil the more you evaporate witch increases the gravity, caramelizes the sugars, releases dms, and effects the ibus.
 
Why one hour?

Because nobody wants to go back and change all the recipes that call for a one hour boil.
 
There is absolutely no reason to boil extract for 1 hour. They already boiled the heck out of it to produce the extract. They already got a great hotbreak etc.

It's really all about the hops. Hops + heat + agitation + time = the perfect bitter counterpart to malty sweetness. The utilization goes to something like 98% after 60 minutes.
 
I'd say it has most to do with getting the most out of the alpha acids in your hops. You increase utilization pretty well up to 60 then just a little bit more up to 90 minutes. More than anything, I'd say that's it cause that's what everyone agreed on! :)

I don't think evaporation and volume has much to do with it since you could just adjust your recipe to cover that part. It's true though you get less efficiency doing all grain with lower grist ratios, but if you wanted you "could" mash 20 pounds of grain with 25 QTs (or so) of water, no sparge, and be at your finishing volume and gravity with no need to boil.

This is the correct answer - hops utilization. :)
 
So I want to toss in my two cents. For all grain and especially pilsner malt a one hour boil is a must to get rid of DMS precursors. For extract it's all about hops utiliZation. If you are planning on hop bursting, then you really only need to boil for those additions. I have seen a YouTube video of the fastest beer making ever. Essentially take pre-hopped extract and warm it up. Add it to a 2.5 gallon bottle of sealed (and presumably sanitary) mineral water.. Shake the crap out of it and add yeast.. No boiling required.
 
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