When to put extract into the boil?

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Bioguy1975

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Hello again gang -

So.... for extract brewing, when do you add your extract into the boil, in this case, a 60 minute boil? 0 minutes? 30 minutes? 55 minutes?

For my first batch, I had to add 6.6 lbs of LME, so I added half at time zero, half at the end. I didn't like the syrupy-ness at the end, so kept stirring until it was fully in solution. I didn't like this much because it was keeping me from cooling my wort immediately, as I would like to cleanly go directly from boil to cooling. (no wort chiller, ice water bath.) I am noticing that this beer in my secondary fermenter is quite dark, and in another thread, someone had suggested the malliard reaction effect.

For my second batch, I had 6.6 lbs of LME and 2 lbs of DME. The moment I hit boil, I added half of my LME, and then 1 lb of DME. About 30 minutes in, I added the rest of the extracts, but this killed my boil, and I had to bring it back up to boil temperature for the rest of the 30 minutes. Given hindsight, I am probably going to have some huge malliard issues... but at least the color won't be an issue as this is going to be a stout. :rockin:

Do you guys have some better practices for extract brewing?
 
Bring your brew water to a boil. Turn off the heat, wait 60-90sec and add your extract. Stir till disolved then return to the heat and bring to a boil.
Cheers
Jay
 
Like he said. After all the LME or DME has been dissolved thoroughly, turn the stove back on and get it boiling again. When it starts to boil again, that's when the 60 minute boil starts.
 
Or do a late addition at 15min. Get more out of your hops and a lighter color. Just my 2 cents
 
For my extract+grains brews, I add half the extract in the method Jaybird suggests (before the boil) then right when I kill the flame at 0 minutes I add the remaining extract. I have tried the 15min and 5 min late addition methods and it always kills my boil. I have had great results using my method.

For my partial mash recipes I do an all-grain boil with no extract then add the extract at flameout (0 min).
 
I do extract with steeping grains or a mini mash. After my first couple of brews, I went to full boils and late extract.


I fill the pot to 5 gallons after steeping the grains. Once I get a good hot break on that, I turn the flame off, add 2 lbs of (usually) light DME, bring the heat back up to a boil and start on the hops. At 45 minutes I toss the Irish moss and yeast nutrient. Aroma hops right before flameout. I incorporate the LME, let stand a few minutes then turn on the chiller.

If you're using a kit or following a recipe that is scaled to 2 1/2 gallon boils you may have to adjust your hopping a bit.
 
If you had thick syrup after you added all your extract, you probably need more water in your boil. How much water are you starting with?
 
I put half in after I've added pre-heated water to the steep to bring it up to 3-4 gallons, with the heat off, and stir, then turn on the heat. when boil starts, I start the timer.

At 15 min left, I turn off the flame, add the other half, stir, turn on the heat, and when the boil starts again I start the timer for the last 15 min. I'm a little curious if this 5-10 minutes with the timer off is bad though, might mess with my hops?
 
Quite a bit of variation! For the record, I use a 2 gallon boil. I start off with 2.5 gallons in the pot, knowing that 0.5 gallons will boil off.

I will try some of these methods next time to see what happens.
 
Quite a bit of variation! For the record, I use a 2 gallon boil. I start off with 2.5 gallons in the pot, knowing that 0.5 gallons will boil off.

I will try some of these methods next time to see what happens.


I do just about the same, but I keep my water to malt ratio at 1:1, boil for 45 mins, remove the pot from the heat then add the remaining DME and steep for 15 mins. ;)
 
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