How vigorous to boil?

Greetings,

Seems like a simple question... but I can't find answer in books or on this site. How vigorous should the boil be? I'm bringing mine to a boil, then backing the heat way off to keep things boiling, but not at a huge rolling boil. It seems like keeping the heat up on high will just increase risk of boilovers, and increase the evaporation from the boil. What kind of boil is "just right"? Does it matter?

Thanks!
Jim

I try to keep mine just as hot as I can without the risk of a boilover. You can keep a pretty good rolling boil without risking a boilover. You just kind of have to get a feel for what works with your setup.

EDIT: That sounded good in my head, but honestly boilovers can happen at anytime. I usually keep a close eye on it and if nothing exciting happens for ten minutes I call it good and start doing other stuff.

I got my electric stove to hit 210F on high with 3 gallons and I was fine just keeping it there. I don't think you need a "vigorous" boil, just so long as it hits the boiling temp.

I will cast my vote in the 'Boil the hell out of it' camp. Vigorous boils help with hop utilization, protein coagulation, driving off DMS, and other benefits like sterilization and boiling off excess oxygen. My beer improved significantly when I upgraded a burner from one that barely simmered my wort to one that could roll 18 gallons with ease. My beers also have become significantly clearer since I have gone to a more vigorous boil

If you're using extracts, really high heat can lead to more caramelization, which will darken your beer. Not the end of the world, and adding the extract late in the boil can lessen that effect somewhat. I agree with MNBugeater though, a strong boil has other benefits to consider.

I remember Jamil talking about this on his DMS Podcast IIRC. His input was to create a boil just to where the surface is broken up. You don't want slow swells, you want the surface to open up a little.

Munsoned said:

If you're using extracts, really high heat can lead to more caramelization, which will darken your beer. Not the end of the world, and adding the extract late in the boil can lessen that effect somewhat. I agree with MNBugeater though, a strong boil has other benefits to consider.

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Yet another benefit of high heat rolling boils. The caramelization you speak of creates melanoidins. Simply speaking they are the liquid, wet version of browning and it creates depth and flavor. Similar to browning or searing meat, but in this case its a wet application. It isn't technically a Malliard reaction..but similar. Nonetheless, this produces more flavor and complexity to your beer.

MNBugeater said:

I will cast my vote in the 'Boil the hell out of it' camp. Vigorous boils help with hop utilization, protein coagulation, driving off DMS, and other benefits like sterilization and boiling off excess oxygen. My beer improved significantly when I upgraded a burner from one that barely simmered my wort to one that could roll 18 gallons with ease. My beers also have become significantly clearer since I have gone to a more vigorous boil

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+1 to that. Invest in some foam control (Fermcap-S) and crank that burner up to 11. :rockin:

MNBugeater said:

I will cast my vote in the 'Boil the hell out of it' camp. Vigorous boils help with hop utilization, protein coagulation, driving off DMS, and other benefits like sterilization and boiling off excess oxygen. My beer improved significantly when I upgraded a burner from one that barely simmered my wort to one that could roll 18 gallons with ease. My beers also have become significantly clearer since I have gone to a more vigorous boil

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I thought this also till I heard the Brew Strong pod cast that says a rolling boil (enough where liquid from the bottom comes to the top) is perfect. What is your evaporation rate?

RC0032 said:

I thought this also till I heard the Brew Strong pod cast that says a rolling boil (enough where liquid from the bottom comes to the top) is perfect. What is your evaporation rate?

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1.32 Gallons/Hour

paradoc said:

What kind of boil is "just right"?

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This one . . .

I just listened to the Brew Strong podcast where Jamil talks about the roiling boil, which means when the surface is moving around a lot. More than a simmer (where bubbles just come up) and less than splashing all over the place. Of the top of my head I dont' recall why exactly, but it produces all of the benefits with none of the disadvantages.

Although, as long as you are above simmer, you should be ok. Especially if you aren't concerned with any darkening.

I am going to try a vigorious boil this weekend but up to this point it has been a fairly low bubbling boil because even with that I was evaporating 1.75G an hour because my pot is so wide and has a lot of surface area.


Here is mine currently, but am thinking I need a little more power, what do you think?



Close to the beginning of the boil

Weezknight said:

I got my electric stove to hit 210F on high with 3 gallons and I was fine just keeping it there. I don't think you need a "vigorous" boil, just so long as it hits the boiling temp.

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i second that. I do 3 galon boils on my kitchen stove, and leave it on high the whole time.

If i were boiling with gas, I would likley back it down a little after a boil began, but make sure it remains at a rolling boil

RC0032 said:

I thought this also till I heard the Brew Strong pod cast that says a rolling boil (enough where liquid from the bottom comes to the top) is perfect.

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Jamil and John Palmer say the above....

Some have a different opinion.... SO.... trust what works for you ! :rockin:

My understanding of this concurs with the advise for Jamil, you need the liquid in the kettle turning over. This allows DMS to boil off with minimal caramelizing of the wort.

I do a rolling boiling. As far as overboil, I just keep a tray of ice cubes and toss one in if starts filling up on me.