Does anyone else stir the boil?

I go back and forth. Sometimes I stir, sometimes I don't. When adding hops, and when not adding hops. I can't detect a noticeable difference between stirring and not stirring. What does everyone else do?

On a side note; How about those hop particles that get stuck on the side of the kettle? Do you push them back in to the boil or let them stick to the side of the kettle?

Now that Im AG, I no longer stir, and my boil is certainly vigorous enough to distribute hop additions.

I do. I tend to get a thick foam of hop material when I use pellets and stir occasionally to get that back into the boil

naiek said:

I do. I tend to get a thick foam of hop material when I use pellets and stir occasionally to get that back into the boil

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Ditto. I find a "residue" of hop material builds up just above the wort on the side of the kettle and I scrape it off and stir it back in.

I do sometimes...but only because boiling wort is just dead sexy and I can't resist playing with it. I don't really bother pushing the hop gunk on the sides back down any more. I used to. Never could tell a difference in any of it.

The only time I really stir is during cooling, or if I am making a larger sugar addition. Don't see a lot of advantage to moving something that is already moving itself. Haven't really had any issue with hops sticking to the side, although I figure I would more than likely push them back in, should the occasion arise.

I never stir a boil, can't see any reason one would. For the hops, since I have a spray bottle with water handy to tame any hot break foam, I set the spray nozzle to stream and spray the hops along the sides back into the boil. I only do this at the start of the hop addition since sometimes the closeness in time to the hot break causes it to foam up again a little when the first hop addition is dropped in. Since they haven't been in the wort more than a minute or two it sure looks like it would be a waste so the spray gets them back in. I don't need to do this for any other hop additions. Lately I've just been adding the first hop addition in after the hot break has settled and as a result don't have to do this as often.


Rev.

I do not stir during hop additions, the boil and subsequent transfers are more than enough to distribute the hops through the wort. My only stir is for the whirlpool at end of boil and just before xfer to fermenter.

I stir right before I add the hops, that seems to help keep the wort from boiling over, until it settles back down.

then I stir the hops that have accumulated on the side of the kettle back in.

Basically if you think you need to stir, then stir.

"Hi. My name is Dave, and I'm a boil stirrer"

If everything is going right, there's a lot of idle time to just play with the boil. I can't resist...

Cheers!

Sometimes im lazy, just dry hopping 1/2 your pellets right into primary whole,no boil.the other 1/2 right into secondary.

I scrape hop scum, just because I think it makes cleanup easier.

Yes, I stir occasionally... I mainly do it to keep the bottom of my kettle happy so that my wort doesn't scorch. I don't know that it would scorch but I don't think it's worth testing. Stirring makes be feel more involved in the boil process anyway...

i do extract/partial mash brews, so i stir to dissolve the extract

day_trippr said:

"Hi. My name is Dave, and I'm a boil stirrer"

If everything is going right, there's a lot of idle time to just play with the boil. I can't resist...

Cheers!

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Idle stirring can cause blindness.
Repent!

I'm a closet stir'er as well - maybe that's why my eyes are getting bad

Hixyhopper said:

Sometimes im lazy, just dry hopping 1/2 your pellets right into primary whole,no boil.the other 1/2 right into secondary.

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Are you serious, Hixyhopper? If so, I'd really like to hear more.

I skim hot break....Don't know if it makes a difference, but I'm waiting for my first hop addition anyway, so what the hell.

Hixyhopper said:

Sometimes im lazy, just dry hopping 1/2 your pellets right into primary whole,no boil.the other 1/2 right into secondary.

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Exactly how lazy does one have to be to not want to throw a handful of hops into a pot 3 times over an hour?

KNOTSANE said:

Exactly how lazy does one have to be to not want to throw a handful of hops into a pot 3 times over an hour?

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And, of course, you're not going to get any bittering unless some hops are boiled. This doesn't make sense, unless we're misunderstanding his comment.

Hixyhopper - Would you like to clarify?

Not usually but i am still at the stovetop so if i think its getting a little boiloverish ill give it a stir

Radegast said:

Are you serious, Hixyhopper? If so, I'd really like to hear more.

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But yes,I do add hops to boil and yes I stir all through the boil.As well as adding dry hops to primary and secondary.Hophead till the end.I should have been clearer on my posting,my bad,just getting over a two week flu and wished i could have been at work.too much time on my hands and way too much meds....