Is it ok to not have a rolling boil?

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NitrouStang96

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It's impossible for me to get any more than a fast circulation in the wort with a slightly uneven surface. I just want to make sure this is ok, because I really don't want to lower the size of my boil.

I can get a _slight_ roll if I put the lid on my brewpot but have it propped open on one side with a wine cork standing on end. I figured if I had to do this, it might be a happy medium for evaporating the nasties and getting a good boil.
 
A slight boil is OK, but you already know it's not ideal. You'd be happier with a big kettle on a big burner, though! Turkey fryer setups only cost ~ $30 ya know.
 
I don't have a place to boil outside yet. Stupid apartment stove isn't powerful enough :(
 
Without a good rolling boil and covering your brew kettle you are taking the risk of having a DMS (cooked corn/vegitable) flavor in your finished beer. I am taking it though that you are brewing with extracts so the risk is a bit lower becuse of the processing of the extract. I would lower the size of the boil slightly to get a better rooling boil. also from what i remember you want to keep a boil off rate of greater than 8%, i think, it may be higher, to really eliminate DMS, but that is also more important in AG.

http://homebrewzone.com/dimethyl-sulfide.htm
 
There is some foil insulation that you can buy that you can wrap around your brew kettle to help keep the heat in. I hear it makes a huge difference.
 
I use a turkey frier inside my apartments wash room. I just keep the windows open and have no problem boiling at all. The fryers are cheap and essential. I hate waiting for my water to boil on a stove. Now it takes 5 min.
 
If you can't boil on a turkey fryer and don't want to do smaller boils then split your batch into two pots and boil them both at the same time. Also, you should always boil with the lid off to allow DMS to escape.
 
DeathBrewer said:
really? i would not use a turkey frier inside your apartment. that could be extremely dangerous. i won't even use one on my small deck.

As long as it's well ventilated I don't see a problem. Just open a window, close the door and turn on a fan and he'd be all set.
 
well, personally i was concerned about burning my place down after having a few beers during my session :cross:

eddie said:
If you can't boil on a turkey fryer and don't want to do smaller boils then split your batch into two pots and boil them both at the same time. Also, you should always boil with the lid off to allow DMS to escape.

that's what i've been doing lately for all-grain in my apartment. i have a pot on the big burner with 4 gallons, a pot on the small burner with 3 gallons and split the hops accordingly. it's worked really well.

EDIT: That's even how i did it (in THREE pots :D) with my RIS 08/08/08. check it out: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=49497&page=7
 
I wouldn't worry too much about using a turkey fryer indoors. As long as you have very good ventilation, possibly a CO1 detector, and it's not near ANYTHING that the radiant heat could ignite, you should be OK. I'd also worry about melting/damaging the floor with the reflected heat, but the big danger with turkey fryers is the oil you use (when actually cooking a turkey) can catch fire easily, and is difficult to put out.
 
DeathBrewer said:
well, personally i was concerned about burning my place down after having a few beers during my session :cross:



that's what i've been doing lately for all-grain in my apartment. i have a pot on the big burner with 4 gallons, a pot on the small burner with 3 gallons and split the hops accordingly. it's worked really well.

EDIT: That's even how i did it (in THREE pots :D) with my RIS 08/08/08. check it out: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=49497&page=7

So, if you have the boil split into three even boils, you split the hops evenly? If you have twice as much in one pot, you put in twice the hops as the other pot gets?
 
I have a question along those lines. I do 3 gallon batches with a 4-gallon pot and a 2-gallon pot. I boil about 3 gallons in the big pot and 1 gallon in the small pot until I can move enough evaporates to mix them, usually about half way through the boil. I just do all my hop additions in the bigger pot. Does this seem like a decent way to do it? I don't want to split my hops because I really can't completely split my boil. Thoughts?
 
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