extract late method - timing question

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jamebow

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so i'm making an IPA today and i'm going to try this "extract late method" i've read about wherein you don't add the extract until the last 15 minutes of the boil.

so at 45 minutes into the boil, i add my extract and stir it in. i usually remove the pot from the burner when i'm adding the extract so as to avoid scorching, but then it takes a few minutes to get back to boiling.

my question is: is the clock ticking while i am bringing it back to boil?

or

do i pause the timer at 45 min., add extract, wait for it to get back to boiling, un-pause timer and boil for another 15 min?

thanks in advance.
 
grnich said:
What's the point of only boiling the extract for the last 15 minutes?

You can brew a lighter beer with a partial boil

Here are a couple more methods
 
The way I've brewed my last two batches is a partial boil, using half of the extract at the start of the boil. The other half is added after the heat is turned off at the end of the boil and I let it sit for 10 minutes before using the chiller.

In neither case is the boil timer running when I add the extract, but one addition is before and the other is after the boil so it doesn't involve stopping and restarting the timer mid-boil.
 
grnich said:
What's the point of only boiling the extract for the last 15 minutes?

It makes the beer colour lighter as you don't get as much of the Maillard
reaction with a shorter boil. You only really need to sanitize the extract
with a short boil anyway.

If you time a boil then you stop the clock for the time your kettle isn't boiling.
 
to a point, I've heard that boiling the hops in water with no extract at all will give grassy flavors.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
Actually, it makes your house smell like there's been a pot party going on...for several hours...;)
...and if you buy them in bulk, the neighbors start getting suspicious...or wanting to horn in on your stash...

4688-holyhops.JPG
 
Yuri_Rage said:
...and if you buy them in bulk, the neighbors start getting suspicious...or wanting to horn in on your stash...

4688-holyhops.JPG
Hah. Thats hilarious!!!! but so true.
 
Getting this thread back on track, how does this affect the beer? I did the late extract method (1/2 at start and 1/2 with 15 minutes remaining) on my last couple of brews, but they are still in the secondaries so I haven't been able to taste them yet. Clearly the color is much lighter. With 15 minutes left in the boil, I killed the heat, stirred in the extract, put the heat back on and restarted the timer. It took most of the 15 minutes to get back to a boil. I didn't want to leave the bittering hops steeping any longer than the 60 minutes 'cause I was afraid my beer might get too bitter. Is it the boiling that releases the hop acids and flavors, or just high enough heat?
 
The hops need the physical agitation of an actual boil, not just really high heat. I wouldn't worry about over-bittering, as the extra utilization from boiling (or nearly boiling) for an extra couple minutes is pretty minor.

Besides, what is this "too bitter" thing you mention? :D
 
Here are a couple of pics of my late extraction boils:

One is an American Ale and the other is a Hee Weizen (without the yesat poured into the glass). I took this pic to show you the difference.

Enjoy...I know I did! :D :drunk:

P1080797-00.jpg


P1140799.JPG


P1140801.JPG
 
Well see, my Belgian Wits come out about as dark/light as this HefeWeizen above, and I boil my extracts for nearly an hour. Though pretty light, we're still not at the coloration of a Blue Moon , not that I necessarily am going for a really light colored Belgian.

Still, I'm going to try the late extract addition method at some point, and see what happens.

Nice head on that Hefe, BTW!

5gB
 
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