Full Boil - Does Anyone Do this?

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pshankstar

pshankstar

BIAB Homebrewer & Coffee Roaster
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So I brewed another batch of beer yesterday (Conundrum Session IPA extract kit by Northern Brewer). So far all of my 5 gallon brews start with 2.5-3.0 gallons of water to create the wort, then of course I need to top off in the fermentor with water. I was wondering if there is anyone who does a full boil for a 5 gallon extract brew and if so what are your experiences? Part of me thinks if you have a pot big enough it might be worth attempting, but I'm not sure if its worth it or not. Plus what are the benefits if any?

I have a 7.5 gallon brew pot I use. Is that big enough to attempt a full boil? Again what are the benefits and is it worth it? :confused:

Thanks in advance everyone!
 
pshankstar said:
So I brewed another batch of beer yesterday (Conundrum Session IPA extract kit by Northern Brewer). So far all of my 5 gallon brews start with 2.5-3.0 gallons of water to create the wort, then of course I need to top off in the fermentor with water. I was wondering if there is anyone who does a full boil for a 5 gallon extract brew and if so what are your experiences? Part of me thinks if you have a pot big enough it might be worth attempting, but I'm not sure if its worth it or not. Plus what are the benefits if any?

I have a 7.5 gallon brew pot I use. Is that big enough to attempt a full boil? Again what are the benefits and is it worth it? :confused:

Thanks in advance everyone!
Click to expand...

Sure, plenty of folks do full-boil extract batches. Many report a noticeable flavor improvement, due to the sugars being less concentrated during the boil.

7.5 gallons is what I would consider "just barely big enough". I do full-boil all-grain batches in a 7.5 gallon pot, and it's certainly doable, but you really have to watch it like a hawk in case of boil-overs, at least for the first 15 minutes or so. A 10 gallon pot would be ideal.
 
I do 20 liter batches(about 5 gallon). in a 25 liter kettle(7 gallon), it works, but you have to stir like mad when it first comes to boil.
 
Doing a full boil will increase your hop utilization some. The ability to dissolve the oils is dependent on the volume of wort it can disperse in. So while the amount of sugars won't change if you top up afterwards, the amount of hop flavor that you get in will be lower if you top up than if you do a full boil. For an IPA it would likely be worth the hassle to get the extra hoppiness.
(How much effect it will have I would have to mock up 2 identical recipes with different volumes to see).
 
Hunter, you being the first to reply, what is the point of quoting the entire post that is right above your reply?
 
A few things to consider:
  • Can you adequately boil ~ 6.5 gallons on your stovetop (many stoves aren't strong enough to do this well/quickly)?
  • How excited are you about cleaning spilled wort out of your stovetop if you have a boil over? (My bias may be showing here)
  • If you're ready to jump up to full boil, have you considered upgrading to a larger pot (This Seller on eBay has great prices, but is currently sold out of 10 gallon pots) or picking up an outdoor burner that can better heat large quantities of wort?
  • If you do decide to upgrade your pot, I would strongly consider stepping up to 15+ gallon pot if there's any chance you will ever want to do 10 gallon brews. I started with a 10 gallon pot which was great for 5 gallon batches, but when I did split batches with my buddy I had to revert to partial boils, so now I've upgraded to a 20 gallon pot.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
pshankstar said:
So I brewed another batch of beer yesterday (Conundrum Session IPA extract kit by Northern Brewer). So far all of my 5 gallon brews start with 2.5-3.0 gallons of water to create the wort, then of course I need to top off in the fermentor with water. I was wondering if there is anyone who does a full boil for a 5 gallon extract brew and if so what are your experiences? Part of me thinks if you have a pot big enough it might be worth attempting, but I'm not sure if its worth it or not. Plus what are the benefits if any?

I have a 7.5 gallon brew pot I use. Is that big enough to attempt a full boil? Again what are the benefits and is it worth it? :confused:

Thanks in advance everyone!
Click to expand...

I did it on my last two extract brews with my 11 gallon pot. Really makes things easier IMO as there is no need to do any top up. Sample size of 2. I liked the results (Northern Brewer's brown ale and a stout of theirs if memory serves).

The corollary is that now you have cooling the wort without cold top-up water to consider.
 
I've had success with the couple 2.5-gallon full-boil extract batches I've done on the stovetop. Don't have a pot big enough for anything bigger than about 5 gallons, and don't have a good way of cooling it down - with any luck, I'll get an inversion chiller and/or bigger pot for Christmas. I got the banjo burner last year, haven't had the opportunity to break it out.
 
If you do a large pot and full boil. I would suggest this is a good time to jump into BIAB brewing.
 
hunter_la5 said:
I've done the same thing for years. Never a problem.
Click to expand...

Complete_Madness.jpg
 
hunter_la5 said:
7.5 gallons is what I would consider "just barely big enough". I do full-boil all-grain batches in a 7.5 gallon pot, and it's certainly doable, but you really have to watch it like a hawk in case of boil-overs, at least for the first 15 minutes or so. A 10 gallon pot would be ideal.
Click to expand...

Using kettle defoamer should help with the boil-overs.
 
Spartan300man said:
Fortunately I don't have AOL dial-up anymore, the waiting time would be excruciating.
Click to expand...

Spartan300man said:
Fortunately I don't have AOL dial-up anymore, the waiting time would be excruciating.
Click to expand...

Spartan300man said:
Fortunately I don't have AOL dial-up anymore, the waiting time would be excruciating.
Click to expand...

I've got bandwith to waste. It's a good problem to have.

Spartan300man said:
Fortunately I don't have AOL dial-up anymore, the waiting time would be excruciating.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you everyone for your input! WOW that was super fast! I brew outside with a propane burner with my 7.5 gallon brew pot. So if there was some boil over, its not a big deal for the mess part. IPAs are my favorite style of beer so I will typically brew those more often (ok well all the time right now), so if I will gain a better or more hops flavor I'm all in!

I will look into upgrading to a 10 gallon pot in the future, but I think I will try it with my current setup given everyone's input. :)

Another question and I cannot believe I forgot to place it in the original post. If I am doing a 5 gallon kit or a clone recipe, do I need to modify the ingredients? i.e. double the ingredients? Or do I keep in the same and just start with 5-5.5 gallons of water?

Thanks again everyone! This is such an awesome and helpful forum!
 
pshankstar said:
Thank you everyone for your input! WOW that was super fast! I brew outside with a propane burner with my 7.5 gallon brew pot. So if there was some boil over, its not a big deal for the mess part. IPAs are my favorite style of beer so I will typically brew those more often (ok well all the time right now), so if I will gain a better or more hops flavor I'm all in!

I will look into upgrading to a 10 gallon pot in the future, but I think I will try it with my current setup given everyone's input. :)

Another question and I cannot believe I forgot to place it in the original post. If I am doing a 5 gallon kit or a clone recipe, do I need to modify the ingredients? i.e. double the ingredients? Or do I keep in the same and just start with 5-5.5 gallons of water?

Thanks again everyone! This is such an awesome and helpful forum!
Click to expand...

No you don't double the ingredients becuse your boil size changes. You still want the same quantity of sugars in the FV at the end.

The only change might be to hops. (reducing them as you'll get more bang for your buck through better isomerization of the alpha acids I believe, with a full boil). More bitterness per ounce of hop in other words.
 
pshankstar said:
Thank you everyone for your input! WOW that was super fast! I brew outside with a propane burner with my 7.5 gallon brew pot. So if there was some boil over, its not a big deal for the mess part. IPAs are my favorite style of beer so I will typically brew those more often (ok well all the time right now), so if I will gain a better or more hops flavor I'm all in!

I will look into upgrading to a 10 gallon pot in the future, but I think I will try it with my current setup given everyone's input. :)

Another question and I cannot believe I forgot to place it in the original post. If I am doing a 5 gallon kit or a clone recipe, do I need to modify the ingredients? i.e. double the ingredients? Or do I keep in the same and just start with 5-5.5 gallons of water?

Thanks again everyone! This is such an awesome and helpful forum!
Click to expand...

DON'T double the ingredients! You'll end up with some super-strong beer there. I wouldn't change the recipe at all, though some might argue you can use a bit less hops (FWIW I haven't done much research on hop utilization but have always just followed the instructions for kits or recipes found online when doing full boils, and my beers haven't been unpleasantly overhopped, so I imagine the change in hop utilization is relatively minor).

DO start with more water. You'll have to experiment with your setup to see how much water you lose to boil-off (a function of surface area, boil intensity and atmospheric conditions). I'd suggest starting with 6 gallons, and if you end up with less than 5 gallons in the fermenter and your OG is a bit high you can always top off with water to 5 gallons, and then just start with 6.2 gallons in the boil next time.
 
How do you cool the wort? You got a chiller? That is one of the benefits of topping off with cold water, and having a smaller pot that can fit in a bigger bucket of ice water, if you don't have a chiller.
 
Spartan300man said:
How do you cool the wort? You got a chiller? That is one of the benefits of topping off with cold water, and having a smaller pot that can fit in a bigger bucket of ice water, if you don't have a chiller.
Click to expand...


I have a big portable tub (17 gallons) I fill with cold water, ice and frozen jugs (so big blocks of ice). Cooling this way may take a lot longer or require vet frequent water changes to try to cool faster.

Thanks again everyone else for your input!!! They are coming in so fast!!! :)
 
fosaisu said:
DON'T double the ingredients! You'll end up with some super-strong beer there. I wouldn't change the recipe at all, though some might argue you can use a bit less hops (FWIW I haven't done much research on hop utilization but have always just followed the instructions for kits or recipes found online when doing full boils, and my beers haven't been unpleasantly overhopped, so I imagine the change in hop utilization is relatively minor).



DO start with more water. You'll have to experiment with your setup to see how much water you lose to boil-off (a function of surface area, boil intensity and atmospheric conditions). I'd suggest starting with 6 gallons, and if you end up with less than 5 gallons in the fermenter and your OG is a bit high you can always top off with water to 5 gallons, and then just start with 6.2 gallons in the boil next time.
Click to expand...



Gavin C said:
No you don't double the ingredients becuse your boil size changes. You still want the same quantity of sugars in the FV at the end.

The only change might be to hops. (reducing them as you'll get more bang for your buck through better isomerization of the alpha acids I believe, with a full boil). More bitterness per ounce of hop in other words.
Click to expand...


Thank you both!! Do not double keep the recipe the same!! Since I enjoy hoppy beers I will keep the hops the same.
 
pshankstar said:
Thank you everyone for your input! WOW that was super fast! I brew outside with a propane burner with my 7.5 gallon brew pot. So if there was some boil over, its not a big deal for the mess part. IPAs are my favorite style of beer so I will typically brew those more often (ok well all the time right now), so if I will gain a better or more hops flavor I'm all in!

I will look into upgrading to a 10 gallon pot in the future, but I think I will try it with my current setup given everyone's input. :)

Another question and I cannot believe I forgot to place it in the original post. If I am doing a 5 gallon kit or a clone recipe, do I need to modify the ingredients? i.e. double the ingredients? Or do I keep in the same and just start with 5-5.5 gallons of water?

Thanks again everyone! This is such an awesome and helpful forum!
Click to expand...

If you are doing a 5-gallon kit, keep the ingredients the same and you will end up with a 5-gallon batch. You will most likely need to start off with ~6 gallons of water, depending on your boiloff rate and boil length, if you want to end up with ~ 5 gallons in the fermenter.

If you wanted to do a 10-gallon batch later on, you would have to double the ingredients. Along those same lines, I would skip the 10-gallon kettle and go for a 15 gallon or larger whenever you decide to upgrade. The 10-gallon kettle doesn't offer you any real advantage over the 7.5 gallon one except reduced chance of a boil-over.
 
pshankstar said:
I have a big portable tub (17 gallons) I fill with cold water, ice and frozen jugs (so big blocks of ice). Cooling this way may take a lot longer or require very frequent water changes to try to cool faster.
Click to expand...
I have a similar tub with rope handles, comes in handy. I have used it filled with cool water for the first week of my fermenting to keep the primary bucket in the 68 degree range (like a swamp cooler).
A few weeks ago I put my boil pot in my portable tub to cool down (did not have a copper wort chiller on hand at the time) and did an ounce of hops right at flameout and during the cooling process for my IPA.
 
douglasbarbin said:
... The 10-gallon kettle doesn't offer you any real advantage over the 7.5 gallon one except reduced chance of a boil-over.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't agree with you there. A 10 gallon pot will allow all-grain 5 gallon batches with ease. A 7.5 gallon pot would not. For a 90 minute boil I start with ~7.4 gallons of sweet-wort. A mess waiting to happen IMO even if using FermcapS

I know the OP is doing extract but a 10 gallon pot will serve them well should they decide to do 5ish gallon all-grain-batches in the future.

My setup would not allow 10ish gallon batches. I'd need to move my brews outside, get a burner, propane etc, or go electric.

I do stove-top BIAB 5.5 gallon batches in an 11 gallon MegaPot (nominal 10 gallon). Works very well.
 
Gavin C said:
I wouldn't agree with you there. A 10 gallon pot will allow all-grain 5 gallon batches with ease. A 7.5 gallon pot would not. For a 90 minute boil I start with ~7.4 gallons of sweet-wort. A mess waiting to happen IMO even if using FermcapS

I know the OP is doing extract but a 10 gallon pot will serve them well should they decide to do 5ish gallon all-grain-batches in the future.

My setup would not allow 10ish gallon batches. I'd need to move my brews outside, get a burner, propane etc, or go electric.

I do stove-top BIAB 5.5 gallon batches in an 11 gallon MegaPot (nominal 10 gallon). Works very well.
Click to expand...

Good point, but I would still upgrade to at least a 15 gallon kettle if I were to do it at all. No sense in having to upgrade twice if you can help it.
 
this is a hobby where you can always find reasons to spend more money to make better beer or larger quantities. if your happy with the beer that your making then I would keep making it the way you have been. if your ready to improve your process, then maybe it's time to start growing your brewery up. just a warning, it will be as expensive as you allow it to be. you can always make due with what you have but, all those goodies would be so awesome to have! muhahahaha.... good luck and try not to go broke! :)
 
ps: I started in February with a 10 gallon bayou classic. I have added two 16 gallon bayou classic's one with a false bottom. I can do 5 or 10 gallon batches with the setup I have now, either extract or all grain. I'm currently using 3 banjo burners converted to run on natural gas, cause I got tired of filling propane tanks. my burners are built into a cart on wheels. I also bought a counter flow tube in tube chiller and a pump and all the hoses and... and... and...

bigger, better, never enough....

But it's fun!
 
I wouldn't go for a kettle bigger than 10 gallons if you are planning 5 gallon biab batches later on.

You'd have way too much empty space in the kettle to keep temps during mash, at least without having to heat all the time.
 
Kharnynb said:
I wouldn't go for a kettle bigger than 10 gallons if you are planning 5 gallon biab batches later on.

You'd have way too much empty space in the kettle to keep temps during mash, at least without having to heat all the time.
Click to expand...

He could always mash in his old kettle and boil in the larger one. I think you BIAB guys sometimes forget that you don't HAVE to do it all in one vessel....haha
 
douglasbarbin said:
He could always mash in his old kettle and boil in the larger one. I think you BIAB guys sometimes forget that you don't HAVE to do it all in one vessel....haha
Click to expand...


Good point Doug!! I sometimes too try to do too much in one thing to save on the time it takes to clean up or whatever it may be.
 
Full boil is better. Too much sugar when you do 2.5 or 3 then top up. It gives a tang when you do the top up. Full boil for sure. Try BIAB. Its way better. And not much different method. Since you have a big enough pot. All about taste.
 
A lot of great info here. Having only brewed two NB extract kits myself, I was thinking about getting away from the "partial boil", but I have one more NB extract kit in the house. It seems like I can go ahead and make that kit with a full boil, just by starting with about 6 gallons of water. I do have a 10 gallon kettle, so my biggest issue seems like it will be cooling down the wort, since I don't have a wort chiller yet (but I do have a big plastic tub that I use for a swamp cooler). Thanks for all of the great tips!
 
I don't normally brew extract anymore, but the last few I did, I went full boil. I think I got better results going that way, trading off the issues of cooling - you have to get the whole thing down to pitching temp, versus a "good enough" of 80 - 90 degrees for partial, and using water you had stored in the fridge or freezer to get it down the rest of the way.
Like others, a 7.5 gallon (30qts, if my math is right) is just barely big enough - you will have to watch for boil overs at the beginning - once the foam subsides, you'll be fine.
I more often use a 33 qt pot and very rarely have boiled over.
 
DaveCane said:
my biggest issue seems like it will be cooling down the wort, since I don't have a wort chiller yet (but I do have a big plastic tub that I use for a swamp cooler).
Click to expand...

If you're not the type to panic, no chill or overnight chill will work just fine.

I do stovetop BIAB in a 10G kettle and generally do a water bath in the sink (with a few changes of water) until I'm able to carry it outside with out the risk of burning myself on a hot kettle. Then I let it finish cooling overnight. Sometimes I use a party tub, sometimes I just let it air cool.

Depending on ambient temps, I can get near pitching temps in 12-18 hrs. I bring it the rest of the way down with frozen water bottles in the party tub.
 

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