Boil Over

[sdent]

Well I've got three batches of all grain under my belt, and they've all turned out amazing. This last one I just transfered to the secondary is a pale ale and it's at 6.3% by volume! Unfortunately it's only about 3.5 to 4 gallons due to an unobserved boil over. I'm just surprised the flame stayed lit. Anyone have a handy dandy tip on preventing boil over? Or do you just have to sit there and watch it for an hour? I don't want to reduce it to a simmer.

I'm trying a German style Wiesse Beir this Friday.

 

[Walker]

Palmer says that a couple of copper pennies in the kettle will help prevent boil overs.

look at item #8

But, careful attention is not to be understated. I never leave my kettle unattended.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

The only time I ever encounter boil overs is when the wort first starts to boil and with the first addition of hops. In either case, by turning down (or off) the flame when it gets ready to boil over plus furious stirring I'm able to avoid a boil over. I then turn the heat back on and repeat the process until it settles into a "well behaved" boil. Once I get past those two danger zones I don't have any issues with boil overs.

 

[david_42]

Right, just before the protein break is the worst time. So, I wait for the break & toss in the bittering hops. I also never leave the wort unattended, without turning the burner down or off. A spray bottle full of water is a good way to kill the foam if necessary. Do not confuse it with your spray bottle of cheap vodka sanitizer!

 

[Walker]

Do not confuse it with your spray bottle of cheap vodka sanitizer!

Or with the spray bottle of vinegar your sister-in-law keeps handy for diciplining the dog! (I ALMOST did this a few weeks ago.)

-walker

 

[Shambolic]

Two words: big pot

 

[Lost]

The only time I ever encounter boil overs is when the wort first starts to boil and with the first addition of hops. In either case, by turning down (or off) the flame when it gets ready to boil over plus furious stirring I'm able to avoid a boil over. I then turn the heat back on and repeat the process until it settles into a "well behaved" boil. Once I get past those two danger zones I don't have any issues with boil overs.

Exactly. Though I think I'm also going to get a pony keg and cut the top off.. Shambolic's got it right. The best way to avoid a boilover is to have a huge boil kettle. Stirring the foam back down also seems to help. Anyone know if just scooping the foam off the top would somehow be detrimental to the brew?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Anyone know if just scooping the foam off the top would somehow be detrimental to the brew?

No, that would not be detrimental and would actually help reduce boil over. The foam "links" up and forms sort of a skin prior to boiling. The dreaded boilover is this "skin" blowing up like a balloon. Stirring helps keep it unlinked/unorganized so that pressure can't build under it. It dissapates with protein break as david mentioned.

However, I don't know if it's worth the effort or not and I imagine you couldn't completely eliminate it anyway...I just stir and modulate the heat until protein break.

 

[Darth Konvel]

[...] Anyone know if just scooping the foam off the top would somehow be detrimental to the brew?

I've seen a few places that recommend that you should skim it off. This all leads back to the "is trub good or bad for your beer" area of discussion. It can provide nutrition to you yeast, but can also produce off flavors. Really, I'd say not to worry about it and do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[cap46]

Question? Since when it foams a lot of your hop shows up in the foam you would not possibly take some of the bitterness out?

 

[El Pistolero]

A lot of people wait until after the hot break to add their hops.

 

[Walker]

That's what I do. It only took two boilovers early in my 'career' for me to learn that one.

I wait for the break, throw in those bittering hops, and start my timer.

-walker

 

[Catfish]

I wait for the break, throw in those bittering hops, and start my timer.

-walker

Same here, I wait for the break, pull out a cup of wort (cool it) and prime my yeast with it. Then add the hops.

 

[Lost]

I too always wait for the hot break before I begin my hop additions. The hops only result in a bit of fizz.. never much of a boil over and I certainly wouldn't remove any hop fizz/foam. It's that damn hot break that's so problematic. I've only had one severe boilover in my career (my first batch) but it is a real pain standing right over a turkey fryer in the Florida heat, humidity, and summer sun with oven mits on so I can pull the kettle off the heat when the time comes.

It's definitely time for a bigger kettle

 

[xpoc454]

How do you tell when the hot break occurs?

 

[Walker]

the foam that builds up on top of the wort as it initially heats and starts to boil will suddenly collapse and kind of just go away. It has "broken" and fallen to the bottom of the kettle.

-walker