First full-boil extract attempt in a day or two...

[deadcactus]

So I've done two partial-boil extracts. Got a new 10 gallon kettle, a propane burner, a home-built wort chiller, and a Winter IPA extract kit. Since I'm using new equipment and my instructions are written for a partial-boil, I just wanted to clarify some things and make sure I'm not missing any changes to procedure I should be making.

Cleaning/Sterilization:
Do I need to run sanitizer through the ball-valve on the boil kettle or will the heat of the boil take care of it?

Is there anything special I should do with a new wort chiller before using it besides a rinse with some soap and water?

Specialty Grains:
Steep at 155F in 2 gallons of water. No deviation from a partial-boil though it might be worth doing this step in a smaller kettle.

Boil:
Add water (or add the specialty grain "tea" to water already being heated). I plan to just boil the volume I want at the end and boil some top-off water to add at the end. Maybe not a true full-boil, but it seems more full-proof for a first attempt.

For hops, I have 1.25 oz Galena (bittering), 0.25 (Centennial) (flavor), and 0.75 oz Centennial (aroma). All are in pellet forms. Do I need to reduce the amounts since I'm doing a full-boil or is that only with whole hops? If so, by how much?

Chill:
Using a wort chiller with a pond pump in a bucket of ice water. Insert the wort chiller 15 minutes early to sanitize. I've read warnings about the contents of the wort chiller getting heated and ejected out of the ends. Anything you need to do about that other than keep the exits pointed away from you?

Aerate, pitch, blow-off hose, and ferment.


Anything I'm missing or should keep in mind?

 

[northernlad]

If you are basing your hop amounts on a partial boil recipe then you will need to adjust your amounts down to compensate for the higher extraction that happens with lower gravity.
The heat of the boil will take care of the valve.
I never boil my wort chiller. I spray with starsan and drop it in the hot wort. If you must use soap, make sure it is thoroughly rinsed.

 

[lmnop]

Specialty Grains:
Steep at 155F in 2 gallons of water. No deviation from a partial-boil though it might be worth doing this step in a smaller kettle.

Will it actually make a difference if you steep the specialty grains in the full boil size? Is it actually worth the hassle to bring a small amount of water to 155 and then add more water and boil the whole thing?

Also: my understanding is cut the bittering hops by .25oz for full boil and let the rest alone, but I'm pretty new to this, too.

 

[deadcactus]

Will it actually make a difference if you steep the specialty grains in the full boil size? Is it actually worth the hassle to bring a small amount of water to 155 and then add more water and boil the whole thing?

Also: my understanding is cut the bittering hops by .25oz for full boil and let the rest alone, but I'm pretty new to this, too.

It let's me set four gallons on the propane burner to begin heating to a boil while I do the steeping in a smaller container on the electric kitchen stove which I can then re-use to boil some top-off water.

Theoretically it'll save me a little brew-time (since the 4 gallons can begin heating before steeping is over) and I think keeping 155F will be easier on an electric stove than on a propane burner...

Edit:

Now that I re-read, I think I misunderstood your question. You mean bring the whole 6 gallons to 155F and then steep before continuing on to boil. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I was under the impression that it does, but I'm not certain how. I assume it has to do with osmotic pressures.

 

[laxsoccerguy]

Good question! Curious as well

 

[Yooper]

If you're using steeping grains only (like crystal malt), it doesn't matter in what volume you steep them. You can steep in a small amount if you like, or in the whole volume. The only time it matters is if you've got other grains in there, like Munich malt, when you have to have a set amount of water for the mash.

When I first started out, I always steeped my grains in 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain at 150-155 for 30-45 minutes. The reason is that I didn't know every single grain's needs for mashing vs steeping, so I got in the habit of always doing it that way to get used to the procedure each time. I never varied my procedure.

Then, I removed the grains and added water to my boil volume by pouring 170 degree water over the bag of grains in a strainer. You can do that in a separate pot if you want, or in the brew kettle.

With the burner, you'll come up to a boil pretty fast! As far as the bittering hops, when I do a full boil I generally reduce them by about 20%. If you have some brewing software, that really helps. For the flavor/aroma hops, you don't reduce those since it's about flavoring the wort, not about hops utilization.

A full boil really improves the taste of the beer- I think you'll be very happy with it!

 

[SammyJ]

I've done 3 full boils now. Best result I had was to start with 6g of water, ended with 5g (almost on the nose) after boil off.