Full Gallon Boil w/ Extracts?

[sharp63]

Thanks to a restaurant auction, I'm now the proud owner of a 10-gallon pot. This is an upgrade from my previous canning pot, which was good to boil two gallons.

I haven't brewed in about a year or so, but my previous recipes were all for 2 gallon boils. My questions are:

1) Should I even bother with a full boil or stick with two gallons? Are there benefits to doing smaller boils? I have a wort chiller, so cooling isn't an issue.

2) How do I need to adjust recipes. My understanding is that hop use changes, but how? Does extract use change at all?

 

[ACbrewer]

1) Do a full boil IF you have a way of doing it. The typical electric range can't get 5 gallons boiling. Perhaps gas stoves can, but I don't know.

2.) Steep(if using steeping grains) in less than full boil as you will probably want to rinse your grains. Look to boil about 6 to 6.5 gallons assuming 1 hour boil with hops and about 1 gallon boil off. I'd also not worry about adding or subtracting the hops. Better utilization with a full boil, but not signifigantly better to worry about it.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks to a restaurant auction, I'm now the proud owner of a 10-gallon pot. This is an upgrade from my previous canning pot, which was good to boil two gallons.

I haven't brewed in about a year or so, but my previous recipes were all for 2 gallon boils. My questions are:

1) Should I even bother with a full boil or stick with two gallons? Are there benefits to doing smaller boils? I have a wort chiller, so cooling isn't an issue.

2) How do I need to adjust recipes. My understanding is that hop use changes, but how? Does extract use change at all?

1. Yes! A full boil simply makes a better beer. If you can't do a full boil, of course the beer can still be excellent. But a full boil goes a long way to making it great from the start.

2. No need to adjust.

 

[sharp63]

Thanks, doesn't sound like I have much to worry about!

I have an outdoor propane burner (150,000 BTU, I believe) so getting the 6 gallons to boil shouldn't be a problem.

 

[JustcallmeMrT]

I'm new to the homebrew scene, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I tend to use the beer calculus page at hopville.com to adjust my hop quantities until I get the IBU's I'm looking for. According to the calculator, the utilization does change quite a bit from a 5 gallon boil to a 2 gallon boil, and also if you are doing late extract additions.
Check it out, it might be useful.

 

[Yooper]

I'm new to the homebrew scene, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I tend to use the beer calculus page at hopville.com to adjust my hop quantities until I get the IBU's I'm looking for. According to the calculator, the utilization does change quite a bit from a 5 gallon boil to a 2 gallon boil, and also if you are doing late extract additions.
Check it out, it might be useful.

Well, it's true that the calculators do show a difference in utlization. But that doesn't mean that those calculators are correct.

It used to be thought that wort gravity impacted hops utilization, but it turns out to be incorrect. Break material may impact hops utilization, but not to a very great degree. In a low IBU beer, you may consider reducing the bittering hops by 20% if this worries you, but in any higher IBU beer (30+ IBUs), the changes are insignificant even if the calculators say otherwise.

 

[JustcallmeMrT]

Thanks for the advice Yooper!

 

[DurtyChemist]

I've been using a turkey fryer for all my batches. I don't really have a plan to go all grain but I'm keeping my eyes open for a bigger pot.

 

[Ultrazord]

I actually prefer to do a 3 gallon boil now. I started doing 5 but got overly bitter beers. After dropping to 3, they're much more normal. Unless you want extra bitter beer, just stick to 2.5-3 gallons.

It also boils faster and easier.

 

[TomBrooz]

Well, it's true that the calculators do show a difference in utlization. But that doesn't mean that those calculators are correct.

It used to be thought that wort gravity impacted hops utilization, but it turns out to be incorrect. Break material may impact hops utilization, but not to a very great degree. In a low IBU beer, you may consider reducing the bittering hops by 20% if this worries you, but in any higher IBU beer (30+ IBUs), the changes are insignificant even if the calculators say otherwise.

For real? I don't have to account for boil gravity when calculating IBUs? I have a calculator that reduced my Bitterness by three quarters after accounting for bio gravity relative to 1.000. I was considering rehopping the batch during fermentation with hop tea. Should I forget this and trust the original numbers?

 

[Yooper]

For real? I don't have to account for boil gravity when calculating IBUs? I have a calculator that reduced my Bitterness by three quarters after accounting for bio gravity relative to 1.000. I was considering rehopping the batch during fermentation with hop tea. Should I forget this and trust the original numbers?

Probably.

Boil gravity does NOT impact hops utilization, but break material may, according to John Palmer.

If the beer is a lower IBU cream ale or something like that, I'd probably err on the side of caution and lower the bittering hops (only) 20% for a full boil vs. a 2 gallon boil. In any beer with 30 or more IBUs, I wouldn't bother. The difference should be negligible.