When do you stop YOUR boil?

[Nate]

Based on gravity, time, volume or a combination thereof?

 

[Qhrumphf]

All three. Gravity is my ultimate goal. But I check that beforehand, and then make the the timing is appropriate for both DMS reduction (Brulosophy's experiment aside) as well as sufficient hop bittering. Volume is third in importance, but I need to make sure my boiloff is consistent enough that I achieve that right volume to achieve the calculated gravity.

As far as I'm concerned, they're all important for consistency. But if you don't care about consistency, then time should be the most important.

 

[olotti]

I always try to hit my gravity first so if my pre boil Gravity is on then next I make sure o boil off to my mark and I should be right on. In the past if I stop at 60 min and I haven't boiled off enough then I know my og will be low sometimes I'm fine with that but if I really feel the need I'll pull my hop spider and boil down an extra 5, 10 min usually never more and stop there and it is what it is at that point.

 

[Calichusetts]

All three because my system is dialed in really tight. I measure my water to the tenth of a quart. Always hit my preboil volumes, always boil 90 minutes, and therefore always hit my postboil volume and gravity.

 

[passedpawn]

Haha, I'm the only one who answered gravity.

What I do (in order to ALWAYS hit my OG)

• wait for boil to begin to ensure it's mixed and homogenous
• measure gravity with refractometer
• do simple math to figure out what my final volume has to be to reach my target OG (C1*V1 = C2*V2)
• Boil til I get to that volume, and thus my target OG

The trick is to know your boiloff rate in order to know when to start adding hops. For IPAs, which I make a lot of, I'll just pitch the 60m bittering hops after the initial gravity measurement. The rest of the late hop additions get started when I'm about 1/2 gallon from my target volume. With an electric system, I have can adjust this boiloff rate easily if necessary.

 

[AnOldUR]

This is a trick question. I stop my boil at 0 minutes. When the boil starts is the number that counts and that's based on the recipe. There is a need for some flexibility in boil start time if pre-boil volume or gravity are off. The only reason to change the time you stop your boil would be not getting the boil-off you expected. By that point you'd be messing with your hop bitterness and flavor, so you'd have to decide which is more important for that particular beer, gravity or hops.

 

[m00ps]

i was gonna say about 30 seconds after flameout

 

[Nate]

A little surprised that no one (thus far) is boiling to a volume. We initially did a lot of our boils to volume because that's what the recipe was based on... they all ended up 1 to 1.5 hours anyhow. Since switching to a refractometer (some time ago), we're mostly doing boils to a gravity to get the most consistent beers. Hop boils are still always time based...

 

[kh54s10]

I always boil to time. My system is well dialed in so gravity is usually very close. I don't care about a percent or so of ABV. I want the hop profile to be right.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I know my system extremely well thanks to my mash calculator (link in sig). bittering additions get added in as soon as the wort hits the brew kettle. Preboil volume and gravity is recorded, if I have to adjust boil time or sparge a little more than I adjust the boil time to hit my intended OG and flavor/aroma hops timing is adjusted accordingly. Since using my mash calculator and dougs batch sparge simulations, I haven't been more than 2 gravity points off my OG in about 15 batches. Fairly predictable even if it's not professional level consistency, I have little interest in brewing the same beer once a week for 10 years.

 

[lowtones84]

I actually do it by volume. I don't have a refractometer, so I kind of hate pulling a sample, cooling it, then checking it with the hydrometer. I know my efficiency within a couple of percentage points, and design my recipe to them. Probably the not the absolute best way, but it's rare that I'm surprised when I check the hydrometer before pitching yeast.

 

[olotti]

I had a refracrometer but it broke since then I just get my pre boil volume mix well and pull a sample and chill, start my boil go back and check the cooled pre boil sample with a hydrometer. At that point my pbg is what it is going to be anyway then I'll boil to my volume usually just under 6 gal. I know if I have more at the end of 60 min my og will be low so I'll pull my hop spider so as not to add further bitterness and boil another 5,10 min to hi my final volume and then at that point my og is what it is. I'll sacrifice some gravity points to get more beer, and if I miss my og it's usually by only a minimal margin to where it won't really matter much plus the yeast may over attenuate a little and I'll still hit my fg and projected abv but I don't always plan that ahead of time it just happens.

 

[lumpher]

I have my process, system, and equipment down tight. I boil for 60 minutes, or 90 if Pilsner. No exceptions.

 

[Natdavis777]

Id say time and volume. I always start with 13.3 gal and boil down to 11 gal (giving me 5.25g per carboy). I ditched my refract bc it was misreading all the time, so getting a preboil gravity takes a bit longer now using the hydro. Im pretty dialed in though with my system, so Im usually within a few points and dont have to worry about over/undershooting my preboil gravity.