Wish I would have listened

[Logger1]

I got my brand new 2L flask today for my starters and decided to try it out with a 1500ml starter for my brew this weekend,i boiled in the flask since thats why I got it in the first place.....what a mess like a miniture volcano.not sure if ill try it again

 

[Yooper]

I got my brand new 2L flask today for my starters and decided to try it out with a 1500ml starter for my brew this weekend,i boiled in the flask since thats why I got it in the first place.....what a mess like a miniture volcano.not sure if ill try it again

1000 (or MAYBE 1200) ml starter will work, IF you use fermcap in it. I've boiled over like 300 ml of starter without fermcap!

 

[IsoSacch]

I remember the first time I boiled in my flask, I had the same experience. Now I boil in my flask all the time, in fact I just did. I think the key is to learn your burner and watch it like a hawk till you do. I get a boil going with my dial on 2, but everyones is different. Dont give up yet!

 

[Seven]

Fermcap is a must when I make starters. I add it just before the wort reaches the boiling point and no more boilovers.

 

[Logger1]

Im sure ill try it again,crappy thing is I held the fermcap in my hand at the lhbs but I sat it down for some reason

 

[kh54s10]

Just remember that with the narrowing neck, when the foam rises it speeds up!

Unlike in a pot where it cools and slows. When you first get to boil temps don your oven mitt and be ready to remove the flask from the heat. This is much faster than turning down the heat.

 

[Logger1]

Ill try again next go around,just a lttle discouraging

 

[el_kirk]

Watch the temp a little more carefully and you can do it with minimal (some) mess, you just have to turn the heat off and lift the flask up.
What happens is you're getting the liquid really hot, then it's self correcting by boiling over (and making a mess). Just go slow to get to the target temperature and it will be easier to keep it from boiling over (read that as "just a little").

 

[Logger1]

Thank you all for the encouragment and advice

 

[osagedr]

Nearly impossible without fermcap.

Boiling in a pot then pouring through a funnel into your flask will work just fine.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I do my starter boils in a saucepan, cool, pitch and then pour it into the flask. The flask is lab quality, so I am certain I could boil in it, just have this image of flaming wart and glass shards flying into my face.

 

[stubbornman]

also make sure that you don't have your stirbar in the flask directly over the heat creating nucleation sites. Instant volcano, fermcap or no.

 

[Homercidal]

I boiled in my flask without gas drops 1 time.


1 time...

 

[gingerdawg]

Also, make sure you start with the stirbar in the flask. DO NOT drop the stir bar into the boiling, partially heated or just boiled wort. (think mentos and diet coke)

 

[Logger1]

Gonna go buy fermcap before my next starter,i really want to boil in it and save those sanitation steps plus it makes me feel like a mad scientist

 

[aubiecat]

Canned wort solves all these problems.

 

[Logger1]

A pressure cooker is next on my list

 

[LandoLincoln]

Also, make sure you start with the stirbar in the flask. DO NOT drop the stir bar into the boiling, partially heated or just boiled wort. (think mentos and diet coke)

Oh, come on. It's kinda neat to see what that does.

 

[arg]

Fermcap. I've made 2 liter starters in my 2 liter flask. Tight? Yea. Boiled over once? Yea. Total amount after boil over and evaporation? Approx. 1950mL. Usually, my starters are from 1.5 to 1.8L. I only have 2L flasks.

Be careful. I have seen a starter shoot boiling hot wort more than 2 feet into the air like a cannon. The burner got turned off, so the wort was almost at boiling temp. I tried to turn heat back on and slowly heat it up but it wouldn't heat evenly. This lead to a hot spot that quickly shot up and out of the flask. Luckily, I was about 5 feet away from it at the time it jumped and was outside on the side burner of my grill. Stay away from the thing when it's rocking and rolling.

Edit: My stir bar is always the first thing in the flask, even before the DME and water.

 

[Homercidal]

A pressure cooker is next on my list

You will love it.

 

[passedpawn]

There are a bunch of simethicone-based products that work the same, are available at the local 5 & dime, and cost much more . I only mention this if your LHBS is far away.

Gas-X is one of them (drops for babies with gas). I've used that and it worked fine.

 

[kh54s10]

The stirbar is the LAST thing that goes in my flask. After sitting in Starsan while boiling and cooling the wort.

 

[passedpawn]

The stirbar is the LAST thing that goes in my flask. After sitting in Starsan while boiling and cooling the wort.

just boil it.