Boil questions

My buddy and I have been brewing for a few months now but I'm beginning to question some of our methods. We started out doing our boils at around 200 but we felt we scorched the beer. Since then we have kept our boiling temps much lower. Roughly at 160.

I recently read an article in byo that mentioned hot break and raised a couple questions about my boil.

When do you usually start your timer for the boil? Right after you collect all the wort or once you hit a certain temperature? Do you keep the flame on the wort the entire time or cut it off once you reach boiling temps? Thanks for your help.

 

Are you removing the pot from the flame as you add your extract?

 

How are you reaching a boil at 160F?

 

Boiling temperatures start at 212F at sea level, anything lower [temperature] and you're (at most) at a simmer. At higher elevations, a boil happens at lower temperatures.

A quick google search yielded this page with the different elevation boil temperatures... Basically to get a real boil at 160F, you'd need to be over 42,000 ft above sea level. Last time I checked, there's no place in Georgia that would get you to that elevation...

To answer the question, I start my boil timer once I actually achieve boil (the elevation where I'm at makes that 212F). I have a thermometer in my boil kettle, so I can see when I'm reaching that point. Besides the other visible signs (foam forming on top of the wort to name just one).

If you're brewing extract recipes, then (as already indicated) remove the pot from heat before you add the extract. Also try adding it later in the boil, or at least a good amount of it later. Although I didn't experience any scorching of my extract batches by adding the extract once the specialty grains were done, as the brew climbed towards boil. Of course, I only did three extract batches before going with one partial mash, then all grain.

 

Even 200 is low?
You need to keep the pot on the heat the whole boil (remove only if adding extract or avoiding a boil over)
In regards to boil time, you can boil for as long as you want (you will need to work out your boil off rates and figue how much liquid you need preboil for a given boil time) what matters most is the hop additions. I boil my 60 min additions for 60 mins. I put them in once the hot break dies down.

 

Are you doing Extract brewing?

The timer for the boil begins when you get to an actual boil, or when you make your first hops addition, with a minimum of a 60 minute boil.

Scorching only comes if you add extract without stirring fast enough; either turn the heat off or add the extract slower.

 

Well my first brew was extract that we feel was scorched, but every brew after that has been ag (and much lower boil temp).

 

That's what I was wondering.

 

I think it's safe to say I wasn't. Lesson learned.

 

If doin all grain then you can't scorn the brew, unless you are adding additional sugars. A boil is a boil. Otherwise it is just hot liquid. I'd toy don't boil then tour hops will not extract correctly and you sugars will not concentrate, leading to a low OG.

Good to see that you understand this now.

 

Don't fear the flame. Boil on brother.

 

You keep saying that word.
I do not think it means what you think it means.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling

 

+1 on starting the timer at the first addition of hops. you can boil your wort all day with no hops in it, the extraction of acids from the hops is what you're actualy timing.

make sure to maintain a 212* boil the entire time, or your beer wont bitter correctly.

 

The timer should start based on wort volume. If you are brewing a 5-gallon batch, and you know your boil off rate is 1-gallon per hour, then start the timer (and add your 60-mins hops addition) when you have boiled down to 6-gallons of wort in the kettle. This way after 1-hour of boiling, you'll reach your final target volume of 5-gals.

These numbers described above will differ if you are boiling for 90-mins. And don't forget to account for a 4-percent expansion of your wort since the wort and your equipment expands when hot.

Example for a 60-min boil using extract: LME will add a lot to your kettle volume once added. Boil the water, add the extract, then boil down to 6-gallons ... once you reach 6-gallons in the kettle, start your timer.

Figuring out the timings and volumes is probably one of the trickier things to master when first starting out. Boil off rates can differ based on climate, seasons, locations, and equipment configurations.