Boiling Extracts...

[Sum1Stu]

I was getting ready to prepare myself for another small batch of hobgoblin, then It hit me, why not just make a full size 5gallon batch.

My boil volume is around 2gallons, but since im not mashing any grains do I really need a large boil volume ?

The main question here is about hop utilization. Is there a reason why we should be boiling malt extract, thus lowering the utilizations of the hops ?

Is there any downside to boiling a 0gravity wort ? Does boiling increase the flavours of the malt extract ?

 

[peripatetic]

there are a ton of threads around here talking about late extract addition and/or hop utilization.

There doesn't seem to be any consensus (although there ARE strong opinions) about boiling the extract. Some say that it allows for more complex flavors, others say all it does is increase the risk of burning the sugars and darkening the beer. I typically do boil the extract for the full time. I did a late extract addition and didn't notice any difference, except that it lowered the temp to below boiling for a few minutes when I added it.

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For hop utilization, a good "rule of thumb" (this is NOT scientific) is that if you did a 5 gallon boil vs. a 2 or 3 gallon boil, you'll want to reduce hops to ABOUT 75%. In other words -- if you double the water, don't simply reduce hops by half. It isn't a perfect inverse-linear relationship.

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[Sum1Stu]

Id have to say that boiling the extract is a GOOD thing.....

Last batch of hobgoblin that I made exact same recipe, just came out wayy to bitter, and the flavours didnt come out as much...not sure if it was because of the bitterness or not.... I still drank it all cuz im a hophead and all but compared to actual hobgoblin it was wayy to hoppy.

I'll always boil at least 1.040+ gravity wort for future brews

 

[homebrewer_99]

Sum1Stu: The amount of hop bitterness extraction depends on the gravity of the wort.

Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing has a Hop Utilization chart which states you get the maximum bitterness extraction (30%) when using 1 gal of water with 1 lb DME and 1 oz of hops...which should equal a 1.040 gravity. Brew Your Own mag uses 1.045 for the same. Why the difference? I don't know?

I've been using Papazian's calculations since 1994 and will continue to do so because I am comfortable with it.

So, if you boil 2 gals then you should only be adding in 2 lbs of DME or its equivilant grain (3lbs, 8 oz) or LME (2 lbs, 10 oz).

If you'd like a copy of a chart I made (using the calculation of others) I'll gladly send you a copy. Email me at [email protected]

I usually boil for 45 mins, remove the pot from the heat and add in the remaining DME and steep it for 15 mins.

Top off water is usually gal jugs of PUR filtered tap water in the freezer for 4-5 hours prior to brewing.