Covered or uncovered?

[Bubbles2]

Thanks for looking in:
I was wondering if you cover your sparge or not when Boiling for the last 60 minutes of wort making?
I am using DME along with a few lbs of grain in a bag (partial I think it is called) I was wondering if you cover the pot when boiling to save energy and evaporation? OR does boiling down and then having to add more water at pitch to get to 5gal. a 'flavor' reason?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Others will give you a more detailed answer, that you can read at your leisure; but the short, immediate answer is no, you definitely do not want to cover it during the boil.

 

[thekraken]

Your terminology is all over the place! No worries though.

I gather you're just asking if one covers the boil kettle during the boil? When I first got into brewing the answer was absolutely not because it can lead to off flavors if you cover the pot. The thinking is that the boil evaporation carries off precursors to DMS, if you have a lid on these precursors would condense on the lid and fall back into the wort. However, some of us have been successful doing the boil with the lid mostly on, with just an inch or so cracked.

In regard to having to add more top off water, that's a personal thing. That depends on your equipment capacities and/or accuracy in predicting your system's boil off rate and efficiencies.

 

[Kharnynb]

you should never do a fully covered boil, but depending on the power of your system, partially covered can give better boil and evaporation than fully uncovered.

if you can get a rolling boil uncovered, it's usually the best, just calculate evaporation and keep that in mind.

 

[Bubbles2]

I appreciate the feedback. I am not sure what DMS is.... I've done it both ways and was curious of why an uncovered boil vs covered boil. Unwanted flavors could occur...

To be clear on my nomenclature. (in case it was not clear)

Sparge= The heating for 20-30 minutes to 165° using a Grain and Specialty Malts. (Probably the confusion of Sparge is not Boiled)
To then add Dried Malt Extract (in my case) makes my Wort.

Then Boil for Hops and Moss. ◄--- This Boil is the one I refer to about covered or not. Where you stated 'Off Flavors'. Thanks again for the help.

 

[thekraken]

Sparge= The heating for 20-30 minutes to 165° using a Grain and Specialty Malts. (Probably the confusion of Sparge is not Boiled)
To then add Dried Malt Extract (in my case) makes my Wort.

That is your mash, or as you stated in the OP a partial mash.

To sparge is to rinse your grain bed with water to extract sugars.

 

[Bubbles2]

Oh so I do not sparge whatsoever...I was told by a buddy the Tea bag of grain that is steeped, was the sparge and never questioned it. So that is the Mash. Cool thanks for pointing that out.

 

[thekraken]

That said as long as you're making beer call it what ever the hell you want!