Extract kit - full boil

[Franco]

So I really liked my first batch of beer. It was a Brewer's Best witbier kit, and the only problem I had with it was that I came up just short of 5 gallons - no big deal.

I recently bought a 15 gallon brew pot, and thought I would do a full boil of this same kit since everyone raves about how much better it tastes than partial boil. So I asked the guy at my LHBS if there's anything I need to do differently with a full boil - specifically if I should do anything different with the hops. Both of them said no.

After I was all done, I came here and read that boil size DOES affect hop utilization. I brewed with 1oz Williamette @40min and 1oz Kent Golding @10 min. So now it's time for THE stereotypical new brewer question. Did I wreck my beer? How much more bitter is it going to be doing a full 6.5 gallon boil vs a 2.5 gallon?

 

[grouperdude]

Your beer will be great don't worry about that. I do full boils all the time with extract kits.
Relax, don't worry its going to come out great.

 

[Franco]

Thanks grouper..

Anyone else? Should I leave out some of the hops from extract kits?

 

[Frankiesurf]

From what I understand, hops utilization is dependent on the amount of wort in the boil. The less wort (partial boil) will only utilize as much hops as it can handle until it is saturated (for lack of a better term).

I take it to mean that the more wort you have, the more hops you can use.

Someone correct me if I am wrong or just really vague.

 

[formula2fast]

I am not an expert, but just asked this same question a few days ago because I did my first extract at a full boil. After talking with some guys who know what they are doing, I found out that if doing a full boil, your bittering hops should be slightly reduced to get the recommended IBU's for your kit, but your later hop additions should/ could stay the same. Use this link to calculate how much to reduce it.

http://www.hotv.org/tools/hopbitterness.html

i found after the fact, that even doing a full boil, I was at the higher end of the range my kit listed for IBU's, so it should still have the same flavor. If you go over, then it will just have a bit more hoppy flavor, which in most beers, makes it even better IMO.

 

[LimerickBrewCo]

As I understand it the more wort you have in your boil the better it's going to utilize the hops. If anything it should come out even better.

 

[formula2fast]

That is true but it can come out too hoppy, not that it is a bad thing But certain beers may not compliment an overhopped Flavor.

 

[justsome1]

Hi everyone, I'm also new to brewing and have only done two Extract Kits so far. I too was wondering about doing a full boil with this type of kit. Besides the question already asked, if we go ahead and do a full boil with a partial boil kit, do we still steep the grains for the 30 min per the instructions? or do we steep them for 60 min like in a AG batch?

 

[mjmac85]

Been thinking along the same lines with wanting to do full boils. I was aking around one of the recipe threads on here and someone mentioned that for a full boil to not add the initial hops at 60 min. I know each recipe is going to be different, but in general is that a normal difference?

 

[formula2fast]

I have done full boil on both my extract and partial mash kits and have hopped at the 60 min mark. I think all of that stays the same, it is just the amount of hops you want to do because of the utilization of them. Check out that hop calculator I linked to above. I doing another extract kit at full boil in a couple of weeks and will be using that to ensure that I do not overhop.

I would think that if that person told you not to add hops at 60 min, they were also having you increase the amount of hops they added later, or were having the initial amount of hops a few minutes late to ensure that IBU's end up at the same place. I believe that this is one of those situations where there are a number of different ways to get the same result in the end.

Good luck to all, and post results