Extract slow boil

[RepealProhibition]

I did an extract kit with specialty grains yesterday. I steeped the grains at right around 160F for 25 minutes and then brought the liquid to a boil. Just to increase the temperature as quickly as possible I left the lid on until a boil started and then took the lid off. After that I added the DME, about 9 lbs, and then put the lid on just to get the temperature to increase back to a boil as quickly as possible. After that I took the lid off, set the timer for 60 minutes and added the bittering hops.

The problem I had was maintaining a boil after I took the lid off for the 60 minute boil. The nice boil even at high heat on my electric range cooled slightly such that I ended up with a very very light boil. Mostly just a solid movement of water in the kettle but few bubbles. Did that completely ruin the batch? I have it fermenting in the primary right now and It's bubbling away after pitching a rehydrated packet of dry yeast.

Also, I have a fermometer on the outside of the primary bucket and it's sitting right at 70F, I'm guessing that's perfect but would like to confirm.

 

[brewpool]

I wouldn't sweat it. I'm not sure how, if at all, it would impact the hop utilization. Otherwise, you may not have boiled off as much water as planned which just means the beer may end with a bit of a lower starting gravity. Nothing I'd worry about though.

I've experimented with fermentation temps, fermenting at 70F when i first started, now down to 65F which is my sweet spot for most yeast strains I use. Without knowing the yeast you are using, if it is an ale yeast, 70F should be fine. I'd see if the manufacturer posts a recommended temperature range just to confirm.

 

[flars]

You can try boiling less than the full volume and topping off the fermentor with cold water to recipe volume. Called a partial boil.

The boil doesn't need to look like a volcano. Enough heat to keep most of the wort surface rolling.

 

[RepealProhibition]

I wouldn't sweat it. I'm not sure how, if at all, it would impact the hop utilization. Otherwise, you may not have boiled off as much water as planned which just means the beer may end with a bit of a lower starting gravity. Nothing I'd worry about though.

I started with around 3 gallons of water which boiled with the lid on. After adding around 9 lbs of DME I'm guessing I had very close to 4 gallons of water which seems to be just too much for my current setup. I think I'll add insulation to the kettle next time which hopefully maintains the temperature. Once I had everything in the fermenter I topped off to 5 gallons with additional water.

For yeast I'm using Safale S-04 which has an ideal temperature of 59-68F but I'm still within the outer bounds of 53.6-77F.

Is the boil mainly to drive off DMS, allow for hop utilization, and to sanitize? DMS has a boiling point of around 100F so I'm guessing water at 200+F is doing a great job at driving it off even if the water isn't boiling.

 

[flars]

Is the boil mainly to drive off DMS, allow for hop utilization, and to sanitize? DMS has a boiling point of around 100F so I'm guessing water at 200+F is doing a great job at driving it off even if the water isn't boiling.

I've never used S-04. Have read that it ferments the cleanest at the very low end of the temperature range.

The boil is mainly for hop utilization and volatilize DMS. Sanitizing occurs at lower temperatures, about 160°. Boil temperature is also affected by elevation. For every 500 above sea level boil temperature will decrease about 1°F. This can make a difference in the level of surface activity inside the boil kettle and whether or not you can reach 212°.

You may be able to get a better boil by using an immersible heat stick in the kettle while it is on the stove top.

I boil with the lid mostly on so I can reduce the amount of heat it takes to hold a rolling boil. I just wipe the condensation from the underside of the lid as the droplets get large enough to drop back into the kettle. Have not noticed any problems with DMS.

 

[brewpool]

I started with around 3 gallons of water which boiled with the lid on. After adding around 9 lbs of DME I'm guessing I had very close to 4 gallons of water which seems to be just too much for my current setup. I think I'll add insulation to the kettle next time which hopefully maintains the temperature. Once I had everything in the fermenter I topped off to 5 gallons with additional water.

For yeast I'm using Safale S-04 which has an ideal temperature of 59-68F but I'm still within the outer bounds of 53.6-77F.

Is the boil mainly to drive off DMS, allow for hop utilization, and to sanitize? DMS has a boiling point of around 100F so I'm guessing water at 200+F is doing a great job at driving it off even if the water isn't boiling.

I'd shift some of your DME to late extract additions to help get a manageable boil. It will lighten the color of your beer and improve your hop utilization. DME does not need to be boiled 60 minutes. However, some is needed for hop utilization.

If the recipe calls for 9 lbs of DME, I'd add 3-4 lbs once you get a boil going. I'd then add the remainder with about 5 minutes left or at flameout. This will be long enough to pasteurize . Hopefully the smaller addition up front allows for a continuous boil.

 

[unionrdr]

If your electric stove uses the usual coils found on the older models, I left a link on my profile to some elements I got on amazon that went from mash temp to boiling in about 18 minutes with 3 gallons of wort. I've since replaced that stove with an 3,600W induction smooth top that works a lot better.
And adding 1lb of the extract per gallon of water will definitely give lighter color & better flavor. But that's moreso with LME than DME. DME doesn't darken as readily as LME. And if you're doing the bittering yourself, you'll still need a 60 minute boil. I crank the heat wide open to get it to a hard boil for a couple minutes to get a good hot break. Then dial it back a little to get an even, gently rolling boil. This helps cut boil off to a minimum.