Full boil or 2.5 gal?

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

Hello all, quick question. My partner and I have been using brew kits and we have always done full boils (starting with 6 gals of water) but the kit instructions call for 2.5 gals then just top of the wort with water wile chilling? Wich was is "better"? Full or half? Please and thank you. Cheers! Oh and these are 5 gal batches.

 

[mikemet]

How are you cooling down your 5 gallons of wort at the end?

Honestly- if you're using an extract kit that calls for 2 1/2 gallon boil- i'd do that and take advantage of the cooldown you get from the extra water you put into the carboy to top off.

If you are using all grain, well then I dont think you are- so lets not go there for now4

 

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

How are you cooling down your 5 gallons of wort at the end?

Honestly- if you're using an extract kit that calls for 2 1/2 gallon boil- i'd do that and take advantage of the cooldown you get from the extra water you put into the carboy to top off.

If you are using all grain, well then I dont think you are- so lets not go there for now4

Cooling wort with a homeade wort chiller. We usualy have to top of with about a half gallon of water to getbit to 5 gal.

I was thinking about it being faster to cool down with less wort. Only takes 30 to 45 mins for to cool to 65• (5 us gallons)
thats when we pitch.

 

[JordanThomas]

I was under the impression that a full boil was always better if you could do it. Better hop utilization, I believe, is the usual argument. And maillard reaction-causing a somewhat burned taste.

I think the only way to really know is to do two of the same batch, both ways. Then test them side-by-side.

 

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

Yeah accprding to instructions its suppose to increase IBU boiling more than 2.5 gals. We have brewed 4 batches all with kits. All with full boil

 

[Yooper]

I was under the impression that a full boil was always better if you could do it. Better hop utilization, I believe, is the usual argument. And maillard reaction-causing a somewhat burned taste.

I think the only way to really know is to do two of the same batch, both ways. Then test them side-by-side.

I would agree that a full boil will give you a better beer, but the hop utilization is pretty negligible between a 2.5 gallon boil and a 4 gallon boil so I wouldn't even think about that.

The benefits to a full boil, or at least boiling as much as you can, are a "cleaner" taste to the beer with less of a cooked extract taste, and a beer that tastes much more like a commercial beer. If you can cool 5 gallons, and easily boil 5 gallons in a rolling boil, I'd highly recommend doing it!

 

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

I would agree that a full boil will give you a better beer, but the hop utilization is pretty negligible between a 2.5 gallon boil and a 4 gallon boil so I wouldn't even think about that.

The benefits to a full boil, or at least boiling as much as you can, are a "cleaner" taste to the beer with less of a cooked extract taste, and a beer that tastes much more like a commercial beer. If you can cool 5 gallons, and easily boil 5 gallons in a rolling boil, I'd highly recommend doing it!

Thanks yooper, jordan, thats hat we figured.even if it takes a bit longer to boil its not a biggy. Just seems better to me then adding over 2 gals of unboiled water back into wort IMO.

 

[bobeer]

My first brews were top-offs but now I'm doing full boils. Whether I'm doing a 5 gallon batch or a 2.5 gallon batch I always try to do full boils. I think the beer tastes better as mentioned above. I think you can get a better OG reading with a full boil also vs a top-off beer. If you have a good way of chilling the wort, and a big enough pot to do full boils, I don't see why someone would need to do a half boil.

 

[IFMracin]

Cooling wort with a homeade wort chiller. We usualy have to top of with about a half gallon of water to getbit to 5 gal.

Even better would be to boil with 5.5g and boil down to 5g and not need any top off.

:rockin:

 

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

Even better would be to boil with 5.5g and boil down to 5g and not need any top off.

:rockin:

Yup did 6 gal boil on last batch. had first boil over. added way to much DME to fast. gonna call it belgian triple boil over.

 

[MMJfan]

Yup did 6 gal boil on last batch. had first boil over. added way to much DME to fast. gonna call it belgian triple boil over.

I too start out with around 6 gal for my boil and I got a propane burner a coupld of batches ago. Lets just say that my burner brings about a much more aggressive boil than my gas stove did?! I have to be MUCH more observant of my boils on my burner than I did on my cooktop!

 

[CharlieB59]

Now here's my humble input, since I'm not too certain how valid this theory is.... But since water, or any solvent, has a limit to how
Much solute (sugar and flavoring materials from grains, hops, and extracts if you use them), then isn't it probable to pose the idea that maybe the larger volume of boiling water would be able to flavor more with larger batch of water, taking in more solute? This of course is all assuming that, for example a 2.5 gallon batch is completely saturated, (unable to hold more solute). To which I can add that I don't think that is the case... But it couldn't hurt to test.

 

[CharlieB59]

Sorry, I know I got redundant with that sentence about larger volumes of water...

 

[EnjoyGoodBeer]

Sorry, I know I got redundant with that sentence about larger volumes of water...

No thats a good thery. Our full volumes hace worked so far we dont plan on changing our routing, its working really well so far. However when winter comes I wounder how imma clean up without my garden hose. Im thinking sbout keeping my hose in basement.

 

[CharlieB59]

Bath tub?

 

[Clonefan94]

No thats a good thery. Our full volumes hace worked so far we dont plan on changing our routing, its working really well so far. However when winter comes I wounder how imma clean up without my garden hose. Im thinking sbout keeping my hose in basement.

I always keep a short garden hose in the house during the winter and pull it out when I need it. As long as it isn't stupid cold nothing will freeze up. Just be sure to unhook everything and drain it when done.