If a full boil is possible, DO IT!!

[AnonyBrew]

+1 Just add a line in the directions and/or in the hop schedule. For full boils use xx amount of hops. Leave the rest of the sheet alone for those who still do partial boils.

 

[Yooper]

I pay attention to the Gods of brewing, and she (Yooper) didn't emphasize it enough...... Bad naughty Yooper!! She needs a damned good spanking!

Well.

I don't know whether to bend over.............

OR

say, "Ewwwwwwwww".

 

[TerryH]

How about a math question?
If I want a five gallon full boil, how much water do I actually start with?
Is late malt extract still a good idea?

 

[Yooper]

How about a math question?
If I want a five gallon full boil, how much water do I actually start with?
Is late malt extract still a good idea?

It depends on your system (wide shallow pots boil off more than tall narrow ones, for example), but I start with just under 6 gallons.

There really isn't any reason for a late extract addition any more. With a larger boil, carmelization shouldn't be a concern and the hops utilization should be pretty much maxed out with a full boil. AG brewers do a full wort boil, so the hopping that you do should resemble the AG recipe's hopping.

 

[JacktheKnife]

L.G.Dude,

Very profoundly interesting,
full boils.
Hmmmm... yes!

This is valuable information and 'mental gold' to me,
and searching for 'good ideas' is why I read the 'Homebrew Talk' forum.
an idea which basically is 'revolutionary in its implications'
but free...
and a way to greatly improve my ale,
It is so simple.

A full boil.

Question:

I imagine boiling two...
2.5 gallon brew pots on the stove in my kitchen
{out of the wind}
would not use any more propane,
would cool down much faster than that big aluminum brew pot.
and I am worried about using aluminum to cook with anyway.
I hear it gives you lead poisoning or something.
Aluminum poisoning?
Anyway, Does boiling my wort in a 'split shift' sort of arrangment,
bring any problems to mind for any of ya'll?
I was actually thinking about this very problem the other night
as I was brewing a batch of 'Mein Hammerbier'.
But thought well...
extra propane for what?

If you have tried it and think it is so good,
I will definatly 'do a double' next time.

And thanks

Good idea

and ideas are free!



J. Winters VonKnife
jacksknifeshop

 

[Phunhog]

+1!! I am looking at starting to do full boils. I use AHS kits and some new instructions would be great!!

 

[Revvy]

I'm so proud of you LG...

 

[Sheep_Dog]

It depends on your system (wide shallow pots boil off more than tall narrow ones, for example), but I start with just under 6 gallons.

There really isn't any reason for a late extract addition any more. With a larger boil, carmelization shouldn't be a concern and the hops utilization should be pretty much maxed out with a full boil. AG brewers do a full wort boil, so the hopping that you do should resemble the AG recipe's hopping.

Call me difficult but what would be best, boil six gallons with the possibility of ending up over 5 gallons thus lowering your OG or boil right at five gallons with toping off at the end and coming in closer to your OG?

 

[DeathBrewer]

I took the liberty of translating this to reflect LG's British accent for those that are interested.

Oi've done abouut feeftayn ex'trakt brauws thees yeer. All wif 'a tree gollon boyl. Oi've always been playsed wif da brows but dere was aw'ways a steeky, n' somtoymes twangee tayste dat stopped theyse brauws bee'n som' spayshel.

that sounds more australian to me...

 

[DeathBrewer]

so...what's the reason for this? i often do partial boils (with my partial mash batches, usually) and never get the twang. i have had the twang with full extract brews, tho.

what's the science??? sorry, i'm forever the skeptic

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

so...what's the reason for this? i often do partial boils (with my partial mash batches, usually) and never get the twang. i have had the twang with full extract brews, tho.

what's the science??? sorry, i'm forever the skeptic

.....And I'm forever the *******! I have no idea about the science, but one terrific brew after 14 good ones with only one major difference in the method, well, that can't just be coincidence, can it?

Of particular note to me was that I had done three of te exact same brews as a partial boil before this one, otherwise I would be more prone to put it down as dumb luck.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Why is it so dark?

Bad lighting for the pics. It is on the dark side, but nothing like in those pics.

 

[DeathBrewer]

.....And I'm forever the *******! I have no idea about the science, but one terrific brew after 14 good ones with only one major difference in the method, well, that can't just be coincidence, can it?

Of particular note to me was that I had done three of te exact same brews as a partial boil before this one, otherwise I would be more prone to put it down as dumb luck.

are you going to let me remain the brooding skeptic????

somebody chime in...there has to be something to this.

i mean, i want to believe this crazy gnome...

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

i mean, i want to believe this crazy gnome...

You want to believe a gnome!? They are nothing but tricksters!

 

[jay672]

Who knew you could get Angelina Jolie just from using a full boil

 

[farmbrewernw]

Congrats on making your first brew!! I didn't even know you knew how to make beer.
EDIT: Upon further contemplation it had become evident to me that you probably got those pictures from someone else's gallery.

 

[jpmcd03]

so I am intrigued by all this...I was just talking in another forum about how my latest batch (an Irish Red) turned out pretty good as usual, but still lacking a good thick head, with good retention. I would like to try a full, or at least larger boil (space/equip constraints) maybe around 4 gallon boil for a 5 gallon batch. Is it necessary to adjust ingredients for this? Use more hops, etc? Seems all the same to me.

 

[goodbyebluesky82]

so I am intrigued by all this...I was just talking in another forum about how my latest batch (an Irish Red) turned out pretty good as usual, but still lacking a good thick head, with good retention. I would like to try a full, or at least larger boil (space/equip constraints) maybe around 4 gallon boil for a 5 gallon batch. Is it necessary to adjust ingredients for this? Use more hops, etc? Seems all the same to me.

If anything you would use less hops by boiling more liquid. The Beer Recipator - Home can help you see what IBU difference it will make and let you adjust.

 

[yeoldebrewer]

Are you steeping nipples again, LG?

Seriously, congratulations and I don't doubt your findings. But a cause and effect explanation would help us keep the mechanism consistent.

 

[goplayoutside]

+1 to the big boil!

I just had a beer come out AMAZING after a bunch of good but not mind-blowing extract brews too, also after switching to a bigger boil (pulled of 2.75 gal for a 3 gal batch). I also did a late extract addition... (I was really pissed about the sweet/twangness and was taking no chances). And although I lack the... ummm... creative eloquence (I suppose that's what you'd have to call it) to invoke Ms. Jolie's anatomy, I agree that the difference is PHENOMENAL.

I'm glad to see you making some noise about this!

 

[goplayoutside]

And for the folks who are stuck in a 5 gal kettle I have two recommendations:

1) Do 3 gallon batches. You get to brew more often and improve your recipes faster, and you can do a full boil.

2) If you must do a 5 gal batch in a small kettle, do a late extract addition with 2/3 or
3/4 of your extract. As in, just but in a little of your extract at the start, and then add the rest five or ten minutes before boil end (just enough to get it sterilized). This will help avoid caramelization in the partial boil and will increase your hop utilization. I don't know of a rule-of-thumb for adjusting hop quantities in extract late brewing, but beersmith does it for you (and a whole lot more!) and is cheaper than a new kettle...

 

[McPintley]

to qoute Brew Your Own- Hop Lovers Guide
" The amount of bitterness in extract brewing is primarily limited by two factors. The first is the inherent solubility limit of bittering compounds in wort- in short, there is only so much bitterness that can be boiled out of the hops. Between 100-120 IBUs....the solubility of isomertized alpha acids (hoppy stuff) also varies with density of the wort.

For example, if you boiled 2.5 gallons of wort at an SG of1.048 and 2.5 gallons of wort at 1.096, and added the same amount of hops to each, the weaker wort would yield a more bitter beer. Given that most stovetop brewers usually brew a concentrated wort, wort density frequently limits the amount of bitterness in their beer.

The second variable influencing bitterness in extract brewing is dilution. When stovetop brewers are done boiling their wort they add water in the fermenter. The water not not only dilutes the sugars in the wort, but the alpha acids as well. So, if you want to brew 5G of beer with 30 IBUs and your posted boil volume is 2.5G, your boiled wort will need to measure 60 IBUs."

There's your science. This explains why Gnomes like Extra Special BITTERS that are brewed full boil.

If you would like to know more head down to LHBS and pickup a copy b/c I have exceeded my WPD (words per day) of typing and probably broke every rule ever written about parenthetical documentation!

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Congrats on making your first brew!! I didn't even know you knew how to make beer.
EDIT: Upon further contemplation it had become evident to me that you probably got those pictures from someone else's gallery.

Here I thought it was the beer left over in the keg from when he made his keggle!

Seriously though, congrats and thanks for posting LG- You're right, until now I've always seen it as 'preferred', with not all of the benefits being as noticeable as yours.

Side note, now I really want more space and equipment...

 

[rico567]

When I started brewing, about a year ago, I was fortunate in that I started off with a 30 qt. stainless brewpot. I was advised that full boils were desirable by my son, who got me started in this pastime. I have no reason to regret this decision, as all the beers (extract only) I have brewed have been great.

As to the heat issue, my rather anemic propane cooktop will do a bubbling boil -barely- on a full 5 gallons. However, I wanted the water to come to a boil quicker, and also to recover faster from the late additions that I do. After reading a few threads on various forums, I decided to insulate my brewpot. I used this material from J.C. Whitney:

Heat/Sound Insulation : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories

I also purchased the adhesive and tape to fasten the insulation to my pot, and it all worked well. My pot now produces a better boil, comes up to a boil more quickly, and recovers from adding a bunch of LME late much faster.

NB: It's obvious, but I will note for the sake of form that you cannot use the insulation referred to above if you immerse your brewpot to chill it. Immersion chillers only.

 

[Pogo]

I'm missing something here.

I'm doing my first no-boil kit now...but as I'm studying up on all of the different processes for doing all types of brewing, how can one do a full boil without an IC?

For a five gallon batch, if you do a full five gallon boil, how can you then add 'clean ice' directly to the wort, to chill, without ending up with a diluted, greater than five gallon, batch?

Hummmm...?

Pogo

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Ice bath- Did first brew that way. It's funny watching your brew kettle float around in the bathtub full of ice water, but I like my IC.

 

[Willy Boner]

Angelina's nipples.............ice bath..........I GOTTA GO NOW!

 

[smizak]

are you going to let me remain the brooding skeptic????

somebody chime in...there has to be something to this.

i mean, i want to believe this crazy gnome...

I don't know exactly, but I guarantee it has something to do with the ratio of water to hops/extract/sugar. I do know that boiling thick sugary wort reduces your hop utilization, and it probably affects the way the proteins and sugar coagulate/react compared to a full boil. Also, I could never really get a rolling boil on the stove compared to my SQ-14 and 10 gal pot. That probably has an effect too.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i think rolling boil definitely has something to do with it, and perhaps the lighter concentration helps the wort work its magic. late extract additions could still allow you to do all those things with a partial boil, however.

i usually do a partial boil with my dunkelweizens and they come out perfect. i like the Wheat LME over the DME, too. i think it's because of the carmelization that occurs...it may have its place in some beers.

makes me want to do a side-by-side comparison...

 

[MikeG]

I used the exact same method for this brew as always except I did a full boil. I cooled the wort by throwing a bunch of clean ice directly into the wort. I Had it cooled in about twenty minutes.

I'm confused about this part. If you're doing a full boil then you should end up with 5GAL at the end of an hour boil. What you are adding is not ice that melts into the wort but rather in a container, such as a gallon jug?