My 30 minute boil result

[enkamania]

Greetings,

I tried a 30 minute boil for the first time. My first wort gravity reading ended up being equal to my gravity at the end of the boil. I did have a low boil off rate (about 6%) Just curious, is this normal for a 30 minute boil? In this case, it didn't matter as I hit my OG.

 

[RM-MN]

When you boil for half as long, you get half the boil off if the amount of hear applied remains the same. Low boil off depends on the amount of BTU's applied.

 

[MerlinWerks]

I've moved to shorter boils as well, although I've backed off to a 45 minute boil just to give myself a little breathing room. At 30 min you really need to be focused and on top of your game since it's such a short period of time

Relative to your question, I have not had a low boil-off rate because of the boil time. I have an electric system and left my boil power the same and let BeerSmith adjust the required volumes based on the reduced boil time. It's been working well.

 

[Jtk78]

I've moved to shorter boils as well, although I've backed off to a 45 minute boil just to give myself a little breathing room. At 30 min you really need to be focused and on top of your game since it's such a short period of time

Can you expand on this? What do you need to be more focused on than usual due to the short boil?

 

[whiskeyjack]

Your pre boil gravity has to be higher when doing shorter boils. If to low and you boil for less time it doesn't concentrate as much and you don't hit your og numbers

 

[mabrungard]

I take it that the beer isn't finished yet? I'm curious how it turns out with respect to your expectations.

More importantly, I'm interested in what your base malts actually were: Percentage of malt under 2L? Percentage of malt under 4L? Any perceptions of DMS in the finished beer?

 

[enkamania]

I take it that the beer isn't finished yet? I'm curious how it turns out with respect to your expectations.

More importantly, I'm interested in what your base malts actually were: Percentage of malt under 2L? Percentage of malt under 4L? Any perceptions of DMS in the finished beer?

I just brewed it on Saturday, so we'll see how it turns out. It was a simple grain bill with about 88% 2 row. Nothing else under 4L, Munich was the next lowest at 9.5L

 

[mabrungard]

Your 2-row malt had a color rating above 4L?? That's not typical in my experience.

 

[enkamania]

Your 2-row malt had a color rating above 4L?? That's not typical in my experience.

I meant nothing else under 4

 

[MerlinWerks]

Can you expand on this? What do you need to be more focused on than usual due to the short boil?

It's more of a perception thing I suppose, you just put in the boil hops and the next thing you know you have to get the chiller in, late additions, etc. In reality it's obviously no different than what has to happen after the 30 min mark on a longer boil (I used to do 75 min) it just feels rushed. I don't see myself going back to longer boils except for higher gravity beers which I don't do very often.

 

[MerlinWerks]

FWIW, relative to Martin's question, I've done about six shorter boil brews so far this year and about every other batch is a lager for me, typically using CMC pils @ 1.8L 60 - 70% and Avangard Vienna @ 3.6L 20 - 30 %, maybe a little wheat, carahell or caramunich depending on what I want. I also use the pils as a base for a lot of my ales. I have never detected any DMS and neither has anyone else including a couple of pro-brewer friends who regularly drink my beer. As always YMMV...