Partial boil?

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A full boil gives you the advantage of higher hop utilization due to the lower overall gravity of the wort. Also, with the lower gravity, you will get less darkening of the wort during the boil - a higher sugar concentration will tend to be more affected by the heat of the boil.
 
If you can, go full. It offers a great improvement in flavor and hop utilization.

That said, the disadvantages are the the cost to purchase a larger kettle and a method for cooling the wort. It can be cumbersome and time consuming to use the ice bath method to chill 5 gal of wort. This is why most employ a immersion or plate chiller.
 
I guess a disadvantage is it takes more time to get a full boil going and you need a larger pot to take that full volume. Plus if its just big enough for a full boil, you risk a boil over on the hot break. If you are doing 5 gallon batches though and you have a 7+ gallon pot, you are all set and probably should be doing full boils. As tnlandsailor stated, a full boil will give you much better hop utilization and if you are using extract, your beer will end up being somewhat lighter because you have a much lower chance of scorching the high concentration of sugar in a partial boil.
 
when you do a partial boil you have to use more hops to get the same IBU

I do partial mash I boil 7 gallons and the add all my dry malt extract at flame out

it is boiled down to 6 gallons I add 30 pounds of ice and then how many ever gallons of 34 degree water to give me 11.5 gallons

the wort is cooled to 64 degrees in minutes

but in the end it is whatever works for you in your setup and makes for you the beer you are looking for

all the best

S_M
 
Thank y'all I been wanting to get into brewing beer but with buyin a kettle and burners and a keg(only way to go in my opinion) plus the ingredient that a nice little chunk o change. Just weighing my options to possibly do partials that way I can do them inside on the stove an not need a burner just yet... My LHBS sells partial brew kits so I may just get a 3.5 or 4 gal kettle. Stainless is what I'm thinking but I know aluminum works as well as long as u boil water to remove the initial chemicals correct?
 
Yes, an initial boil oxidizes the aluminum and makes it safe for boiling. If you are going to spend the money for a 3.5-4 gallon kettle, honestly, save up the extra few $$ and get a 40qt/10g aluminum pot. Its so worth the extra money and you will seriously produce better beers and have the ability to do much more with 1 pot.

This is what I bought for my boils: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CHKL68/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

For $50, it does everything I need. I can do full boils and I do BIAB, and it takes all the water and grains without a problem and when I am ready to boil, the hot break isn't even an issue. Think of it this way, your brew pot and burner are the center of everything you do on brew day. Why try to save a few dollars just to get by when you can spend a few more initially and then have something that will last throughout the years and years you brew? I am not trying to knock your plan, it just makes more sense to me to spend a little more up front then to spend a little less now and and up shelling out even more money to upgrade.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The method that I like is a partial boil, using late extract addition. You can add 1/4 - 1/2 of the malt extract at the beginning of the boil, and the rest at flameout - let is steep for at least 10 minutes to sterilize. That way the boil is still at low gravity to prevent scorching and maillard reactions - so you still prevent darkening and off flavors - and to potentially get good hop utilization. There's some question in recent years as to whether boil gravity actually affects hop utilization, but that's probably an issue for another thread.
 
A full boil is better for flavor and hops utilization but for eff sake don't stress it. Just do as large a boil as your equipment allows.

Smaller boils do have the advantage that bringing to a boil and cooling to ambient temperature is easier and faster.
 
I was lookin at a 30qt stainless turkey fryer would the 30 be good enough, cause I have heard stainless is much easier to clean than aluminum and I don't any to worry about what cleaner I use...
 
GeorgiaMead said:
I was lookin at a 30qt stainless turkey fryer would the 30 be good enough, cause I have heard stainless is much easier to clean than aluminum and I don't any to worry about what cleaner I use...
Click to expand...

Yes, that's barely big enough. I had an aluminum turkey fryer, 30 quarts, and I could boil 6.2 gallons in it if I watched it like a hawk so it wouldn't boil over.
 
I am thinking it is 30 may be a bit bigger... Just getting my facts ad opinions of what would be the best pot with the best price...
 
On cleaning - if you don't let your kettle sit, there won't be a need for anything stronger than dawn and a brush.
 
That is perfect for what you are looking to do, and you can't go wrong with stainless. Drill and add a ball valve and thermometer and you have a perfect hot liquor tank when you move up to all grain.
 

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