Partially Covering kettle/actually boiling?

[clearshot798]

I brew on an electric range that struggles to bring even the smallest amounts of water to a full boil ... i have two questions .. is it okay to partially cover the kettle to help it boil and is the condensation really that bad in terms of DMS and other volatiles ... and the second is do i actually need to achieve a boil? what if it just get to the lower 200 degree range? why does it need to boil?

 

[MindenMan]

As far as I know, a solid boil is required to make a complete hot/protein break, and also to boil off DMS. A while back I also had a heat source that wasn't big enough to keep 4 gallons boiling, so I partially covered it to maintain a boil and I played hell getting that batch to clear. FWIW.

 

[soccerdad]

Just curious - can you define 'the smallest amount'? Can you boil 2.5 G?

 

[flars]

I brew on an electric range that struggles to bring even the smallest amounts of water to a full boil ... i have two questions .. is it okay to partially cover the kettle to help it boil and is the condensation really that bad in terms of DMS and other volatiles ... and the second is do i actually need to achieve a boil? what if it just get to the lower 200 degree range? why does it need to boil?

I do partial boils starting with 2.5 gallons of water. I start out with the kettle fully covered. I finish with a partially covered kettle to maintain most of the wort surface rolling at medium high heat. I stay by the kettle and wipe the condensation from the underside of the lid when large drops build up. The condensation contains the precursors of DMS.

The heating elements of an electric stove gradually lose their heating capability over time. Perhaps replacing the element might solve your problem.