Why do 60-min extract boils?

[Tarindel]

Another newbie question here:

I've recently been doing a lot of reading about full vs partial boils -- one of the primary benefits to a full volume boils seems to be the better hops utilization due to the lower gravity of the wort.

However, if you're doing extract brewing, why not just steep your specialty grains, add your hops to the steeped wort, then add your extract later in the process (say for the last 15 mins of the boil). That way, the hops will be isomerizing in lower gravity than if you'd put the extract in at the same time as the bittering hops.

I don't see a lot of reference to this being done, and I'm wondering why it's not standard operating procedure when doing partial boils with extract.

Thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

Oh, I think a lot of people do that. We call it "late extract addition" and I did it when I did extract batches. It works great, because you get better hops utilization, less carmelizing of the wort, and a nice lighter color in the finished beer.

Beersmith even has a calculation in their software for this process. One thread that pops right up in the search: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=50141

 

[FlyGuy]

Try this search in Google and you will come up with tons of useful information on this popular method:
"late-extract addition" OR "extract late method"

 

[Revvy]

Oh, I think a lot of people do that. We call it "late extract addition" and I did it when I did extract batches. It works great, because you get better hops utilization, less carmelizing of the wort, and a nice lighter color in the finished beer.

Beersmith even has a calculation in their software for this procedure.

+1 On Yooper's info.

Interestingly enough, someone just posted a question about A NB Kolsch kit they got...It's got no steeping grains, just DME and LME...The instructions actually tell them to add the DME (and I assume with the hops, though the op didn't mention it in their thread) and add the LME at the last 15. They were wondering what the deal was since it was different from every other kit they've done.

I don't use LME much anymore, but even when I'm using DME, I do that....I add a couple pounds after steeping (or PMming) the grains...then add the bulk of it at the last 15.

 

[Tarindel]

Thanks for the great responses! So when doing extract brewing, is there really any advantage to doing full boils over partial boils with late-extract addition? It seems like a full boil might give you a slightly better isomerization, decreasing the cost of your hops slightly, but you're going to have to expend twice as much propane to heat up all that water...

I was just checking out BeerSmith this morning, trying to get the correct hops balance for my recipe. Using the late extract addition to increase the isomerization, my bitterness ratio is right where I want it to be.

Oh man, this is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to brew my first batch this weekend.

 

[Revvy]

First brew day is always exciting! Actually any brew day is a great day, whether it's your first or 500th batch!

If you haven't already check out this thread. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=57499 It's got some great tips for the new brewer.

You asked a great question about full vs partial boils...Since I can't do full volume, I never really considerd it in regards to late extract additions. I look forward to someone answering it....

It seems to me that if I could do Full volume boils, and wasn't using LME, that I'd want to be boiling everything for the full 60...Hmmm....got me thinking.

 

[homebrewer_99]

What you described for steeping grains is exactly what I've been doing for years before I ever heard of it called the Late Addition Method. I just used my own commom sense and did it that way because (in my mind) it was logical.

I boil 1.5 with 1 lb of DME and up to 2 gals when using grains. My boils are for 45 mins and I steep for the last 15 mins after I add the remaining DME.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Edit, oops, question already answered