Wort not wanting to boil

[wafflesbr0wn]

I'm having problems getting my wort to boil. I don't know if it is because I have a flat top stove. But, I'm getting a little discouraged cause I'm worried that my first batch has ended before it has begun.. The wort has been trying boil for the last hour. And, I just can't get it to start at all. Any ideas? I'm lost and at my wits end

 

[DoubleAught]

put the brew pot between two burners and crank both up to high..I've heard that works

 

[DoubleAught]

also, how much are you boiling? I've brewed up to 3.5 gallons on a ceramic top but that was about the limit.

 

[passedpawn]

Put the lid on until the boil starts.

How much are you trying to boil?

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

It will boil with the lid on.. About 2.5 gallons give or take now since the steep. So I can add the hops after I added all my extract even though it's not boiling after that ? And just come back and look at? And, stir every once in awhile?

 

[DoubleAught]

If it boils only with the lid on, then I'd leave the lid on.

 

[Shaneoco1981]

Don't leave the lid on. The problem with leaving the lid on is that there are chemicals in wort that leave really bad flavors in beer. The good thing is they are boiled off during the boil, but if the lid is on, they are going to condense on the top of the lid and drip back in the wort.

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

Well. I guess my first batch might be screwed up then.. Left the lid on after I added the bittering hops into the pot.. Let it do its thing with the lid on for 45min before I saw the thread where I shouldn't leave the lid on the pot. Is the batch shot?

 

[cincydave]

Waffles.... Don't give up on that brew yet! While it's true you should boil with lid off, this is a lot more important with all grain than extract. The wort has already been boiled in the process of making the extract. You could boil for a while with lid on and then remove. Even if it quits boing when you remove the lid, just leave it on the heat until your hour is up. Cool and pitch yeast. Your beer will be fine!

 

[Fizzycist]

You got two options:

1. Finish your beer and see what happens. You already paid for it after all.
2. Chuck it and start over.

Since it's your first brew, I'd say keep it, taste it, learn from it. Also, it's an excuse to buy another bucket/carboy/etc. and do another batch right away.

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

That's the plan! No going give. This is a learning experience right. Some are good some r bad. U learn and grow from them.. This only the beginning of my brewing career LoL

 

[PhelanKA7]

Waffles.... Don't give up on that brew yet! While it's true you should boil with lid off, this is a lot more important with all grain than extract.

I do tend to agree with not worrying so much about keeping the lid on during a boil considering i used to have to boil this way at my old apartment with an electric stove and still brewed good beer this way. But i had always thought the reason for keeping the lid off had to do with hop resins. Not a factor concerning the difference between AG and extract.

My recommendation to OP would be to keep lid on till boil and then "crack" it to allow the bad juju to leave but maintain a hot space above the wort so you can still maintain a good boil. This worked with my old electric stove that wouldn't boil if i went entirely lid free.

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

Wort sitting in a sink full of ice. Wait three hours and should be able to pitch yeast.. It the temp is right

 

[lgilmore]

consider a outside setup. Get out of your kitchen and onto your deck or garage (properly vented). Someone posted a turkey fryer set up at walmart for $35. I got mine at Home Depot for $59. It works great, keeps the wife happy, and so far, absolutely great results.

And you get full boils.

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

A buddy of mine gave me burner for outside use.. Haven't picked it up yet.. Next brew, outside on the deck..

 

[jd3]

Well... don't use a propane burner on your deck.... It is probably illegal, for starters. Put it in the driveway or on the ground.

If worst case happens and it tips, your deck will be on fire before you can even react. 50,000 BTU's of raging flame will get it going in a heartbeat!

Good Luck. Relax and have a (home)brew.

 

[OkashiiBrew]

I tried a heat gun from the auto supply store directing heat on the lower side of the brew kettle. It made the temp go up quicker then without. I did move it around a bit as it gets darn hot. Was my first 6 gal boil and even was over 2 burners. Once the boil started, the stove kept it rolling fine. SWMBO was not happy the granite counter top next to the stove got tosted a bit. I just ordered a propane burner so I won't have to do that again. It isn't the end of the world if that batch was not the best. Live, learn, and most of all enjoy....

 

[Balto]

don't leave the lid on. The problem with leaving the lid on is that there are chemicals in wort that leave really bad flavors in beer. The good thing is they are boiled off during the boil, but if the lid is on, they are going to condense on the top of the lid and drip back in the wort.

+1

 

[cincydave]

But i had always thought the reason for keeping the lid off had to do with hop resins. Not a factor concerning the difference between AG and extract.

The main reason I've heard for leaving the lid off during the boil is to allow the DMS to escape so as not to cause off flavors. Again, I don't think this is much of an issue with extract since it has been boiled already in the manufacturing process. Hadn't heard about hop resins. Will have to research that some more. Thanks

 

[stratslinger]

The main reason I've heard for leaving the lid off during the boil is to allow the DMS to escape so as not to cause off flavors. Again, I don't think this is much of an issue with extract since it has been boiled already in the manufacturing process. Hadn't heard about hop resins. Will have to research that some more. Thanks

Exactly this - DMS has to be allowed to boil off, or else you can get a creamed corn kind of flavor in your finished beer. Most of that DMS is already boiled off during the extract making process, so it's much less of a concern for extract brewers, but it's a lot more of a concern for all-grain brewers.

 

[edmanster]

The main reason I've heard for leaving the lid off during the boil is to allow the DMS to escape so as not to cause off flavors. Again, I don't think this is much of an issue with extract since it has been boiled already in the manufacturing process. Hadn't heard about hop resins. Will have to research that some more. Thanks

You are correct with the DMS and extract!! The hop resins (bittering) are not water soluble but take the acidity of the wort with time and temperature (isomerization) so it has nothing to do with having a lid on or not...
Edit: Maybe on for more heat but only with extract..lol...
http://homebrewandchemistry.blogspot.com/2007/02/hop-chemistry.html?m=1

 

[CPFITNESS]

i don't see how once it starts boiling with the lid on how it would magically stop boiling when you take it back off? you only need a light rolling boil not a massive boil anyways

 

[Jayhem]

It's going to be summer soon...time to invest in an outdoor propane burner! Brewing in the house in the summer is only advisable if you want your house to feel like a sauna.

 

[BrewKnurd]

i don't see how once it starts boiling with the lid on how it would magically stop boiling when you take it back off? you only need a light rolling boil not a massive boil anyways

Its not magic. Its the fact that the lid on keeps some additional heat in. Boiling is a cooling process for the liquid, and leaving the lid on slows down how quickly the system loses heat, increasing the chances that the heat input from the stove can keep up.

 

[dbhokie]

I started with a flat top stove. It is a nice one with dual burners, I didn't think I would have a problem, and I didn't have a problem boiling up to about 4-4.5 gallons of wort. The moment I went to all grain and tried a 6.5 gallon boil on it, well then I learned I needed an alternate heat source. You can find propane burners cheap everywhere, from an old turkey fryer, to just picking one up pretty cheap at the store. I highly suggest it. It will cut down on your boil time (thus your brew time).

 

[GaryJohn]

If you insulate your pot it will boil better. I have an electric stove and do 4 gallon boils. It can take a good 20-30 mins to get it to a good boil. What I do to help is make an insulator to wrap around the pot. Here is an easy and CHEAP way to do it at home.

Take a sheet a tin-foil and measure it to the diameter of your pot. Lay it out. Then take 2 layers of paper towel and lay it on the tin foil. Then take another sheet of tinfoil and cover that. So basically you are making a looong paper towel sandwich and the tin foil is the bread.

Then I fold the excess foil over the edges and staple all around it so that no paper towel is exposed (don't want it igniting or something on the stove). Wrap it around your pot and wrap a piece of twine or something around it to keep it in place.

It keeps the heat in, saves me a lot of time and gets a nice boil going!

 

[iskuse]

is the bottom of your pot flat? mine had a slight curve inward so I was not getting good surface contact with the stove. it took me like 3.5 hours to boils 4 gallons. I went out and bought a propane burner after that. best purchase I ever made. Also keeps the kitchen cleaner which keeps the wife happy.

 

[rawlus]

an electric heat stick is also a potential, and relatively inexpensive option for stovetop help.

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

Well to anyone that was up with me last night. I got good bubbles going on my airlock. Was a little worried when I pitch the yeast at 3:47am this morning. Half asleep when I did it. LoL! Looking good right now. Going going to leave it in the primary for about four weeks, then rack it to a secondary PET carboy. Just to try and get a little clarity. Leave in the carboy for another fours weeks. Then move to bottling. Let the bottles sit four another four weeks or longer. I want good cab and conditioning for I try the first one.. Hope I didn't trash the beer with leaving the pot lid on for as long as I did. Oh well, what's the motto "RDWHAHB ". And, that my friends is what I'm going to do.

 

[spokaniac]

You should be fine, you have more patience than I did. Couldn't wait 2 whole weeks before I had to taste one. I boil on a flat top range too and what has worked for me is to partially cover the kettle, cuts down on the heat loss but still lets the volatiles out of the pot, at least until the boil is going pretty well. With mine, once it was rolling I was able to leave the lid off.

 

[DoubleAught]

I've brewed plenty of extract brews with the lid on and couldn't taste anything off. OP, you'll be fine. Enjoy your new hobby!

 

[wafflesbr0wn]

What does OP mean? Sorry, still knew to the abbreviations. LoL!

 

[BrewKnurd]

What does OP mean? Sorry, still knew to the abbreviations. LoL!

Original Poster.

 

[hpz937]

I also have a flat top stove and it take forever to boil, about 1.25 hours for 3 gallons. I am going to try my side burner on my grill next time. I agree w/ the others, cheap turkey fryer setup or just the burner is the way to go.

 

[edmanster]

here is mine
its a 62qt aluminum pot..
just under 8 gallons!! sorry, i dont know what was on tv...