I have question that has been bugging me for years. I brew from extracts and kits, so I am not a guru, and this is probably a pretty dumb question, but here goes.
When you boil beer, after adding all ingredients, you can either put the lid on, and inevitably the wort will foam up and boil over, or you can part the lid allow steam to escape. However, boiling wort for an hour allowing steam to escape will concentrate the wort as the water leaves. So when you add the hot wort to the carboy, and the water in it, you no longer have 5 gallons. You have to add even more water. Is that okay, or is the batch calibrated for starting with 5 gallons of water and what you end up with is fine?
Also, when you boil the beer, does it need to be on a violent boil the entire hour, or can it just be a light boil and covered. Boiling with all that sugar in there tends to bubble up easily, so you have to watch an active boil like a hawk. Additionally, the hops tend to stick to the sides of the pot above the wort, so I have to keep knocking them back down with a spatula.
Does this sound right? Ive probably brewed 10 runs over the years, and no matter what, I think I have boiled over every batch even trying to be careful. And boil overs reduce the amount of wort too.
The kits are built to have an ending volume in the fermenter to be 5 gallons. How ever you get there. Start with 6 gallons and boil for 1 hour, ending with 5 gallons. Or Starting with 3 gallons, ending with 2.75 in the pot. But adding 2.25 of water to end with 5 gallons.
Any amount that boils over will reduce the amount of sugar. Thus lowering the possible ABV.
The vigor of the boil should be a nice roll. No need for a violent boil with water splashing out of the pot.
Hops are going to stick to the side of the pot. I usually knock them down also. I have a long spoon from the restaurant supply store that I use.
I would try to avoid adding hot wort to a carboy. Even with water in it already. A high thermal shock will crack/break the carboy. Try adding ice blocks to the boil pot to bring the temp down closer to 100 before transferring it.
Is this true with extract? Because hasn’t it already been boiled to be condensed down into extract? I don’t know, that is what I’m thinking. I guess I’m not even sure that is how they make extract but that is what I’m assuming.
I would think it would have to have been pasteurized or something to be in the extract form, but hey, some of the best honey you can get has not been pasteurized. Thanks so much for the help, I will just plan on upping the water quantity in the carboy to make 5 galls.
I like the idea of boiling uncovered, it should make managing the bubble over easier to control, and I guess replacing the water vapped off is easy enough as long as I can get back to the 5 gallon mark.
I do cool the hot wort down before putting it into the carboy. I fill the kitchen sink with ice, and enough water to efficiently conduce the heat transfer out, and set the stock pot in it, and stir till it comes down. Goes pretty fast. One time I pitched it straight from the burner into the water filled carboy, and it took hours to get to room temp. On top of that I think I put the yeast in too early, and killed it. The final beer tasted bad… Whatever yeast did ferment the batch wasn’t the one I added.
Is this true with extract? Because hasn’t it already been boiled to be condensed down into extract? I don’t know, that is what I’m thinking. I guess I’m not even sure that is how they make extract but that is what I’m assuming.[/quote]
On top of that I think I put the yeast in too early, and killed it. The final beer tasted bad… Whatever yeast did ferment the batch wasn’t the one I added.