There are a number of threads here that touch on Full Boils but none that really explain how the process/ingredients change for a basic recipe.
I would be so grateful if someone could take a existing NB recipe instruction set (the caribou slobber or the bavarian hefe, since both are very straight forward) and identify where and what changes are to be done.
In my setup, I have a 10 gallon kettle and a outside burner.
Thanks in advance!
-glueslug
Steep or mash the grains according to NB’s instructions. Add the dry malt extract to the warm water and stir to dissolve. Add the liquid malt extract and stir to dissolve. Add water to total the specified final volume plus about 1/2 gallon (to allow for evaporation during the boil).
Boil for the prescribed time. Cool and transfer to the fermenter. Check your volume and add sterilized water to reach the prescribed volume.
You can vary the process a bit - such as adding the liquid extract near the end of the boil to reduce browning and increase hop utilization - but it’s really pretty simple.
1st, figure out how much water you will loose in a 1 hour boil.
2nd, put 2-3 gallons of water in the pot. Add extract and stir while heating, 1-5 minutes. Then add the rest of the water to get your pre boil volume. Final volume minus the boil off amount.
Proceed as usual.
10 gallon pot. My guess is you need to start around 7-7.5 gallons to end with 5.25.
Hello Glueslug,
Did you try a full boil yet :?:
I recently purchased a 10 gal kettle & outside burner as well. I really want to try to full boil as well and am curious of results.
For the others giving advice, have you tried this before or did you offer up reasonable guesses? Thanks in advance!!
No mater how many times you brew, it’s an educated guess. 
Are you asking if anyone has tried a full boil?
Amount of boil off can depend on configuration of your pot, vigor of your boil, humidity, temperature, altitude, attitude, position of the sun, position of the moon, marital status, political affiliation, and sexual preference. Give or take.
All that aside, I generally start with 8 gal in a 15.5 gal keg for 90 mins. That accounts for trub left in the BK to end up with 5.5 in the fermenter.
Your system may be different, just guessing.
With partial boils the cold top-off water can be the major factor to help you get to pitching temperature. Full boils don’t get topped off, or perhaps you say they start out topped off. Since you can’t/don’t add additional cold water, a wort chiller becomes more of a consideration for a full boil. I wouldn’t say technically mandatory but practically speaking it is.
Are you asking if anyone has tried a full boil?
[/quote]
Kind of… Specifically, has anyone tried a full boil with one of the NB extract kits that call for something other than a full boil in the instructions.
For example, American wheat and Smash Session ale both call for a 2.5 gal boil. What should be changed to account for the difference in boil volume?
To me it seems that you just need to end up with 5 gallons after the specified boil time. Or am i missing something? I am wrong more that I am right these days sooo… 
[quote=“mrv”]
Are you asking if anyone has tried a full boil?
Amount of boil off can depend on configuration of your pot, vigor of your boil, humidity, temperature, altitude, attitude, position of the sun, position of the moon, marital status, political affiliation, and sexual preference. Give or take.
All that aside, I generally start with 8 gal in a 15.5 gal keg for 90 mins. That accounts for trub left in the BK to end up with 5.5 in the fermenter.
Your system may be different, just guessing. [/quote]
Here is the answer to your question.
I’ll try to do more reading and less typing next time. THANKS GUYS!!!
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve missed something someone typed. :oops:
No Q an A, the forum dies. I always pick up good information here.
Welcome, BTW. :cheers:
Just don’t steep your grains in the full volume of water.
I used to start with 6.5 gallons of water and I ended with 5.5
That amount, plus 5 gallons, plus whatever amount typically gets left in the kettle, will tell you how much volume you want to START the boil with so when you end it, you won’t need to top up at all.
Too much volume when steeping the grains can lead to extracting harsh tannins.
Specified volume as figured out above.
Very true. A full volume boil without a wort chiller turns into a 3-4 hours of waiting for the kettle to cool as you try to keep circulating cold water around it in the tub. Not fun.
One factor that no one discussed is hop bittering. With a full boil, the hop utilization is more efficient because the conversion happens better in a less-concentrated sugar solution. Reduce the amount of bittering hop by about 10% when doing a full boil.
I don’t know why steeping the grains in 6.5 gallons of water would make a difference vs. steeping theme in the 2.5 gallons the recipe says to use? I am curious though?
I started off brewing immediately with “full boil” I never did the 2,5 gallon top off method,I just start with 6.5-7gallons of water. The first 20 minutes I steep, as the temp never hits the high mark that quick. Take the water to a full boil and add the malt, DME, and hops as per the recipe. I’ve had really good luck with the dozen brews I’ve done in the last year.
Winter puts a crimp on my brewing, I still do it, but its not as easy as cleaning stuff in the back yard…so next summer I’ll try and move up to partial mash or all grain.
Trying to learn…
The reason generally cited is that the you risk excess extraction of tannins if your volume is too high. I’m not sure if there is any real evidence behind that, other than the fact that when fly sparging (as is commonly done by commercial breweries) tannins can be extracted if the sparge goes on with too much water flowing through. That may not be a real worry on a home-brew scale, or with the relatively short time that steeping grains sit in the water.
There is though a real practical reason for most extract brewers: they don’t have a big enough kettle to do a full volume boil, and the smaller volume of water fits in well with the process that their equipment allows.
Interesting. I usually steep in 5 gallons and never had an issue with tannins. Usually heat up the water at 155, turn the flame off and take the bag out at around 20-30 minutes.
