Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Lid on or off during boil?  (Read 22135 times)

Offline monkeypimp

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Lid on or off during boil?
« on: September 17, 2013, 12:00:04 pm »
I was curious if everyone here left their lid on or off their pot during the boil.  I have a friend who leaves his off and I leave mine on...just curious if it makes any type of difference.

Offline theDarkSide

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3041
  • Derry, NH
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2013, 12:05:52 pm »
I leave mine off during the boil to drive off some of those compounds from the malt that could lead to DMS in the beer.  It was the way I learned when I started and don't want to chance losing a batch to find out if it's true or not. 

Also, I use an immersion chiller and a hop spider so getting a lid to stay on there is a pain anyways.  I only put it on when I'm chilling to keep stuff from falling in. (Finally trained to wife not to turn on the dryer when I'm brewing...the vent is right by my brewing area).

Seacoast Homebrew Club - Portsmouth, NH
AHA Member
Stephen Mayo
------------------------------------------------

Offline Joe Sr.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4467
  • Chicago - NORTH SIDE
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2013, 12:11:44 pm »
Off.  Always.  For the DMS reasons stated above.

If boil-off is too great, you can split the difference and leave it partially on.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2013, 12:13:35 pm »
Off.  Always.  For the DMS reasons stated above.

If boil-off is too great, you can split the difference and leave it partially on.

or turn the fire down.

Lid off, mostly for avoidance of DMS, partially because I don't have a lid for my kettle.

I cover with foil while chilling.

I have been thinking about covering while coming up to a boil to speed things up a little.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2013, 12:15:03 pm »
Off unless it's so cold out my boil doesn't seem full roll, then I rest it on my hop spider. Still full vent of vapors but a little shield from the cold.

Offline redbeerman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1849
  • On the banks of the mighty Susquehanna in MD
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2013, 12:42:40 pm »
OFF.
CH3CH2OH - Without it, life itself would be impossible.

[441, 112.1deg] AR

Jim

Offline monkeypimp

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2013, 12:44:17 pm »
Glad I asked!   The lid will remain off from now on!   

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7786
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2013, 12:56:49 pm »
If I'm having a hard time getting as vigorous of a boil as I'd like, then I leave the lid on, but cracked about 1/3 of the way open. This lets DMS boil off, but still helps me keep a good boil going. I've never had a DMS problem, even in beers using a high percentage of Pils malt.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2013, 01:03:34 pm »
Partially covered is fine.  Think of how many breweries have enclosed kettles.  But a study done many years ago concluded that you want at least 15% of your kettle surface uncovered.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10675
  • Milford, MI
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2013, 01:06:22 pm »
For monkeypimp- DMS tastes similar to creamed corn. Rolling Rock has that flavor defect. If you never picked it up in your beer, or Rolling Rock, you my have a very high sensitivity, or be flavor blind to it (some people are).
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2013, 01:07:11 pm »
Partially covered is fine.  Think of how many breweries have enclosed kettles.  But a study done many years ago concluded that you want at least 15% of your kettle surface uncovered.
Breweries have enclosed kettles, but they have stacks and probably exhaust fans too :) But still I'm sure partially covered is fine. The important point is letting steam escape before it condenses and returns to the wort.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2013, 01:12:06 pm »
I agree with all of the above.  However it is unimportant if you are brewing with Extract.  It really only applies to all-grain brewing since the DMS is gone out of extract.
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2013, 01:14:09 pm »
I agree with all of the above.  However it is unimportant if you are brewing with Extract.  It really only applies to all-grain brewing since the DMS is gone out of extract.

don't the precursors begin to reform once you get the wort above the magic temp? or is that another myth?
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2013, 01:18:24 pm »
Partially covered is fine.  Think of how many breweries have enclosed kettles.  But a study done many years ago concluded that you want at least 15% of your kettle surface uncovered.
Breweries have enclosed kettles, but they have stacks and probably exhaust fans too :) But still I'm sure partially covered is fine. The important point is letting steam escape before it condenses and returns to the wort.

I think the exhaust stacks also have a lip on the inside to catch and divert any condensation out of the kettle.

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
Re: Lid on or off during boil?
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2013, 01:25:52 pm »
I agree with all of the above.  However it is unimportant if you are brewing with Extract.  It really only applies to all-grain brewing since the DMS is gone out of extract.

don't the precursors begin to reform once you get the wort above the magic temp? or is that another myth?

Morticai, You are seriously beyond my experience level, but my understanding is that the precursor to DMS, which is SMM is entirely converted in a 90 minute boil.  I'm sure that the process of getting DME or LME goes way beyond what it takes to convert all the SMM to DMS and then blow that off.  However, I always take the safe route and defer to those more advanced than I.
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton