[denny]

What Mike is getting at is that melaniodins in and of themselves don't add flavor.  It's the Maillard reactions that create the melanoidins that add flavor.

[MDixon]

Exactly!

[gimmeales]

My standard 90-min boils are a product of having too small a pot to do full all-grain boils, I have to boil-down to have enough room to add the last 1-1.5 gallons of wort from the sparge.

Even when I get a bigger pot, I think I'll stick with 90-minute boils.  The longer boil just 'feel' better, and I like to feel good when brewing

[bbump22]

I use whatever it takes with my boiloff rate to hit my desired gravity. Generally that falls around 75-80 min, but at times it is ~65 min.

Same here

are you using a refractometer to measure the gravity during the boil?  unfortunately, I dont have one yet so i have to take a sample and cool it before taking the hydro reading, which can take up to 20 minutes to cool before getting a good read - i guess i should use an ice bath instead of the freezer to cool it quicker. 


Does anyone have a recommendation for decently priced, yet reliable refractometer? 

[euge]

Got mine off ebay for about the same price as this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200448651179&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=L*F%3F&GUID=8ea0a09b1240a02653727182ffe83da3&itemid=200448651179&ff4=263602_263622

I have a RHB-32ATC from National Industrial Supply.

[tygo]

Hmm, anyone ever used one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370317544138

Quite a bit pricier but the SG scale as well as the Brix scale would be nice.

[euge]

That's a nice feature. Saves one doing a conversion.

[weithman5]

i already tend to let my beer lager for so long, how can i wait those extra 30 minutes?

i have tended to boil for just over an hour then i get bored and finish with my late addition hops.  probably around 75 minutes total

[bbump22]

Got mine off ebay for about the same price as this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200448651179&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=L*F%3F&GUID=8ea0a09b1240a02653727182ffe83da3&itemid=200448651179&ff4=263602_263622

I have a RHB-32ATC from National Industrial Supply.

Thanks - Got one on the way as we speak...now if I only had a more accurate way to measure volume.  I use an electric stove and the bottom of my kettle tends to bow a little when it gets hot, so when I measure my boil volume, it tends to be less accurate then when I pre-measured the water with the flat bottom of a kettle.  

[euge]

Congratulations! You'll love it.

[zacbwb]

Congratulations! You'll love it.

They should hire you as a sales rep - I just bought one as well.

[Hokerer]

...now if I only had a more accurate way to measure volume.  I use an electric stove and the bottom of my kettle tends to bow a little when it gets hot, so when I measure my boil volume, it tends to be less accurate then when I pre-measured the water with the flat bottom of a kettle.  

Don't forget too, when you're measuring those volumes, that there's about a 4% (if I remember correctly) volume difference between room temp and boiling water.