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Author Topic: Boil temps - do they matter?  (Read 21712 times)

Offline syncopadence

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Boil temps - do they matter?
« on: January 20, 2017, 06:12:39 pm »
I've never really thought about it. All I've ever heard is you should achieve a vigorous, rolling boil. But is there such a thing as too hot of a boil? My last boil made me think it was actually TOO aggressive. I lost 2.5 gallons from pre-boil to fermentor.
Anyway, any insight is appreciated.
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Offline curtdogg

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2017, 06:31:59 pm »
My 2 cents.
 When we boil we basically do 2 things.
Sanitize and concentrate.
212 degrees F for 15 minutes will sanitize your wort. When we boil longer we are looking for a certain volume and SG.
If you add IBU into the picture then hop bitterness come into play.
I would think if the temp is too hot you could burn your wort. I've never heard of it but i bet it could happen and possibly cause an acrid flavor.

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Offline stpug

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2017, 07:08:03 pm »
If the surface of the wort is bubbling then you're good enough.  I would say a solid simmer is plenty of boil vigor.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2017, 07:33:24 pm »
Thermal stress is placed on wort, more heavily so on long, excessively turbulent boils, resulting in excessive darkening of wort and may well impact malt flavor. Where advice used to be to target 10-15% evaporation, well under 10% evaporation may well ward off these effects. FWIW I get 7-8% evaporation.


Edit -   http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/uncategorized/low-oxygen-boiling/

 
« Last Edit: January 20, 2017, 08:02:55 pm by HoosierBrew »
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Offline BrewBama

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Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2017, 05:58:42 am »
I've read that a good boil really looks more like a simmer vs a volcano.


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« Last Edit: January 21, 2017, 06:00:59 am by BrewBama »

Offline majorvices

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2017, 08:05:14 am »
I've read that a good boil really looks more like a simmer vs a volcano.


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+1 - though I will say that it doesn't really matter except for your evaporation rate calculation 9and possible scortching if it gets insanely hot). You really can't boil too hard. The boil won't get hotter than 212 (depending on your elevation obviously). A gentle roiling boil will give you everything you need and save you gas and from having to top off with water at the end. On my 14 gallon kettle I can get the wort about a half inch from the top of the kettle and boil for 90 minutes without having a boil over (well, mostly.) Just got to gently feather that gas regulator.

The Beerery

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2017, 08:18:37 am »
I've read that a good boil really looks more like a simmer vs a volcano.


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+1 - though I will say that it doesn't really matter except for your evaporation rate calculation 9and possible scortching if it gets insanely hot). You really can't boil too hard. The boil won't get hotter than 212 (depending on your elevation obviously). A gentle roiling boil will give you everything you need and save you gas and from having to top off with water at the end. On my 14 gallon kettle I can get the wort about a half inch from the top of the kettle and boil for 90 minutes without having a boil over (well, mostly.) Just got to gently feather that gas regulator.

It does matter.  TBI is very real. 

Offline a10t2

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2017, 08:25:32 am »
Most homebrewers boil off far too much simply due to small volumes and (relatively) large burners. Just how much boiloff is necessary is system-dependent (elevation, kettle geometry, calandria vs. natural convection vs. recirculation, etc.) but 5-10% is definitely all that's needed to volatilize DMS. FWIW, I boil off ~12% on my 6 gal batches because that's the lowest I can throttle my burner while still getting a clean flame.

A longer or more vigorous boil can be desirable in certain situations where the Maillard products are essential to the beer (doppelbock e.g.), but boiling off 2.5 gal in a 5-10 gal batch is probably just wasting fuel.
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The Beerery

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Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2017, 08:38:58 am »
In regards to the maillard products.




I can pick up some of these characteristics in many commercial and tons of homebrewed beer. When I went to low oxygen brewing I picked it up in my own quite glaringly. That's why I took measures to reduce TBI. Worked wonders. 

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« Last Edit: January 21, 2017, 08:46:43 am by The Beerery »

Offline coolman26

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Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2017, 11:17:50 am »
I was glad all this came up a ways back. I had always heard DMS drama. I boiled my ass off. My rig burner design could send boil over into the next county.  My current Kolsch was the first low burn/evap conscious brew. It is cleaner in flavor, plus I ended with 21 gallons in my 25 gallon kettle. Do temps matter, I'll say yes they do. Give me 5 brews to decide, but I can tell......I think.


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Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2017, 02:14:12 pm »
I've read that a good boil really looks more like a simmer vs a volcano.


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+1 - though I will say that it doesn't really matter except for your evaporation rate calculation 9and possible scortching if it gets insanely hot). You really can't boil too hard. The boil won't get hotter than 212 (depending on your elevation obviously). A gentle roiling boil will give you everything you need and save you gas and from having to top off with water at the end. On my 14 gallon kettle I can get the wort about a half inch from the top of the kettle and boil for 90 minutes without having a boil over (well, mostly.) Just got to gently feather that gas regulator.

It does matter.  TBI is very real.

I agree with you that most homebrewers "overboil", but serious question here, do you take every piece of 20th century German literature as gospel?

The Beerery

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2017, 02:22:06 pm »
Lol I quoted "American" literature here. 
But to answer your "serious" question the literature I quote is teaching material at the brewing schools. To top that off Kunze was updated in 2015 if I am not mistaken . So are you calling schooled brewers with degrees and phd's foolish for their coursework? Do you have recommendations for more current works? 


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Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2017, 02:33:53 pm »
Lol I quoted "American" literature here. 
But to answer your "serious" question the literature I quote is teaching material at the brewing schools. To top that off Kunze was updated in 2015 if I am not mistaken . So are you calling schooled brewers with degrees and phd's foolish for their coursework? Do you have recommendations for more current works? 


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I said I agreed with you bud. And a lot of stuff is taught in a lot of schools. Should it all be taken at face value?

Offline Stevie

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2017, 02:37:20 pm »
Lol I quoted "American" literature here. 
But to answer your "serious" question the literature I quote is teaching material at the brewing schools. To top that off Kunze was updated in 2015 if I am not mistaken . So are you calling schooled brewers with degrees and phd's foolish for their coursework? Do you have recommendations for more current works? 


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I said I agreed with you bud. And a lot of stuff is taught in a lot of schools. Should it all be taken at face value?
When backed by empirical and repeatable data, yes. At least until new data proves otherwise.

Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Boil temps - do they matter?
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2017, 02:39:36 pm »
Lol I quoted "American" literature here. 
But to answer your "serious" question the literature I quote is teaching material at the brewing schools. To top that off Kunze was updated in 2015 if I am not mistaken . So are you calling schooled brewers with degrees and phd's foolish for their coursework? Do you have recommendations for more current works? 


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I said I agreed with you bud. And a lot of stuff is taught in a lot of schools. Should it all be taken at face value?
When backed by empirical and repeatable data, yes. At least until new data proves otherwise.

Couldn't agree more, this is a big reason why I don't buy into all this homebrewers scale lodo stuff.