Full Boil??

[briandickens]

I assume people here do full extract boils? I think I'd like to do that as kind of a mid-point step before I spend the money to go all-grain. I just want to know what size pot to get. More beer has a 7.5 gallon pot and a 9 gallon pot. The smaller pot is, if i remember correctly, significantly cheaper than the larger. Does anyone use a pot that size? If so, do you wish you'd gone for the larger pot?

And honestly, and i guess this is the most importan thting to me, does doing a full boil really help you make a better beer?

[wortchillergoal]

It has been such a long time since I purchased mine but I believe it is an eight gallon pot. I would say go for the larger pot unless the price difference is huge.

As for a full boil or not, I think you will get answers from both camps, full and partial, saying that they are good. I do full volume as that is they way I learned.

[axis714]

from my perspective ...i have a neighbor who does a full boil and i myself boil 3 gals. and add to 2 preboiled and chilled. we have not noticed a dramatic difference in taste the only reason i dont full boil is i dont yet have a wort chiller or aerator and the addition gives me a chance to splash in for aeration and also cools the wort quickly.... im not sure yet which camp i ascribe to but i surely see no fault in a partial boil myself.....of course my opinion may change once i acquire a wort chiller :D

[Beerconnoisseur]

...however, I've never done the partial boil method myself. The nice thing about MoreBeer is if you get a Polarware kettle, you have handles built in (nice for if you move to all-grain, tying off hop bags, etc.), and there's a coupler for adding a probe thermometer. Neither of these are an absolute must-have, but they are nice if you know you will be brewing for some time. MoreBeer even notches the lid if you order a wort chiller with your kettle.

[axis714]

Morebeer rocks!!
i have placed 3 orders in the last month there $49 free shipping rules....although they got held up because of thx giving I may have found my permanent source as my lhbs costs me more per order for shipping so giddy up morebeer i luv ya

[ray m]

I used to do partial 3-1/2 gallon boils when I brewed with extract. When I switched to all-grain, I had to go with full boils. You can really tell a dramatic difference in color, especially if you're brewing light colored beers. When I went to full boil, I bought a turkey fryer kit, which included a 7-1/2 gallon enamel coated stainless steel pot, for $30 from Lowe's. I have since upgraded: Just bought a turkey fryer kit from Sam's Club for @ $70. This has an 8-1/2 gallon stainless steel pot, and a very high quality stand. I think I'm officially set!!

Drink hearty!!! Up the irons!!!

Ray:)

[Asahikun]

When talking about a "full boil" with respect to an extract brew, does that mean boiling the entire volume of water with the extract?
Why would that be necessary when brewing with extract?
I asked whether it was necessary to boil extracts a few months ago and got a range of answers. Now I just boil 2 litres of water, mix it with the extract in the fermentor and fill it up with cold, filtered tap water.
Works great for me. Just make sure your tin opener is sterile!

[Fast_Eddy]

There are two main differences between a full boil and a partial boil:

1) In a full boil there is less darkening of the wort.

2) In a full boil there is increased hop utilitization.

[ray m]

What Fast Eddy said. And, to expand just a little on point A), since there is much less darkening of the wort in a full extract boil (since the wort is not "concentrated"), one can get closer to color parameters when brewing certain styles of beers, especially light colored ones.

Drink hearty!!! Up the irons!!!

Ray

[briandickens]

the turkey fryer pots are good enough to make beer in? i was afraid they might be too thin and make it really easy to burn. though i guess if i turn off the burner when i add extract it wouldn't be a problem.

and i have to second (third) the morebeer comments. they're really awesome. after giving me great prices on my kegerator parts, they became my official supplier for ingredients. free delivery takes some time, but it's still free.

i'm still torn on doing a full boil. the thing is, i know i will eventually do full-grain brews so buying the pot now would only make for less equipment i need later.

[tjones_jr]

Originally posted by briandickens
the turkey fryer pots are good enough to make beer in? i was afraid they might be too thin and make it really easy to burn. though i guess if i turn off the burner when i add extract it wouldn't be a problem.


I used the enamel pot for my last boil. Yes. I did burn the extract, however, I wasn't really paying attention and didn't lower/turnoff the burner...I was also doing it during our "block party" and was distracted, so I didn't start stirring immediately.

If you follow your own advise, and turn off the burner for a few moments, and let the extract fully dissolve before you light it again, you should be fine.

[beertester]

You can achieve a lighter beer and better hop utilization without excessively boiling the malt extract. You just need to boil the hops along with the liquid steeped with specialty grains. See this article written by Steve Bader, http://www.baderbrewing.com/boilthehops.htm.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
There are two main differences between a full boil and a partial boil:

1) In a full boil there is less darkening of the wort.

2) In a full boil there is increased hop utilitization.

To add to this, In a concentrated boil you will have to adjust your hop bill to reflect the change in gravity meaning that you will have to use more hops for the same desired results. While it is not a big difference it should be something to watch.

[beertester]

You add the malt extract at the end of the boil. So it is not a concentrated boil. Your utilization is higher and you would need less hops. This is assuming that you use a pre-boiled malt extract.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by beertester
You add the malt extract at the end of the boil. So it is not a concentrated boil. Your utilization is higher and you would need less hops. This is assuming that you use a pre-boiled malt extract.

Not sure I am following you here. If you add the extract at the end of the boil, what else were you boiling other then water?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
Not sure I am following you here. If you add the extract at the end of the boil, what else were you boiling other then water?

beertester posted more detail in the thread

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2070