Ag Noob: Waiting For My Wort To Start Boiling ... How Long Is Too Long

[mr_wibble]

Hi, Started my first all grain batch this morning, and now I'm trying to boil about 28 litres of wort down to 22l on the stove. But it's been on there for an hour, and isn't boiling yet. I've got the pot across 2 elements too. I haven't put my hops in yet - I figured on waiting until it was actually boiling - I this the right way to go ? (Just now it occurred to me that it might never boil! OMG!) Have I stuffed it already? I couldn't find the cast-iron double-ring burner in the shed ... maybe I should use the time to make a more exhaustive search. ta, -kt

 

[Nick JD]

Probably too late to suggest you do a test boil with water.

My stove's big element boils 14L just nicely - good and rolling. Don't think it could do twice that.

 

[bradsbrew]

Put the lid3/4 on, angled so the evaporation drips away from your wort.

 

[thylacine]

Hi, Started my first all grain batch this morning, and now I'm trying to boil about 28 litres of wort down to 22l on the stove. But it's been on there for an hour, and isn't boiling yet. I've got the pot across 2 elements too. I haven't put my hops in yet - I figured on waiting until it was actually boiling - I this the right way to go ? (Just now it occurred to me that it might never boil! OMG!) Have I stuffed it already? I couldn't find the cast-iron double-ring burner in the shed ... maybe I should use the time to make a more exhaustive search. ta, -kt

Re: assisting development of boil

http://www.ahb.com.au/forum/index.php?show...50987&st=20 ie. Thirsty Boy's post #27

"...The alfoil takeaway container solves all foodgrade issues - and i might just swap to one of those myself to avoid the issue completely. A nice alfoil pie tin floating on the wort surface and i am fairly sure your issue will largley go away. To experiment how much surface area you need to cover, keep adding plastic takeaway containers (or whatever) to the surface of your water test boil, till the vigour looks right to you - calculate the surface area you have covered up, then go look for an appropriately sized single container.

This will also significantly reduce your evaporation rates, so you need to measure it to be sure you are still evaporating between 8 & 15% of your starting volume per hour - then you know that you haven't choked down the evaporation rate so much that you will have a DMS issue..."

 

[mr_wibble]

Well it's still boiling. It's finally starting to actually boil properly, and lots of chunkies are forming. I tried the aluminium pie plate, except I used a big alu. roasting tray, it's floating around OK. BeerSmith 2 wants me to boil down 30 lites for a 22 litre batch, I'm still scratching my head about that one. I've lost a bit of water to evaporation, but no where near 8 litres - maybe it's specifying extra for trb losses?! My fermenter is only 23 lites, so that's never gonna work. Might put the hops in soon thanks for the help, -kt

 

[yum beer]

dont forget youll lose a few litres to cooling when done as well.

 

[Toper]

Well it's still boiling. It's finally starting to actually boil properly, and lots of chunkies are forming. I tried the aluminium pie plate, except I used a big alu. roasting tray, it's floating around OK. BeerSmith 2 wants me to boil down 30 lites for a 22 litre batch, I'm still scratching my head about that one. I've lost a bit of water to evaporation, but no where near 8 litres - maybe it's specifying extra for trb losses?! My fermenter is only 23 lites, so that's never gonna work. Might put the hops in soon thanks for the help, -kt

Never used Beersmith but that's a lot of % loss,trub included.I'd generally accept 10% per hour in boil off,not that much <_<

 

[seemax]

if you're feeling brave (or suicidal) $8 will get you one of these -

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000W-Hot-Water...=item41667ed91d

that should get things cranking along

 

[Anofre]

My suggestion is not to AIM for a boil off rate. Use it as a guide. The trub will leave a few L.
If u end up with more than you can handle, put it aside for starters.

 

[mr_wibble]

Well after 10 hours I'm finished.
Haven't washed up yet though - just put the boil kettle outside in disgust.

I simmered that wort for 8 hours, and then gave up waiting for a good rolling boil, and chucked the hops in for an hour. With the lid on I think I maybe got an OK boil. I siphoned it off into the fermenter, can't cool it - the boil was such a palava I forgot to go an buy ice for the chilling coil. I can't seal the glass fermenter, so I covered the bung-hole with 4 layers of tea-towel. So it'll probably get craptastically infected as it cools overnight. I'm in half a mind just to tip the lot out and start over next weekend - with a huge-ask jet burner.

While I'm wasting your time with my drivel, here's a question: I got a lot of solids come out during the boil. At one stage a big chunk was floating around that looked just like half a piece of sliced bread. Is this normal for an AG boil? I've only done extract before.

thanks,
-kt

 

[ekul]

The thing about AG is that even when things seem to go horribly wrong, it can still turn out alright. I've had spiders and dog hair fall into my brew before and its been fine. I've had yeast that failed to fire for 5 days and then pitched some healthy yeast and its been sweet. I even copped an infection a few weeks ago, kegged it and it was surprisingly not only drinkable but a top beer.

If you do Ag well you will make the best beer you've ever tasted, if you do it poorly you will make beer that tastes better than anything you can buy.

When i was geting set up i wasted a lot of money buying the wrong equipment, trying to do it on the absolute cheap. I would suggest buying a decent burner straight up, a 23 jet mongolian is pretty good and will allow to do a double batch easily. Then get a decent sized pot. For me an 80L pot is the minimum size. It means that you can do singles easily, and then if you don't have much time to brew you can knock out doubles. Nochill means you can brew when you can and ferment at your leisure.

BUt don't let this experience stop you. PItch the yeast into that wort tomorrow, i think you'll find it turns out remarkably good, especially if you've never tasted an AG beer before.

 

[cam89brewer]

I have had to do a few boils on the stove when I run out of LPG half way through a boil and I just split the batch and use 2 pots (in your case it would have been ideal as it would have increased boil off speed with more surface area).

 

[bradsbrew]

Well after 10 hours I'm finished.
Haven't washed up yet though - just put the boil kettle outside in disgust.

I simmered that wort for 8 hours, and then gave up waiting for a good rolling boil, and chucked the hops in for an hour. With the lid on I think I maybe got an OK boil. I siphoned it off into the fermenter, can't cool it - the boil was such a palava I forgot to go an buy ice for the chilling coil. I can't seal the glass fermenter, so I covered the bung-hole with 4 layers of tea-towel. So it'll probably get craptastically infected as it cools overnight. I'm in half a mind just to tip the lot out and start over next weekend - with a huge-ask jet burner.

While I'm wasting your time with my drivel, here's a question: I got a lot of solids come out during the boil. At one stage a big chunk was floating around that looked just like half a piece of sliced bread. Is this normal for an AG boil? I've only done extract before.

thanks,
-kt

Probly would be better to use a few layers of glad wrap and a rubber band than the tea towel.

 

[hellbent]

Probly would be better to use a few layers of glad wrap and a rubber band than the tea towel.

FWIW I would go with a heater immersion coil if it's taking that long to boil up.

 

[bignath]

Never used Beersmith but that's a lot of % loss,trub included.I'd generally accept 10% per hour in boil off,not that much <_<

Why?

percentages, whatever it actually works out to, is reliant on starting volume, aswell as the obvious ones like ambient temp, equipment capabilities etc..

Do a small batch all grain of around 5lt and then tell us if you think 25% for example, is unreasonable.

For singles i often work to 15% loss, and 8% for doubles. I hate boil off % rate as a method of measure. Heaps easier to just think of it as a known qty in volume instead.

 

[mr_wibble]

I pitched my starter in first thing sunday morning.
Fermentation kicked off within a few hours, which is good considering it was a fairly cool day.

Lots of krausen foaming out of the overflow tube by the afternoon, and it smelt (smelled?) good - no sign of sour odours.

So, fingers crossed

thanks for all the help, and encouragement.

cheers,
-kt