Boiling Kits?

[morry]

Hi guys,
Been reading a bit about improving kits and a couple of people have recommended boiling the kit for 10 minutes before adding to the fermenter. Would you experienced guys say this is almost mandatory? I have yet to do this, but I reckon Ill give it a go for my next brew.

Sean

 

[devilsaltarboy]

In short yes boiling your kit for 10 minutes will improve it. It will help stabilise the flavour ensure infection chances are minimal and many other reasons. I boil my full volume boils for 90 minutes. If you are looking on improving your beer take a look at www.howtobrew.com
It is an excellent website with basically a free online book to improving your beer. It does deal with improving kit beers so is well worth the read.

 

[GMK]

Morry

IMHO it is not worth boiling the kits for a couple of reasons:
1/ darken and caremilise the wort.
2/ drive off some of the Isohop compounds
3/ if it is not full boil - ie 25ltrs - the high gravity of the wort effects hop utilisation - as it drops it dramatically - therefore u can need upto double the amount of hops for normal IBU's.

As an awarded Kit brewer - This is listed as the easiest/cheapest order - the best things u can do to enhance kits are:
1/ rack the beer to a secondary.
2/ dry hop in the secondary
3/ use malts - liquid and dry
4/ use speciality yeasts - liquid.
5/ start doing some partials where u do a small mash/steep of speciality grains.

Hope this helps.

 

[Hoops]

morry
I used to boil kit beers but found as Ken mentions, that you can lose some of the hop aroma and flavour, although they were certainly very drinkable beers.
In my opinion if you are going to boil kits you might as well get unhopped malt (Morgans was my preference) then add whatever hops you like for bittering/flavour/aroma. (and maybe steep a little bit of specialty malt like crystal)

The 1st thing that I did to improve my beers was to get a second fermenter and rack into that.

Hoops

 

[Trough Lolly]

Why boil a kit that already has a boiled and hopped malt extract concentrate? When I do part mash brews, I add the kit to the partial boil at flameout and gently stir through to mix into the wort, without losing hop bitterness from the kit, or causing HSA.

Boiling a kit is not worth it, IMHO. Infected kits are a rarity to me - I've never seen one in the last 10 years...
Cheers,
TL

 

[Batz]

Why boil a kit that already has a boiled and hopped malt extract concentrate? When I do part mash brews, I add the kit to the partial boil at flameout and gently stir through to mix into the wort, without losing hop bitterness from the kit, or causing HSA.

Boiling a kit is not worth it, IMHO. Infected kits are a rarity to me - I've never seen one in the last 10 years...
Cheers,
TL

Ditto

 

[morry]

Thanks guys, looks like I wont be bothering to do that step. Will be trying racking and dry hopping though. Maybe even a liquid yeasts.

 

[Green Iguana]

Hey there Morry..some good advice for improving kit beers on this post.
IMHO correct fermentation temps, racking and liquid yeasts will make an average kit beer oustanding...probably steer away from dry hopping until you have done these first...keeping things simple till you get good results is the way to go....

Cheers

 

[Green Iguana]

Hey there Morry..some good advice for improving kit beers on this post.
IMHO correct fermentation temps, racking and liquid yeasts will make an average kit beer oustanding...probably steer away from dry hopping until you have done these first...keeping things simple till you get good results is the way to go....

Cheers

 

[Green Iguana]

apologies for that double up....doh

 

[jimmysuperlative]

I think I will from now on ...opened a 3kg paint tin today only to find a patch of powdery mould(?) about the size of two 50cent pieces

Wasn't too concerned ...spooned out what I could see and boiled for 30mins.

What else could I have done? I had to give that kit every fighting chance to morph into delicious ale!!!

 

[mika]

Was the tin dented ? wouldn't have thought the mould would have had enough oxygen to breed in a sealed tn ? :unsure:

 

[Voosher]

I've heard similar stories before. You've done what I'd do under the circumstances.
It does worry me though. I've used and stored tubs of LME for up to 12 months without significant ill effect and certainly no mould. The empty containers with just a few dribbles of LME take less than a week to be horribly mouldy when left exposed to the air. You question what happens during the canning process to allow enough air in to grow mould.
Get grain. Almost guaranteed no more stale than the time it takes from crush to mash.

 

[Steve]

Jimmy - should've just taken it back and got a replacement.
Cheers
Steve

 

[jimmysuperlative]

Steve, you're right, and normally I would. Just that it is Sunday arvo and I had it in my mind I was making this kit. I'll be shirty if it doesn't work out,but I'm fairly confident it will be okay

Good point Voosher ..."get grain"... and guarantee the freshness of your product.
I will get there one day, but until then ...I'll boil my kits!! B)

 

[Keifer]

You question what happens during the canning process to allow enough air in to grow mould.

I believe some types of bacteria do not require oxygen?

EDIT: typo