Hop Boil Over

[prongs_386]

Hi everyone.

For my first 3 all grains I got a small boil over initially and then it would be fine for the 60 minutes. I used a hop sock wich worked fine but we got inconsistencies between bottles in hop bitterness and flavour which to me implies that the wort inside the hop sock wasn't circulating properly.

For my 4th brew I didn't use the hop sock with an attempt at whirlpooling. The problem was i kept getting boil overs when adding hops. The hops would all be pushed up the side of the pot or over the side. When I pushed the hops back in from the sides it would boil over again. I couldn't get the temperature much lower and I was boiling 30l in a 50l pot for my 23l batch.

has anyone got any advice?
thanks.

 

[boybrewer]

Yeah if you can't turn down your boiling pot use a spray bottle filled with water every time it looks like boiling over spray the wort with it and it will keep it under control .

 

[prongs_386]

Yeah if you can't turn down your boiling pot use a spray bottle filled with water every time it looks like boiling over spray the wort with it and it will keep it under control .

ahh thanks for that. I think even if i don't get a boil over the rolling boil will keep shunting the hops to the sides at the top. Is that normal?

 

[peaky]

ahh thanks for that. I think even if i don't get a boil over the rolling boil will keep shunting the hops to the sides at the top. Is that normal?

I just use the long handled spoon to scoop/wash the hops off the side of the kettle and back into the boil, best to do this straight after you've added the hops otherwise it drys out on the inside of the kettle as the wort level lowers. Works for me anyway

 

[Banshee]

This happens when I dump the whole lot of hops on at once so over a minute or less I add hops in small amounts. When you dump the whole lot in they form a blanket layer over the boiling wort.

 

[prongs_386]

Ok,

thanks for the advice guys.

I won't be able to brew until after new years so I will try it out then. (Along with the new brew toys I get for christmas )

 

[Pennywise]

Its my understanding that when you add the hops it gives the boiling wort a hell of alot more nucleation points for o2 to come out of solution, hence the boilover threat is largely only an issue at the start. Turn the heat right down before you add the first lot of hops and then raise the heat to boiling over 2 or 3 mins

 

[goomboogo]

What heat source are you using? Is it gas or electric? If it's electric, what wattage? If it's gas, what burner and regulator? Also, how sure are you of the volumes. Consistently boiling over 30 litres in a 50 litre kettle sounds strange. What is your evaporation rate per hour? I apologise for all the questions but it sounds like you are getting a crazily vigorous boil.

 

[fcmcg]

I also throw 2 or 3 pellets in first...wait 10 or so seconds then put the rest in
Also glass of water if I need it or a spray bottle !
Cheers
Ferg

 

[Pennywise]

Glass of water is a great Idea IMO

 

[brocky_555]

+1 on the glass of water into the boil just takes the edge off the boil and it doesn't take long to recover about 200ml or so does the trick

 

[prongs_386]

I haven't calculated my evaporation rate yet. I still don't have a great means for measuring my volumes in the kettle... at the moment I'm using a mash paddle and my volume levels for sparge water etc correspond to different letters in the brand name... lol.
I really should put markings on it. Is there a permanent marker I can use that will produce safe markings to put into the boiling water?
I was also thinking of installing a sight glass but the guy who sells them is not shipping to aus at the moment. Any DIY guides on doing this around?

 

[Pennywise]

I was also thinking of installing a sight glass but the guy who sells them is not shipping to aus at the moment. Any DIY guides on doing this around?

Plenty of good info in some of these links

http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Awww....mp;x=14&y=7