Pot only gets up to 95C with the lid off

[YeastInspection]

Howdy drunks,

I'm doing my first BIAB, and I just did a test run on the stovetop without any grain. With the lid off, it's only bringing the 25L of water to 95C before it won't get any hotter.

I see my options as:

1. Put the lid on during the boil, hope and pray (but what about the boilover?)
2. Buy an outdoor gas cooker (I live in an apartment without a proper balcony)
3. Insulate the pot somehow (it's definitely losing heat to the world around it)
4. Is 95C enough to get the acids out anyway? I only want a mild-medium bitterness

Advice please

 

[SBOB]

Howdy drunks,

I'm doing my first BIAB, and I just did a test run on the stovetop without any grain. With the lid off, it's only bringing the 25L of water to 95C before it won't get any hotter.

I see my options as:

1. Put the lid on during the boil, hope and pray (but what about the boilover?)

Or do something like float a metal bowl in there to reduce the surface area

2. Buy an outdoor gas cooker (I live in an apartment without a proper balcony)

probably not if you're only option is use it indoors

3. Insulate the pot somehow (it's definitely losing heat to the world around it)

yep, but would want to be very careful with insulation and heat source

4. Is 95C enough to get the acids out anyway? I only want a mild-medium bitterness

thats not the only reason you boil wort


Advice please

Could you modify your mash so that you have less initial wort volume (at a higher SG), and therefore more likely to be able to boil. You can then top-up during or post boil to the required SG/volume
e.g. modify you're recipe so that its a higher gravity with lower volume (~20L) and boil that..then water down with an extra 5L either during the boil to maintain the required volume to post boil

 

[mtb]

Put the lid on halfway.

 

[mofox1]

Do you have room to use multiple pots to boil in at the same time?

 

[mtb]

You don't want to put the lid on fully - Dimethyl Sulfides need a way to escape!

 

[timmi9191]

Howdy drunks,

I'm doing my first BIAB, and I just did a test run on the stovetop without any grain. With the lid off, it's only bringing the 25L of water to 95C before it won't get any hotter.

I see my options as:

1. Put the lid on during the boil, hope and pray (but what about the boilover?)
2. Buy an outdoor gas cooker (I live in an apartment without a proper balcony)
3. Insulate the pot somehow (it's definitely losing heat to the world around it)
4. Is 95C enough to get the acids out anyway? I only want a mild-medium bitterness

Advice please

95 is ok for hops but must boil for DMS etc

have you considered an over the side element to help get up to boil

 

[Lecterfan]

Float a foil BBQ tray on top - lots of old threads with better brewers than you and me talking about/employing this method. Less surface area, but the wort still boils and drives off what it needs to. Best not to use outdoor burners inside unless you have a dedicated area with suitable ventilation (i.e. an outside area).

 

[bevan]

I put a stainless bowl in to help increase the boil. It gets a nice rolling boil where as it use to just get a slow boil

 

[YeastInspection]

Put the lid on halfway.

Hahah is life ever so simple? I'm going to go and test this now

 

[feralbass]

I had the same problem last weekend with the new pot I am building, ended up using the oxy torch to get it there.

 

[mtb]

Hahah is life ever so simple? I'm going to go and test this now

Works for me haha

 

[YeastInspection]

Works for me haha

Looks like it works for me as well. It isn't a rolling boil, but it's a gentle one. Thermometer reads 99c, and enough steam is coming off it that I'm going to call it a boil

I guess I'll know if I taste corn as to success or failure

 

[DU99]

think of investing in a grainfather

 

[manticle]

Float a foil BBQ tray on top - lots of old threads with better brewers than you and me talking about/employing this method. Less surface area, but the wort still boils and drives off what it needs to. Best not to use outdoor burners inside unless you have a dedicated area with suitable ventilation (i.e. an outside area).

This one. Cheapest, easiest, most effective.

Nick JD disagreed.

 

[mtb]

Cheaper than putting the lid on halfway?
Nobody beats me when it comes to el cheapo solutions

 

[manticle]

More effective in terms of vapourisation and volatalisation.
**** that lid off out of here (well preboil is fine, post boil is fine, while boiling is not).

 

[TheWiggman]

What's the drama here? Is it boiling? If it is then job done. Water doesn't boil at exactly 100°C all the time. The lower the air pressure (primarily altitude) the lower the boiling temp.

 

[SBOB]

95 is ok for hops but must boil for DMS etc

you don't technically, but it takes a lot longer at non-boiling and you dont get the constant movement to bring those volatiles to the surface to have them removed

 

[mtb]

More effective in terms of vapourisation and volatalisation.
**** that lid off out of here (well preboil is fine, post boil is fine, while boiling is not).

I'm in need of a schooling, why is lid halfway not a good option? Is it that vapour condenses underneath the lid and drips back into the boil, reducing boil off rate? Always wondered if that was screwing with my brew process

 

[DU99]

could get one of these items