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Date: 11 Aug 2006 12:40:09
From: Brian Foster
Subject: Extract brewing
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I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage fermenter
since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My first
batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water is
running >85').
Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial grain
brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole 5
gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and adding
water) part?
Thanks
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 15:20:43
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:40:09 GMT, <brianfoster@houston.rr.com > wrote:
> I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage fermenter
> since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My first
> batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
> water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
> kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water is
> running >85').
>
> Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial grain
> brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole 5
> gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and adding
> water) part?
Sure, that's how I do it. The main reason that most extract brewers only
do partial boils is because they don't have a pot big enough and it becomes
difficult to cool the wort down afterwards. It sounds like you've solved
both of those problems with your new kettle and chiller. The only other
trick will be getting a heat source strong enough to bring the full
volume up to a boil in a reasonable amount of time. Some kitchen stoves
will have a tough time with it, it depends on your stove though. Mine
works OK if I put the pot on the largest burner. However, in the last house
I was in there was no way it would have worked.
John.
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 15:19:37
From: John Bleichert
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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Brian Foster <brianfoster@houston.rr.com > wrote:
> I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage fermenter
> since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My first
> batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
> water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
> kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water is
> running >85').
>
> Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial grain
> brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole 5
> gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and adding
> water) part?
>
> Thanks
>
>
As other folks have said, definitely boil it all. Better hops
utility. Note that I tried once (once!) to bring 6.5 gallons of wort
to a boil on the stove in my kitchen (decent 13k soup/stock burner)
and it took nearly 2 hours to come to a boil! 20 minutes outside on my
ancient cheapo turkey fryer stand.
You'll want to boil outside. At a good rolling boil I lose a little
over 1 gallon to evaporation during the boil, so I try to collect 6.5
gallons of wort.
Always check the tubing connections on your wort chiller before using
it. I had a Three Stooges style "incident" with my chiller last
weekend at 10 pm outside when the intake line popped off....
Good luck!
-----------------------------------------------
John Bleichert syborg@earthlink.net
The heat from below can burn your eyes out!!
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 10:26:12
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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"Brian Foster" <brianfoster@houston.rr.com > wrote in message
news:JU_Cg.3041$1D.355@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage
fermenter
> since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My
first
> batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
> water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
> kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water
is
> running >85').
>
> Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial grain
> brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole 5
> gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and adding
> water) part?
>
> Thanks
>
>
Most definately. How much water you start with depends on how rapid your
boil is. I usually start with a total of 6 gallons of wort and end up just
shy of 5 gallons after 1 hour boil. I just top it off to 5 gallons, usually
about 1 qt. top off with water that is clean i.e. boiled or bottled. I would
suggest getting an outdoor propane burner though unless you have a
proffesional type stove with way high BTU output. That much wort will take a
long time to bring to a boil on most stoves. Congratz on the upgrade, I
think you will be very pleased with final results.
Gerard
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 07:25:22
From: Baron218
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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You should def. boil the whole 5 gallons. I'm not sure if you've
considered this but a couple of things to watch out for.
-you need to boil a at least 6, even 6.5 gallons to get 5-5.5 gallons
for your primary.
-You'll probably need a more powerful burner than what you've been
using to boil your concentrate with. Most people use an outdoor
propane turkey/lobster burner for this.
-You have to aerate the wort considerably. Either by pumping O2 in,
mixing with a ss paint mixer or something from a homebrew store.
(shaking just hasn't worked well for me in the past).
Brian Foster wrote:
> I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage fermenter
> since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My first
> batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
> water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
> kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water is
> running >85').
>
> Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial grain
> brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole 5
> gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and adding
> water) part?
>
> Thanks
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 10:29:56
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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I usually siphon mine with an auto siphon through a wire strainer and also
through a nylon sock thing that fits over the bucket to catch small break.
Then I use my boil paddle to whip the wort for about 5-10 mins. more laborus
I admit but never had a problem. The paint mixer thing is looking like a
cheap alternative in the future though.
Gerard
"Baron218" <MGarshick@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1155306322.237306.303210@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
> You should def. boil the whole 5 gallons. I'm not sure if you've
> considered this but a couple of things to watch out for.
>
> -you need to boil a at least 6, even 6.5 gallons to get 5-5.5 gallons
> for your primary.
> -You'll probably need a more powerful burner than what you've been
> using to boil your concentrate with. Most people use an outdoor
> propane turkey/lobster burner for this.
> -You have to aerate the wort considerably. Either by pumping O2 in,
> mixing with a ss paint mixer or something from a homebrew store.
> (shaking just hasn't worked well for me in the past).
>
>
> Brian Foster wrote:
> > I'm just getting started. 1st batch of amber ale in the 2nd stage
fermenter
> > since 8/2. Bubbles in airlock subsiding, beer is clearing up well. My
first
> > batch was an extract brew that I did a concentrated boil and then added
> > water to the primary fermentation bucket. I have since purchased a 36 qt
> > kettle (SS) and an immersion wort chiller (2 actually since my tap water
is
> > running >85').
> >
> > Here's my question. I'm going to brew up another extract, or partial
grain
> > brew and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't do the whole
5
> > gallons in the kettle at once and do away with the concentrate (and
adding
> > water) part?
> >
> > Thanks
>
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 11:49:03
From: Dan Logcher
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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Gerard Eberlein wrote:
> I usually siphon mine with an auto siphon through a wire strainer and also
> through a nylon sock thing that fits over the bucket to catch small break.
> Then I use my boil paddle to whip the wort for about 5-10 mins. more laborus
> I admit but never had a problem. The paint mixer thing is looking like a
> cheap alternative in the future though.
Ya know, I like the nylon sock idea. I siphon to a wire strainer which sits
on a funnel with a nylon screen. The problem is the strainer and screen get
gunked up with hops (pellets) and I have to stir or remove the gunk. The sack
might allow me to get more of the wort from the kettle and take out the gunk.
--
Dan
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 17:22:33
From: John Bleichert
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net > wrote:
> Gerard Eberlein wrote:
>> I usually siphon mine with an auto siphon through a wire strainer and also
>> through a nylon sock thing that fits over the bucket to catch small break.
>> Then I use my boil paddle to whip the wort for about 5-10 mins. more laborus
>> I admit but never had a problem. The paint mixer thing is looking like a
>> cheap alternative in the future though.
>
> Ya know, I like the nylon sock idea. I siphon to a wire strainer which sits
> on a funnel with a nylon screen. The problem is the strainer and screen get
> gunked up with hops (pellets) and I have to stir or remove the gunk. The sack
> might allow me to get more of the wort from the kettle and take out the gunk.
>
I've been thinking about moving to a syphon to pull the chilled wort
out of the kettle (no spigot, none in sight). Up until now I've just
poured the wort back and forth between buckets through a staged setup
of strainers, each finer than the last. Works well, and aerates too
(though not sufficiently).
I think I may start syphoning in an effort to leave some of the break
muck behind, though.
-----------------------------------------------
John Bleichert syborg@earthlink.net
The heat from below can burn your eyes out!!
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Date: 13 Aug 2006 18:42:55
From: Andy McKellar
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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John Bleichert wrote:
> Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Gerard Eberlein wrote:
>>
>>> I usually siphon mine with an auto siphon through a wire strainer
>>> and also through a nylon sock thing that fits over the bucket to
>>> catch small break. Then I use my boil paddle to whip the wort for
>>> about 5-10 mins. more laborus I admit but never had a problem.
>>> The paint mixer thing is looking like a cheap alternative in the
>>> future though.
>>
>> Ya know, I like the nylon sock idea. I siphon to a wire strainer
>> which sits on a funnel with a nylon screen. The problem is the
>> strainer and screen get gunked up with hops (pellets) and I have to
>> stir or remove the gunk. The sack might allow me to get more of
>> the wort from the kettle and take out the gunk.
>>
>
>
> I've been thinking about moving to a syphon to pull the chilled wort
> out of the kettle (no spigot, none in sight). Up until now I've just
> poured the wort back and forth between buckets through a staged setup
> of strainers, each finer than the last. Works well, and aerates too
> (though not sufficiently).
>
> I think I may start syphoning in an effort to leave some of the break
> muck behind, though.
>
> ----------------------------------------------- John Bleichert
> syborg@earthlink.net The heat from below can burn your eyes out!!
FWIW, my boil pot has a welded-in nipple out the side with a ball valve
on it. I put a 90-degree elbow pointing down on the valve, then a
1/4-in. barb stem on the nipple so I could put a hose on it. The hose
idea didn't work out all that well, but if I put my fermenter directly
under the bar stem so that the wort stream is shooting straight down, I
generally have about 3 or 4 inches of foam in the fermenter by the time
it's full; I've never felt the need to do any more aeration than that.
-- Andy McKellar
Dallas, TX
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Date: 11 Aug 2006 15:33:46
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Extract brewing
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On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:29:56 -0400, <dormouse@charter.net > wrote:
> I usually siphon mine with an auto siphon through a wire strainer and also
> through a nylon sock thing that fits over the bucket to catch small break.
> Then I use my boil paddle to whip the wort for about 5-10 mins. more laborus
> I admit but never had a problem. The paint mixer thing is looking like a
> cheap alternative in the future though.
(Taking a page from MDixon)...
Mix-stir aerator RULES!!!
John.
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