A few questions on stove top boils.

[Brad74]

First off I have to say I love this site, everyone is really helpful. One day I hope I can answer peoples questions instead of just asking.

Ok, I have done 2 brews so far all the basic method as specified on the Kit cans. Am now ready to try my first stove top boil, I have purchased a 15lt pot (with lid). I have several questions below

The ingredients I have for my first attempt is

1.7kg Cooper Draught (white Tin)
1 pack of 500g Light Malt + 500g Dextrose
12g (Teabag) of Halleuger Hops (spelling??)

Now from what I have read I do the following, I have confused myself by reading to many sets of instructions. I have added some questions in

1) Boil 2-3 litres of water and place into fermenter
Q1. I did read in one place but other don't mention it, is it nessesary?

2) Boil another 3 litres of water and place in fermentables. I read somewhere that Malt should be boiled for about an hour, is this Dried Malt or Liquid malt or Both. But other fermentables are not required for this long
Q2. How long to boil Dried Malt Extract?
Q3 How long to boil Liquid Malt Extract or cans such as Master Blend?
Q4 If dried malt extract is to be boiled for an hour does it matter if dextrose is in that long with it? FYI, I laughed when I read this question as I had a mental image of people attempting to split the Light Malt and dextrose from the bag. So I am assuming you can. Feel free not to answer this or just laugh, cause I know I did.
Q5. Do I boil covered or uncovered?

3) In last 15 minutes of boil add in Teabag of Hops

4) Turn Off heat and add Kit Can
Q6. Do I let it water cool to any particular Temp or add in straight away?

5) Put in fermenter, add cold water to required level (will get that info off tin)

6) If temp right add yeast otherwise wait till cool down then add.

How does this look?

[BierMeister]

First off I have to say I love this site, everyone is really helpful. One day I hope I can answer peoples questions instead of just asking.

Ok, I have done 2 brews so far all the basic method as specified on the Kit cans. Am now ready to try my first stove top boil, I have purchased a 15lt pot (with lid). I have several questions below

The ingredients I have for my first attempt is

1.7kg Cooper Draught (white Tin)
1 pack of 500g Light Malt + 500g Dextrose
12g (Teabag) of Halleuger Hops (spelling??)

Now from what I have read I do the following, I have confused myself by reading to many sets of instructions. I have added some questions in

1) Boil 2-3 litres of water and place into fermenter
Q1. I did read in one place but other don't mention it, is it nessesary?

2) Boil another 3 litres of water and place in fermentables. I read somewhere that Malt should be boiled for about an hour, is this Dried Malt or Liquid malt or Both. But other fermentables are not required for this long
Q2. How long to boil Dried Malt Extract?
Q3 How long to boil Liquid Malt Extract or cans such as Master Blend?
Q4 If dried malt extract is to be boiled for an hour does it matter if dextrose is in that long with it? FYI, I laughed when I read this question as I had a mental image of people attempting to split the Light Malt and dextrose from the bag. So I am assuming you can. Feel free not to answer this or just laugh, cause I know I did.
Q5. Do I boil covered or uncovered?

3) In last 15 minutes of boil add in Teabag of Hops

4) Turn Off heat and add Kit Can
Q6. Do I let it water cool to any particular Temp or add in straight away?

5) Put in fermenter, add cold water to required level (will get that info off tin)

6) If temp right add yeast otherwise wait till cool down then add.

How does this look?

Brad,

there will be many variations from other members of this forum, but for ease and with out going into the ins and outs here's my suggestion for you to begin with.

Sanitize all equip other than the pot.
1. boil about 5L of water in pot.
2. once boiling remove from heat and add dried malt/dextrose to water. mix well and put back to boil.
3. put kit can in some hot water for ease of later pour.
4. after about 5 mins add hops(Hallertau)
5. after 5 mins more boil turn off heat add kit can and place pot in sink of cold water(add ice to the sink to get extra cold)
6. add about 10L of cool water to fermenter and shake well for airration.
7. when the pot is cool to the touch (around 30C is fine) add brew to fermenter by pouring from standing height to add more air.
8. top up to required amount (usually 23L) also by pouring from standing position.
9. when fermenter at or below 26C add yeast and let it do its thing.
10. ferment brew at around 20C for ideal ale conditions.
11. leave brew in fermenter for about 14 days before bottling to allow conditioning.

You should get a decent brew with consistent results with the above method. This is a simple way to do it as all your ingredients dont need the extensive boiling that All Grain does to remove proteins and add bitterness from the hops. 5 mins is enough from the Hallertau to add the required aroma and the bitterness is already in your kit.

for more of the ins and outs then do searches on this forum or read something like this; http://www.howtobrew.com to give you more of an idea of the processes of brewing.

[breadnbutter]

G'day,

I strongly recommend reading How To Brew as BierMeister suggested. This will all of your questions and more and it's free online!

In my understanding (yes, limited)
Q1: Never heard this one, can only guess it's a lazy (and imperfect) way of sterilising
Q2: I assume you mean malt extract ie powder; "malt" is the malted grain. If so, your one hour thing is only if you're adding hops for bittering ie hops for the full hour, which you're not. I boil dry malt for 15 min if no hops and in your circumstance you could add the hops once the malt is dissolved.
Q3: Boiling for 15 min will sterilse but as it's coming sterile from the can boiling is not necessary.
Q4: Already answered I think. However as you progress you may want to vary hop and/ or malt amounts in the boil, if so you will need to know that hop extraction is affected by high gravity boils. FWI I wish I knew this before I messed about
Q5: Covered - limits concentration of the wort that will increase boil gravity and hence affect hop extraction.
Q6: Add straight away but off heat and with stirring otherwise the malt will catch and burn/ caramelise.

Cheers

[Paleman]

Gday Brad.

Just to add a spanner in the works, there is absolutely no need to boil your wort with the ingredients you have listed.

A stove top boil is really only beneficial for extract or grain brewers that need bittering and flavouring from hops.


The tea bag hops you are going to use are for aroma, they can be steeped in a cup of boiling water, cooled and added to your fermenter that contains your wort.

[BierMeister]

Just to add a spanner in the works, there is absolutely no need to boil your wort with the ingredients you have listed.

A stove top boil is really only beneficial for extract or grain brewers that need bittering and flavouring from hops.


The tea bag hops you are going to use are for aroma, they can be steeped in a cup of boiling water, cooled and added to your fermenter that contains your wort.

Disagree Paleman. I wouldn't say 'absolutely no need.' Not necessary sure, but if the bloke wants to step up gradually then its not a bad idea to learn the processes by starting simple. Also it's never a bad idea to boil the dried malt extract, as where was it stored? What bugs are in it? Etc...? By boiling the powder extract you are reducing the chance of infection. The hops extraction also benifits by boiling in wort as opposed to just water.

[Brad74]

Thanks,

Seems simple enough.

[Chris]

If nothing else, boiling kits is good foundation work for later, more complex brews.

[lethaldog]

I went from not boiling kits to boiling and it deffinately made a big improvement, just be aware that some kits are better off not boiled so its up to you to find out which ones, i can tell you that coopers kits dont really like to be boiled

[Brad74]

well I did it, my first stove top boil. Yay

The only problem I had was that my Teabag of hops broke, will the hoppy mush that came out just sink to the bottom after a while?

[Shaun]

It will fall out during fermentation. Relax have a beer.

[BierMeister]

Agree with Shaun. Especially if you leave it in the Primary for 14 days or so.

[lethaldog]

I put the hops in the fermenter most of the time now and rarely ever use teabags and i have not had any dramas, the only thing that i have noticed is that the beers seem to be better although this could just be my imagination, anyway it does all fall out and have never ended up with them in the bottle as some here have described but i do rack religously