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AHA/Brulosophy exbeeriment... boiling with the lid on or off


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#1 Big Nake

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Posted 16 May 2017 - 01:07 PM

I just got an email about this. Did we discuss it here once before or no? LINK.

I typically boil with my lid on but skewed... there is an opening of a couple inches or so. When I was brewing at the Brew-On-Premise before I brewed at home, the copper kettles used to boil the wort had hinged lids on them. If you stirred or added hops, etc., you closed the heavy lid down tight over the kettle when you were done. We made a lot of different styles at that place and never had a bad batch so I guess I knew about the lid thing based on that.

#2 Bklmt2000

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Posted 16 May 2017 - 01:17 PM

I boil topless.  B)

 

I keep the lid off during the boil, mainly b/c i used to get some major boilovers when i was a newbie, and I hate cleaning up wort boilover crud.

 

I don't know if it really helps limit DMS production or not; never had DMS in any of my beers (that I could tell, anyway).



#3 positiveContact

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 03:41 AM

so here I was thinking everyone boiled with the lid off.  my mind is blown.



#4 Poptop

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 05:29 AM

Lid off, never chance a boil over (no matter how good they smell). Also I never leave the kettle after hop additions. Anyone else get huge boil overs from hops?

#5 Big Nake

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 05:44 AM

Yes, I get some activity when adding hops and I have had a boilover when the wort first comes to a boil but that's mainly because the heat is high and all that break material in there is getting hot and I probably walked away at the wrong time. I don't think the lid off would help in that case. I thought the part of the exbeeriment that was REALLY weird is that the evap rate was the same whether the lid was on or not. I'm more surprised about that than the fact that the triangle test showed that no one could tell the difference.

#6 HVB

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 05:54 AM

If I am doing a 10g batch I will start to heat up with the lid 3/4 on just to help speed up the boil.  I will sometimes leave the lid covering part of the kettle to help move the steam closer to my exhaust fan but I never boil with the lid all the way on.  Once the boil is done I will add the cover while I am steeping/Whirlpooling or chilling.

 

 

I have not read the article but as for the evap rate, did they adjust the boil down to compensate for that?



#7 positiveContact

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 06:15 AM

If I am doing a 10g batch I will start to heat up with the lid 3/4 on just to help speed up the boil.  I will sometimes leave the lid covering part of the kettle to help move the steam closer to my exhaust fan but I never boil with the lid all the way on.  Once the boil is done I will add the cover while I am steeping/Whirlpooling or chilling.

 

 

I have not read the article but as for the evap rate, did they adjust the boil down to compensate for that?

 

other than leaving the lid partially on during the boil this is often what I do. 



#8 denny

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 08:59 AM

The general ROT is that your kettle only needs to have a 15% opening.



#9 EnkAMania

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 09:14 AM

I brew without a top, I want to make sure that the falling pine needles make it into the brew



#10 HVB

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 09:29 AM

The general ROT is that your kettle only needs to have a 15% opening.

 

This I did not know .. thanks



#11 positiveContact

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 10:21 AM

The general ROT is that your kettle only needs to have a 15% opening.

 

to achieve what?



#12 denny

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 11:17 AM

to achieve what?

 

enough steam escape for DMS rather than having the kettle fully open



#13 positiveContact

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 11:30 AM

enough steam escape for DMS rather than having the kettle fully open

 

roger that!



#14 dmtaylor

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 07:59 PM

I purposely tried to get DMS in a cream ale last year for a club cream ale competition.  Pilsner malt, short weak boil with the lid on, yadda yadda.  I succeeded in getting DMS.  But in a blind tasting at my local club, do you think anyone noticed DMS?  Hells no.  Not a one.  Out of like 15 tasters, no one but me mentioned DMS on the feedback sheets.  It was indeed a blind tasting, but I could tell right away that it was my beer, based on the DMS.


Edited by dmtaylor, 17 May 2017 - 08:01 PM.


#15 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 08:08 PM

I purposely tried to get DMS in a cream ale last year for a club cream ale competition.  Pilsner malt, short weak boil with the lid on, yadda yadda.  I succeeded in getting DMS.  But in a blind tasting at my local club, do you think anyone noticed DMS?  Hells no.  Not a one.  Out of like 15 tasters, no one but me mentioned DMS on the feedback sheets.  It was indeed a blind tasting, but I could tell right away that it was my beer, based on the DMS.

aren't you particularly sensitive to DMS?



#16 dmtaylor

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Posted 17 May 2017 - 08:26 PM

aren't you particularly sensitive to DMS?

 

That's a new one.  Can't say I'm any more sensitive than the next guy.  Matter of fact, I test as a so-called "non-taster", complete opposite of a super-taster.



#17 MyaCullen

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Posted 18 May 2017 - 07:45 AM

That's a new one.  Can't say I'm any more sensitive than the next guy.  Matter of fact, I test as a so-called "non-taster", complete opposite of a super-taster.

sorry, I know someone here is oversensitive to a particular compound



#18 Big Nake

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Posted 18 May 2017 - 08:44 AM

sorry, I know someone here is oversensitive to a particular compound

Right. Some people seem to be overly sensitive to DMS, diacetyl, corn products in general and any number of other things.

#19 Stains_not_here_man

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Posted 18 May 2017 - 01:42 PM

I just got an email about this. Did we discuss it here once before or no? LINK.

I typically boil with my lid on but skewed... there is an opening of a couple inches or so.


This is what I've always done. Mostly because I've always brewed in a garage and I am paranoid about spiders and dust and crap falling in :)

#20 dmtaylor

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Posted 18 May 2017 - 06:25 PM

Right. Some people seem to be overly sensitive to DMS, diacetyl, corn products in general and any number of other things.

 

Many overzealous budding BJCP judges detect diacetyl or oxidation or <insert random off-flavor here> in every beer to make themselves feel smart.

 

I've been a judge for like 11 years or something.  Those days are long past for me.




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