Boil ?

[1AndDoneAquite1]

Do you guys leave the lid on or off during boil?

 

[wtaylor3]

Always lid off for boil, I have been told you can get off flavors with the lid on

 

[flars]

My boil kettle is mostly covered to reduce the amount of heat needed to maintain the boil. To reduce the possibility of DMS, forming in the wort, I periodically wipe condensation from the underside of the lid.

 

[schokie]

It's best to not boil with the lid on. But if you can't maintain a boil without doing so, try leaving the lid slightly off so it's cracked. The idea is to let steam escape to prevent DMS compounds from falling back into the wort.

Edit: are you doing extract or all grain? If doing extract, it's not as big of a deal to keep the lid on. The extract has already been boiled, so DMS isn't as likely.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

You can put the lid on to get to boiling. Then leave it off. Just watch out for boilovers with the lid on.

 

[jrgtr42]

Normally I leave t off, though a couple times I've brewed in winter outside on my propane burner, it just wouldn't get to the boil with it completely off. So, I had the lid half on, kinda resting on the edges, which allowed the steam to escape (with the DMS precursurs and so forth, while keeping the boil going.

 

[titansvol]

I always leave the lid off until I get the temperature below 100

 

[stevehardt]

I leave the lid off.

 

[Yooper]

I don't even have a lid for mine.......................

 

[Qhrumphf]

The accepted rule is boiling with the lid off, or dimethyl sulfide (DMS) can't escape, and can leave a cooked corn or vegetal off flavor.

DMS is created in hot wort, and comes from the precursor compound SMM that's naturally present in malt. Certain malts have more than others, usually corrolated to the color and processing of the malt. Darker base malts and specialty grains have very little, pale base malts have more. Generally Pilsner malt has the most. When boiling, the DMS is driven off in the steam. If you don't boil long enough, or if you allow the steam to condense and drop back in (boiling with the lid on) you can end up with excessive DMS in the finished beer and off-flavors as a result.

When you're getting your wort from grains, you should be boiling at least 60 minutes with the lid off, or 90 minutes if you're using Pilsner malt. When brewing with extract, it's not as important, as much of the SMM is converted to DMS and then driven off as part of the manufacture of the extract. You can do shorter boils, and if you need to keep the lid partially on (or while I still wouldn't recommend it, on entirely), it'll have less of a detriment.

 

[muels]

The accepted rule is boiling with the lid on, or dimethyl sulfide (DMS) can't escape, and can leave a cooked corn or vegetal off flavor.

Typo; "lid off".

If you read the whole post it's obvious, but wanted to clarify in case someone is skimming the thread.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[Qhrumphf]

Typo; "lid off".

If you read the whole post it's obvious, but wanted to clarify in case someone is skimming the thread.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Whoops. Good catch. Edited. Cheers!