Partial mash/boil question

[carlk47]

Is there any reason I couldn't boil the late DME addition in a separate pot with 1 gal of water and then add that mixture to main brew pot at flameout to chill before racking to carboy?

I know some people just add the extract at flameout into the main pot, but I like the idea of boiling it a bit just to make sure it is thoroughly mixed and dissolved.

Thoughts on this?

 

[Matt3989]

Only that having less water in your main pot will throw off your hop utilization numbers. I can't imagine one gallon would do much... But you could always use a calc to adjust for it...

 

[Matt3989]

Also, you should always boil DME to dissolve it, LME you might be able to get away with adding it at flame out, but I would still want to boil it for a bit too.

 

[Snisup]

Why not just add it with 5mins left in the boil then it will be boiled and you won't dirty another pot

 

[strangegreenman]

I can only imagine that if you boil your DME separately from your main pot that you would be making hop/specialty grain tea in one pot and sweet wort in the other. You'd get better hop utilization, assuming you used as much water in the main pot as you ordinarily would, so it's an interesting IPA experiment, i guess. If you decrease the water level in your main pot, then that benefit is defeated, so I'd say you'd just make things more complicated. What is it that you're making, and what do you want it to do for you?

 

[carlk47]

Only that having less water in your main pot will throw off your hop utilization numbers. I can't imagine one gallon would do much... But you could always use a calc to adjust for it...

I would use the same quantity of water in the main brew pot as previously did, But I would be using 1 gal of the topoff water for this second part. I use beersmith to calculate my hops utilization so that isn't a concern

 

[carlk47]

Haha sorry guys I should have explained more in depth. I am currently doing partial mash with a partial boil using 4 gal of water for my mash/sparge and then I end up topping off in the fermenter with about 2.5-3 gal of water to reach my 5.5 gal batch size. All of my hops calculations are based off of the gravity of the mash and I add the dme at the end of the boil.

What I am trying to avoid is having to stop my boil at 15 minutes, stir in the dme and then have to wait for the wort to come to a boil again. If I boiled the late dme addition separately I could just do my typical 60 minute boll with the main pot and just add the small dme/1 gal wort to the main kettle right before chilling.

Sound ok?

 

[nucciocioccio]

I did it for my last beer. Boiled dme in about 3 quarts for 5 minutes and put it in the fermenter, than added the hopped wort separately and topped up to 6 gallons. No problem at all.

 

[bobbrews]

Whenever I use DME for a pale Partial Mash ale, I pitch the majority of it at flameout. It dissolves completely and I haven't had any infections or sanitation issues yet.

 

[carlk47]

Well I brewed up a blonde ale last night and put the extract in at flameout.. my efficiency was terrible! The last two batches where I added the extract at flameout I have had low efficiency. The two batches prior where I added it at 15 minutes boil I had high efficiency.. I'm sure there might be other factors involved but I'm not liking it. I very well could be doing something wrong but I'm going to stick with what works. Also used a wort chiller for the first time so I was trying to "dodge" it while trying to stir in the DME..

I'm brewing up another batch either tonight or tomorrow.. Think I'll give this 2nd pot trick a go to see how I like it. If not, I'll go back to adding the DME at 15 minutes and just move forward

 

[Matt3989]

Well I brewed up a blonde ale last night and put the extract in at flameout.. my efficiency was terrible! The last two batches where I added the extract at flameout I have had low efficiency. The two batches prior where I added it at 15 minutes boil I had high efficiency.. I'm sure there might be other factors involved but I'm not liking it. I very well could be doing something wrong but I'm going to stick with what works. Also used a wort chiller for the first time so I was trying to "dodge" it while trying to stir in the DME..

I'm brewing up another batch either tonight or tomorrow.. Think I'll give this 2nd pot trick a go to see how I like it. If not, I'll go back to adding the DME at 15 minutes and just move forward

You're efficiency was terrible? Was it an AG with an extract addition?

If it was all extract I would think the only way to affect your efficiency would be if you left a big pile of DME undissolved in the bottom of your brew pot.

My guess is that you didn't mix it well enough and got more water in your test then wort.

I would still think you would have problems with extract dough balls when you add at flame out, but I've never done it so I don't know.

 

[Snisup]

Efficiency is only a factor when mashing grains. If you're doing extract the only way for your numbers to be off are if you use too little or too much extract or too little or too much water. There is a predetermined amount of sugar in extract. You literally can't mess it up.

You're hydrometer may be off or you may be dealing with stratified wort when taking a sample to check. Make sure that your top off water is well mixed with your wort before drawing a sample.

 

[carlk47]

Valid points! I was dealing with several new variables last night that I didn't use in prior batches, so I just need to get accustomed to them and I'm sure ill be fine.. One was first time using a wort chiller and second was I've switched to using better bottles instead of buckets. Love both of them but I just need to get used to the slightly modified process and then I'll be comfortable again and I'm sure my efficiency will be fine.

Agreed on the mixing and drawing a watery sample. It's one of the things that I dislike about partial boils, but it still makes beer!