8.5Gal into 8Gal pot

[BurnBabyBurn]

Hi All

I've been here for over a year, but this is my first post. Most of the times searches have yielded the results I've always looked for (thanks to everyone for that!), but I couldn't find anything for this.


I've got an 8Gal pot that I use for my boil to make 5Gal batches. Some recipes call for 8+ gallons sweet wort into the pot to account for hop absorption, boil off, etc.

My question is, what would the effects of filling the pot to capacity, and then adding additional sweet wort to the kettle as the boil off occurs?

Example:
Lets say I have a recipe which calls for a 8.5gal boil. I fill the pot with ~7.5 gal and begin the boil add hops etc. I pour off an additional gallon of runnings into a secondary container. As the boil-off makes more space in the pot, add the additional runnings into the boil pot (say this is a 90min boil. add more at 60, and 45min)

This would allow for all the required wort to be boiled for some period of time, but I'm not clear what else this may do to the beer. Any thoughts?

Thanks for responses, and thanks for all of the incredible information available here. This is the best brewing resource I've found.

 

[JustLooking]

Got a 2-3 gallon spaghetti pot? Do a simultaneous boil on your stove top.

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Probably won't matter too much since only a small percentage of your wort won't be in contact with the hops and boiled the whole time. There will be some effects, but to the average person/homebrewer I doubt too much can be noticed. I am anxious to hear from others though more experienced.

I have this problem sometimes and prefer to leave out a gallon of water and add it at the end when I put the wort in my fermenter. I buy a gallon of spring water at the store, keep it in the refrigerator nice and cold, and use it to help drop my temps down before pitching yeast and fill my carboy to the 6.5 gallon mark. I can't tell too much of a difference.

 

[Beernik]

Your hop utilization will be weird since it depends on gravity and you are changing the gravity in a stepwise fashion.

But I think your biggest issue is the potential for DMS. I'd be more inclined to either do a partial boil with make-up water or do separate boils and recombine in the fermenter.

 

[Cottonmouth]

Good question. I BIAB in an 8 gal pot and I know it's just a matter of time until I'm in this situation too. I think I just about hit the limits of my little system on my last batch with a 17.75 lb grain bill.

 

[Yesfan]

About the simultaneous boil, which pot do you put the hops in when boiling in two kettles?


EDIT: Nevermind....I guess with two kettle you just treat the 5 gallon batch as two 2.5 gallon batches ,then combine them after they've cooled. (smacks head)

 

[BeerLoverHere]

About the simultaneous boil, which pot do you put the hops in when boiling in two kettles?


EDIT: Nevermind....I guess with two kettle you just treat the 5 gallon batch as two 2.5 gallon batches ,then combine them after they've cooled. (smacks head)

Split the hops in both kettles. I have had to make beer on my stove top this winter with the brutal temps the MidWest has gotten. I've got a 3 gal and 2 gal pot going at the same time. When my hop addition is time to be added, I add my hops (rough estimate half and half) into each kettle.

+1 to Beernik on not getting rid of the DMS. I boil all my wort for 90 minutes everytime I brew to help this out. Forgot to mention that in my other post. Good call Beernik!

 

[RM-MN]

Those recipes with the huge boil amounts are probably written by someone who doesn't have good control of the heat and boils off way more than necessary. Try a smaller amount of water and control your boil off amount. You should easily fit a 5.5 gallon batch into an 8 gallon pot.

 

[BurnBabyBurn]

The hop utilization and DMS are great things to consider.

I never really thought about partial boil, but that makes the most sense to me and will likely be what I do. I don't want to deal with cleaning a couple pots after the fact and also don't want to upgrade my kettle at this time.


Thanks for the knowledge

 

[Cottonmouth]

Check out FWH. It's really helped me avoid boilovers. I can start my boil with the wort 1" below the top of my pot, turn the electric stove up to 90% and walk away knowing that it won't boil over.

 

[dyqik]

Have you measured the actual capacity of your pot? I have the HomeBrewStuff cheap 32 qt (8 gal) kettle, and I've been able to boil 8.2 gallons in it (very carefully). I could possibly have pushed it a little more, as the volume to the brim appears to be close to 9 gallons. That said, having to top off the fermenter with half a gallon of water shouldn't make a big difference to hop utilization.

The only issue is that it leaks a tiny bit through the rivets for the handles.

 

[dzlater]

I've done it with a ninety minute boil.
I figured if I add it within the first half hour it's all getting boiled for at least 60 minutes, so DMS would not be an issue.
Just kegged the beer a couple days ago.

 

[Psycotte]

Those recipes with the huge boil amounts are probably written by someone who doesn't have good control of the heat and boils off way more than necessary. Try a smaller amount of water and control your boil off amount. You should easily fit a 5.5 gallon batch into an 8 gallon pot.

Well this is not true if you are doing no sparge BIAB which by the way RN-MN I look to your posts a lot on for spot on advice. If you run a 12.5 pound grain bill with 3 ounces of hops into http://www.simplebiabcalculator.com/ you are prompted to use 9.3 gallons water. I just picked up a ten gallon boil kettle because it seems to me that MOST batches I want to do can be done in that. 8 gallon kettle limits your grain bill size a bit.

 

[RM-MN]

Well this is not true if you are doing no sparge BIAB which by the way RN-MN I look to your posts a lot on for spot on advice. If you run a 12.5 pound grain bill with 3 ounces of hops into http://www.simplebiabcalculator.com/ you are prompted to use 9.3 gallons water. I just picked up a ten gallon boil kettle because it seems to me that MOST batches I want to do can be done in that. 8 gallon kettle limits your grain bill size a bit.

I tried using that calculator after I had done a few batches and decided that it was pretty flawed too since I can do with way less water than calculated. I do like to do a little sparge but with a grain bill that is slightly less I can fit a no sparge recipe into a 7.5 gallon pot. Granted it will be right to the rim but it will fit and I would expect an OG of about 1.060 based on previous batches.