Wort Boil Down Technique

[Lyger10]

I recently came across an optional step in a fantastic recipe for a Westvleteren 12 Clone. This step worked very well for me, but also got me thinking about utilizing in other recipes.

Here is the optional step pulled from the recipe as written by "CSI" https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=500037
"Clear wort boil-down notes (Optional Step):
-------------------
(Optionally) perform a separate boil-down of 1.00 gallon of vorlaufed wort into a syrup using the following steps:
1. Extract 1.0 gallon of wort at the beginning of clear runoff into a 3-5 gallon pot.
2. Boil the wort down until it becomes a dark mahogany brown and is bubbling with large bubbles.
3. Be careful NOT to burn the maltose syrup.
4. The result will be approximately 24-26 ounces of syrup.
5. Re-crash the syrup by adding wort from the ongoing main boil.
6. Pour the dissolved liquid back in to the main boil."


I haven't run into another brewer that has tried this technique let alone on another beer. I plan on trying it with a Hefeweizen that I'm attempting next and will post results here if anyone is interested.

My objective is to basically create syrup using my wort and hopefully create a more full tasting beer, also to increase efficiency.

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

That's commonly done in beers where some caramelization type flavor is desirable, notably Scottish ales.

Normally, you'd take a gallon of first runnings (which has a very high SG) and boil it down and then add the rest of the runnings to it. It makes a rich caramelly flavored wort due to the extra maillard reactions.

 

[Gavin C]

I recently came across an optional step in a fantastic recipe for a Westvleteren 12 Clone. This step worked very well for me, but also got me thinking about utilizing in other recipes.

Here is the optional step pulled from the recipe as written by "CSI" https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=500037
"Clear wort boil-down notes (Optional Step):
-------------------
(Optionally) perform a separate boil-down of 1.00 gallon of vorlaufed wort into a syrup using the following steps:
1. Extract 1.0 gallon of wort at the beginning of clear runoff into a 3-5 gallon pot.
2. Boil the wort down until it becomes a dark mahogany brown and is bubbling with large bubbles.
3. Be careful NOT to burn the maltose syrup.
4. The result will be approximately 24-26 ounces of syrup.
5. Re-crash the syrup by adding wort from the ongoing main boil.
6. Pour the dissolved liquid back in to the main boil."


I haven't run into another brewer that has tried this technique let alone on another beer. I plan on trying it with a Hefeweizen that I'm attempting next and will post results here if anyone is interested.

My objective is to basically create syrup using my wort and hopefully create a more full tasting beer, also to increase efficiency.

Thanks

This is done in some other beer types too. Scotish ales are one example that comes to mind although I've not done this yet.

Here is some info on Scottish ales incorporating what you describe.

Not traditionally done in a Hefe as fas as I know but could be fun to try.

____________________
Quote from the linked website

When it comes to brewing Scottish style ales, there are a few methods that most American homebrewers seem to follow. The first and most talked about method involves reducing the first runnings of the mash, drawn from a mixture of pale malt and roasted barley, and adding it back to beer during the boil. This is supposed to mimic the malty-caramel flavors and kettle carmelization of "authentic" Scottish ales.

 

[agrazela]

I do something very like that (though maybe not quite boiled down to a "syrup") when I want some color, but not all the body that comes from caramel malts or the particular flavor notes that come from roasted malts or stronger character malts. Mostly I've done that with styles like Saison, Amber lager, and some German ales.

(It also helps me to boil off more water in the same amount of time, since I'm just using gas stovetop, and the "side boil" allows me to get more burners into the act.)

EDIT: oh yes, a Scottish ale, too, and that one WAS boiled down to a syrup, yes.

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

Very nice post. This method was originally composed by the HBT member "saq" who posted augmentation methods for the Westvleteren 12 clone. (We augmented the detail just a bit more). The boil-down was used to add a slight maltose char/caramel to the back palate on this quad. Wanted to also give additional credit to saq for his implementation of it in the Westy

 

[pdxal]

There's a Traquair House clone recipe by Skotrat that has been floating around for years with that technique. Works well. I've done it in an Old Ale as well and it came out good.
Another option is to take malt extract-based wort and do the same thing before adding to the boil.