Full Boils w/ Extracts

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smurfe

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I just got a couple extract kits, a California Common and an American Brown Ale that I am going to add some of the honey I got from Ramona at Winestock to make a Honey Brown Ale. I an going to do full boils on these kits. My 2 main question are:


1. How do I account for boil off? Do I start with an extra gallon or so with the boil or do I just top off to 5 gallons after I rack after the boil? I read Masta's tutorial and thats the way it appears to me. Was just wondering if any others out there do full boils and what their process is.


2. What about hops? I have read that if you do full boils from extract kits you add less hops. Some say 1/3 less, some say 1/2 less. I know many will say I like hops just add them all. I like a hoppy beer as well but i want to make these as close to style as possible so I can truly evaluate an extract beer against all grain brews to see if they are worth making when I need a quick beer and don't have time to spend on a 6 hour brew session.
 
Smurfe,


I believe my starting volume is roughly 6 gallons after adding the extract so after the boil and some loss when transferring to primary (leaving the trub behind} I very rarely have to add any water to top up.


My suggestion on the honey is to add it to the wort in the primary and stir well before pitching yeast. This way you don't lose any of the important floral aroma/flavor by heating it in the boil. Twice I have made a Honey IPA (I call it OBIPA) with a IPA kit and two pounds of orange blossom honey.


From my experience reading the recipe books I have the amount of hops used is the same in an all-grain or extract beer. The right hops added at the correct time is key.


Did these kits come with yeast?Who made the kits? Liquid yeast is the way to go since it is the only way to be true to style in flavor.
 
I got the kits from Midwest. I got the Wyeast smack packs with these 2 kits. I screwed up and got the packs you still have to build a starter. I wanted the Activator pack that you smack, let sit and then pitch.I normally use White Labs with my all grain brews and make a starter.


In regards to the honey, I have been wondering about that. I don't really want the honey to boost the alcohol content but rather I want the flavor. I don't really want it to make it much if any sweeter though. If I add it after the boil do you think I will get this result?


In regards to the hops, you do use the same amount for all grain or an extract kit if you make the extract kit per direction where you boil a couple gallons and then add the water to to ferment. I am understanding that the gravity and pHaffects the effects of the hops oils. From what I read with the lower gravity and more target pH of 5.2of a full boil the hops utilization is greater meaning less hops are needed. In fact the directions for this kit state use less if doing a full boil but I looked at all of the major kit sellers directions and very few state to do this.
 
Adding the honey after the boil will add more fermentables and increase the alcohol some (for 2 lbs of honey to 5 gals roughly 0.015 SG / 1.58 % ABV) but I have found this amount adds just enough flavor but so much the yeast leaves residual sweetness. Some of this of course relates to the apparent attenuation of the yeast being used.


I have always used all the hops included in every kit doing a full boil and to me the results were always excellent. Guess I never have really read this or been instructed otherwise.


Good luck and keep us informed!!Edited by: masta
 
Well, I was reading through the directions for the Honey Amber Ale kit. I can't decide when to add the honey. I want more of the mild honey flavor with just a touch of sweetness. I am not too concerned if I actually have the aroma of honey but I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing.


I am getting ready to do a full grain honey lager this weekend as well and it's directions state to add the honey on the last 10 minutes but nowI wonder if I ought to add it to the boil at 30 minutes. That recipe was just one a guy at a LHBS in Houston where we bought our grain frommade up off the top of his head.




This is a quote from the kit directions from Midwest.





Add the honey for the last 30 minutes for a mild honey flavor or the last 10 minutes for more aromatic results.
Edited by: smurfe
 

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