Cut short 30min boil

[Dazzelknight]

Evening all.
Just done a brew and had to cut short my brew day so only managed a 30min boil.. will this be ok… 4kg pilsner and Simcoe at flame out,, gonna dry hop so my thinking is it will hide any off flavours.

 

[jof]

There has been quite a bit of discussion about boil length following the current energy price crisis (search cost of boil)

General consensus appears to be that it's fine to shorten the boil for pale style beers, but maybe not do much for dark beers (especially things like imperial stouts)

If you wait a while, you will probably get replies form those members who routinely do shorter boils.

 

[Agentgonzo]

It'll be fine. It went be quite as good as it could have been, but unless you really look for it, you won't spot a lot of difference

 

[foxy]

It all depends on your expectations of what a beer should be like.
I prefer a Crystal clear, bright,, good head with retention through to the finish and a good balance of malt and hops. Without a trace of off flavours.
If you want to save time, skip the sparge, that will save you and hour. Also helps you save money by not having to heat the sparge water.
But you are right about the hops they will hide any discrepancies, apart from the looks.

 

[Eskdale]

There has been quite a bit of discussion about boil length following the current energy price crisis (search cost of boil)

General consensus appears to be that it's fine to shorten the boil for pale style beers, but maybe not do much for dark beers (especially things like imperial stouts)
/QUOTE]
I'm sorry I can't agree with that. It would be nice to know where the general consensus comes from? As much as some home brewers like to think there are short cuts in the general home brewing regime there actually isn't.
I do hate getting drawn into these discussions but there are members on this forum who would genuinely like to know how to brew a decent beer.
Reading on forums that there is no need to boil wort hard for 60 minutes just isn't sending out sound advice.
There is plenty of information out there from respected brewers and microbiologists about the importance of the boil and what it achieves, and I haven't come across any yet that would advocate a short boil.

Emma
https://byo.com/article/boiling-advanced-brewing/

 

[An Ankoù]

Evening all.
Just done a brew and had to cut short my brew day so only managed a 30min boil.. will this be ok… 4kg pilsner and Simcoe at flame out,, gonna dry hop so my thinking is it will hide any off flavours.

Is that your recipe? No bittering hops, just flameout hops?
If you've calculated an IBU for your beer which includes boiling the hops then it really needs the full time to isomerise the alpha acids. A vigorous boil as well!
You say your boil was cut short, how long were you planning?
I used to get short boils when I used Burco boilers with seeded hops like fuggles and the seeds would slip through the false bottom and clog the element causing it to cut out. These beers were never as good as otherwise.
My experience is that dark beers are much more forgiving than light beers and Pilsner type beers are the least forgiving of all.
Having said that. If you managed a good rolling boil for 30 mins then all is far from lost.

 

[Brew_DD2]

But why would you do that when you can quote articles by `experts'?

I have no issue with reading good quality texts from experts in the field, but the Aussie trifecta circlejerk team appear to be so blinkered that they can't fathom that just because something can be measured, that it won't always result in an observably different or worse beer.

I dread to think what lengths they go to, to measure their IBU and ABV.

 

[samale]

Some very good brewer's on here skip the boil altogether.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Why do people get so hung up with brew length? There’s only good and bad beer if a specific boil makes good beer then it’s right. Before I joined this forum I mashed and boiled for 90 minutes because I read it in Wheeler’s book, I now mash and boil for 60 minutes and the beer is still good. But if this discussion would have been had 10 years ago then it would have been a disaster to go for a shorter boil than 90 minutes.

 

[Dazzelknight]

Is that your recipe? No bittering hops, just flameout hops?
If you've calculated an IBU for your beer which includes boiling the hops then it really needs the full time to isomerise the alpha acids. A vigorous boil as well!
You say your boil was cut short, how long were you planning?
I used to get short boils when I used Burco boilers with seeded hops like fuggles and the seeds would slip through the false bottom and clog the element causing it to cut out. These beers were never as good as otherwise.
My experience is that dark beers are much more forgiving than light beers and Pilsner type beers are the least forgiving of all.
Having said that. If you managed a good rolling boil for 30 mins then all is far from lost.

The recipe was out of GH, I don’t have the book to hand but I think it was the hazy ipa. 4kg pilsner 1kg flaked oats .. 50g simcoe 50g of something else at flame out (no bittering hops) I didn’t have the other so I did 100g simcoe. It’s gonna be almost a smash I guess. I’d always keep to the stated boil time but like I said, I had to cut it short. I guess the proof will be in the tasting

 

[gavp1979]

I boiled my last brew for 30 minutes just to see how it turned out, no boil hops just whirlpool and dry hopped. I only kegged it on Monday so it has not had chance to fully carb yet but from the little taster that I had it tasted good. I didn't split the boil so there is no way to tell if it would have been better after 60 minutes but the important thing for me is that I have got a keg if decent beer and I don't feel like I wasted a morning making it.

Moral of the story is you have done a short boil now and there is nothing you can do to change that so don't worry about it, it will turn out fine, other people on this forum won't be drinking your beer so I don't see why they get so heated about your process

 

[Agentgonzo]

I guess the proof will be in the tasting

Ultimately, that's the only test that matters in my opinion.

 

[Bolsover Brewer]

I boiled my last brew for 30 minutes just to see how it turned out, no boil hops just whirlpool and dry hopped. I only kegged it on Monday so it has not had chance to fully carb yet but from the little taster that I had it tasted good. I didn't split the boil so there is no way to tell if it would have been better after 60 minutes but the important thing for me is that I have got a keg if decent beer and I don't feel like I wasted a morning making it.

Moral of the story is you have done a short boil now and there is nothing you can do to change that so don't worry about it, it will turn out fine, other people on this forum won't be drinking your beer so I don't see why they get so heated about your process

I think the reasoning behind it is there are those wishing to make good beer, and those who just make beer. At the end of the day those just wishing to make beer will go their way while those who wish to make a better beer will follow the proven science of brewing.

 

[Brew_DD2]

I think the reasoning behind it is there are those wishing to make good beer, and those who just make beer. At the end of the day those just wishing to make beer will go their way while those who wish to make a better beer will follow the proven science of brewing.

Without a hint of irony.

I suspect it's more that certain kinds of people can't stand that there are other legitimate brewing methods that differ from what they perceive is the "right" way, and feel like their dogma is being challenged as a result. They also hate that they don't have as much influence on their beer that they have convinced themselves that they do.

 

[gavp1979]

I think the reasoning behind it is there are those wishing to make good beer, and those who just make beer. At the end of the day those just wishing to make beer will go their way while those who wish to make a better beer will follow the proven science of brewing.

Advice is good, we all appreciate advice. I would much rather take that advice and experiment in order to make my own opinion. In my view completely disregarding opinions of others is what holds people back, but that being said I defend the right for everyone to hold there own opinion even if it differs from my own, can you honestly say the same?

 

[An Ankoù]

The recipe was out of GH, I don’t have the book to hand but I think it was the hazy ipa. 4kg pilsner 1kg flaked oats .. 50g simcoe 50g of something else at flame out (no bittering hops) I didn’t have the other so I did 100g simcoe. It’s gonna be almost a smash I guess. I’d always keep to the stated boil time but like I said, I had to cut it short. I guess the proof will be in the tasting

P122 in my edition, New England IPA. You're right- no hops until flameout. It should be fine as there's plenty of time for a good hot break with a 30 minute boil.

 

[SMP Brewery]

Evening all.
Just done a brew and had to cut short my brew day so only managed a 30min boil.. will this be ok… 4kg pilsner and Simcoe at flame out,, gonna dry hop so my thinking is it will hide any off flavours.

Last months competition winner Recipe Here was only a 30 minute boil and it sounded a lovely beer.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Last months competition winner Recipe Here was only a 30 minute boil and it sounded a lovely beer.

None of the tasters can detect off flavours. The beer was brewed incorrectly.

 

[gavp1979]

I feel sorry for the OP, he didn't even ask for advice on boil lengths, just that he had had to cut his boil short and will it be ok

 

[Robin54]

I feel sorry for the OP, he didn't even ask for advice on boil lengths, just that he had had to cut his boil short and will it be ok

Its the way forums work, this one in particular. Ask a beer related question, and 3 days later your changing the brake callipers on a Ford Escort!