Evil Dog Double IPA - Boiling the Wort?

[AntComo]

Hi guys!

I'm planning my second batch and am staring at the Evil Dog Double IPA kit.

The instructions say to add the malt extract first to the fermentor, follow it up with hot water and stir.

The problem is, I'll be using a six-gallon glass carboy, so stirring isn't an option. I thought that I could maybe prepare the mixture in my 5-gallon steel kettle, but the temperatures I would need to work with seem far too dangerous for infection - I read that I shouldn't work in that 40-50 degree range that would be hot as per the instructions but not too hot for the container (max 60 degrees or so).

I thought I could maybe boil the mixture together as I would with an extract kit, stir it and mix it well and then use the wort chiller to bring it down to a decent temperature before funnelling it into the carboy. But would this boil do damage to the extract as it's not part of the recipe? Is it 'pre-boiled' as such?

What would you do?

 

[kelper]

You only need enough hot water to thin the gloopy extract. So you could mix hot water and extract in your kettle and top up with cold water. Then transfer to the carboy. Ideally it will then be at pitching temperature

 

[AntComo]

You only need enough hot water to thin the gloopy extract. So you could mix hot water and extract in your kettle and top up with cold water. Then transfer to the carboy. Ideally it will then be at pitching temperature

That makes sense. Is there a temperature I should be doing the stirring at that keeps the risk of infection to a minimum? For example with food and meat there's a zone between say 5 and 60 degrees where food is most at risk of bacterial infection. Is it the same with wort?

Apart from using boiling water from the kettle I can't see a way of avoiding this temperature for long.

 

[terrym]

The only reason kit instructions tell use to use hot water with the contents of the can or sachet is to thin the LME so it mixes better as you mix it with the cold water top up. If you can't do that in your fermenter the simple remedy is to heat about 1 to 1.5 litres of water in a stock pot or large saucapan to just below boiling, take it off the heat (this is important) and than stir in the contents of the can until it has completely homogenised, then allow it to cool to a temperture you are happy with. Part fill your FV with cold water then pour the thinned maltly wort into the FV via sanitised funnel. Pouring onto the cold water will help mixing. Then finally top up with hot or cold water to get to your pitching temperature.
Some homebrewers wonder why they burn the LME onto the pan base when they are trying to get iot to dissolve in a pan (like in extract brewing) the trick is to add LME to hot water off the heat

 

[AntComo]

The only reason kit instructions tell use to use hot water with the contents of the can or sachet is to thin the LME so it mixes better as you mix it with the cold water top up. If you can't do that in your fermenter the simple remedy is to heat about 1 to 1.5 litres of water in a stock pot or large saucapan to just below boiling, take it off the heat (this is important) and than stir in the contents of the can until it has completely homogenised, then allow it to cool to a temperture you are happy with. Part fill your FV with cold water then pour the thinned maltly wort into the FV via sanitised funnel. Pouring onto the cold water will help mixing. Then finally top up with hot or cold water to get to your pitching temperature.
Some homebrewers wonder why they burn the LME onto the pan base when they are trying to get iot to dissolve in a pan (like in extract brewing) the trick is to add LME to hot water off the heat

Sounds like a plan thanks!

I'll do this - the extract kits I'm looking at all warn against keeping the heat on while adding extract so I'll take that on board. Should I let it cool naturally (how long will this take in 3L of water?) or use the wort chiller (maybe overkill?)

 

[terrym]

Sounds like a plan thanks!

I'll do this - the extract kits I'm looking at all warn against keeping the heat on while adding extract so I'll take that on board. Should I let it cool naturally (how long will this take in 3L of water?) or use the wort chiller (maybe overkill?)

I do 9 litre boils in an 11 litre stockpot and cool that down in a few sinkfuls of cold water. That takes me about 40 mins from 100*C to less than 30*C. So you should be a lot quicker.

 

[terrym]

And don't fall for all the hype about 'infections'. If your equipment is clean and sanitised and you keep exposure of wort and beer to the outside world down to a practical minimum you have to be unlucky to get hit by an infection. That's not to say it can't happen just unlikely. And remember that in the UK brewers still ferment beer in open vessels and they don't get infections. If they did, the practice would have been abandoned years ago.

 

[AntComo]

I went with your advice and boiled 4L of water in the kettle, let it cool to 70 degrees while covered and then added the malt extract.

Let it cool to around 50, then chucked it into the carboy. Aerated it, topped up with water and finished at a cool 22 degrees. Pitched the yeast and lugged it under the table (there's no way I'm risking a glass carboy on that table... also it was super heavy. Need to invest in one of those harnesses...

Here's my current setup for fermentation. It was kind of thrown together with things we found in the house so I don't trust the worktop as it's made from an old wardrobe door, but the legs are iron and used for a workbench so I've left the Coopers bubbling away over that part.

The Evil Dog is in the bottom there in the glass carboy. Seems dark! Interesting to see how aggressively it starts to ferment as I may stick on the blow-off.

The cantina (cellar?) isn't ideal for preparation as it's a bit dusty, but for fermenting I can't ask for more. I've been measuring the temperature for three weeks now and it's never gone outside of 18.7-20.5 degrees.

In the winter that'll plummet, so hopefully far enough to do some lagers.

IMG_8983

• AntComo
• Aug 14, 2019

First two batches - Coopers Pale Ale after 96 hours in the top right, freshly prepared Evil Dog...

 

[kelper]

Where's the armchair and glamour mags?