Beer Brewing Guide - Step 4: Boiling

During the boiling process, the wort obtained is heated to 100°C and hops are added, which sterilises the wort, precipitates lees and makes the hop bitters soluble.

Why boil the wort?

Boiling the wort is crucial for several reasons:

Sterilisation: boiling kills potentially harmful microorganisms in the wort. This prevents unwanted fermentations and infections that could affect the flavour of the beer.

Removal of undesirable flavours: Boiling helps to remove or reduce undesirable flavourings and compounds in the wort. These include, for example, DMS (dimethyl sulphide), which can cause an unpleasant flavour in cooked vegetables. Open boiling, i.e. without a lid, is required for this in order to drive out the DMS with the steam.

Concentration of the wort: During boiling, some of the water in the wort evaporates, which leads to a concentration of flavourings and sugars. This contributes to the fullness of flavour and the alcohol content of the beer.

Hop flavour and bitterness: During boiling, hops are added to impart flavour and bitterness. Boiling enables the desired bitter substances to be converted from the hops. Late additions of hops release desirable flavour components without reducing them again through prolonged evaporation.

Step 1: Preparing the brewing kettle

Before boiling can begin, the brewing kettle must be prepared. The kettle should be clean and free of residue to avoid impurities in the beer. Make sure you have all the necessary utensils and ingredients to hand, including the hops and any additional spices or flavourings, depending on the style of beer.

Step 2: Heating the wort

The wort obtained from the lautering process is poured into the brewing kettle and heated to the desired temperature of 100°C. If you lauter directly from the lauter tun into the brewing kettle, you can start heating directly and save time.

Step 3: Adding the hops

Once the wort has reached boiling temperature, the boiling time begins. It is now decided when to add the hops. This can be done at the start of the boil. After 15-20 minutes, when a visible protein break occurs, the bittering yield is even higher. Be sure to check for foam formation at the start of the boil and when adding the hops. As with boiling over milk, the high protein content of the wort can lead to boiling retardation.

The hop varieties you use, as well as the time and duration of the boil, influence the flavour and bitterness of the beer. There are various methods of adding hops:

Bittering hops: Bittering hops are usually added at the start of the boil. This gives the beer the desired bitterness due to the usually increased alpha acid content. The boiling time for bittering hops is usually 60 minutes.

Aroma hops: Aroma hops are usually added towards the end of the boil or even after the heat source has been switched off. This preserves priority aromatic compounds in the hops and gives the beer its characteristic flavour.

Step 4: Boiling and controlling the boiling time

During the boil, you need to monitor the wort and ensure that it does not boil over. The boiling time varies depending on the beer recipe and hop variety. It is important to keep to the exact time to achieve the desired bitterness and flavour extraction. Use the widely available brewing calculators on the internet to determine the amount of hops and boiling time.

Step 5: Removing hot trub

Removing hot trub is an important step in the brewing process that has a significant impact on the quality and clarity of the beer. Hot trub consists of proteins and other solid particles that flocculate during the boiling of the wort and settle to the bottom of the brewing kettle. Hot trub is usually removed by a whirlpool effect and draining the clear wort, leaving the trub deposits behind.

The effects of hot trub on the beer are manifold. If the hot trub is not removed, it can leave undesirable flavours and bitterness in the beer. It can also affect the shelf life of the beer and produce cloudy wort. Proper removal of hot trub results in a clearer and more flavourful beer and helps to keep the beer fresher for longer. Therefore, carefully draining or filtering the wort to remove the hot trub is an essential step for brewers to achieve a high quality end product.

Step 6: Cooling the wort quickly

After boiling, the wort needs to be cooled quickly to add the yeast and start fermentation. Cooling quickly also helps to prevent unwanted flavour compounds that can develop during slow cooling. This can be achieved using a special heat exchange system, cooling coils or by immersing the brewing vessel in an ice bath.

Concluding remarks

Boiling the beer wort is a crucial step in beer production that influences the final flavour, bitterness and purity of the beer. On a hobby brewer scale, this process offers the opportunity to be creative and brew unique beers with individual flavour profiles. By carefully controlling the boiling time, hop addition and temperature, hobby brewers can produce beers with the desired character and flavour. The boiling process is therefore a crucial step on the way to a home-brewed beer that matches your own preferences and ideas.

	EasyBrew Stainless Stell Brewing kettle 36L with discharge tap	Weck / Braumarkt cooker	EasyBrew SB 30P Brewing System	Grainfather G40 Brewing System	Speidel Braumeister Brewing System Plus 20L
Digital Temperature controll	X	✓	✓	✓	✓
Timer & Temperature settings	X	✓	✓	✓	✓
Automatic stirring /Circulation	X	X Add-on stirrer	✓	✓	✓
Integrated Lautering (Grain basket)	X Lauter tun /BIAB necessary	X Lauter tun /BIAB necessary	✓	✓	✓
Recipe automation	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Pre saved recipes	X	X	X	✓	✓
PID-Heating control	X	X	X	✓	✓
Cooling jacket	X	X	X	X	✓
Possibility to ferment	X	X	X	X	✓
Size (Hx⌀)	38cmx35,5cm	35cmx30cm	79cmx40cm	72,5cmx55,5cm	60cmx40cm
Cleaning	By hand	By hand	Cleaning solution + pump	Cleaning solution + pump	Cleaning program
Price	124,95€	199,95€	495€	1.349€	2.295€

Braumarkt Beer Brewing Guide

Step 1: Malt Milling
Step 2: Mashing
Step 3: Lautering
Step 5: Whirlpool & Cooling
Step 6: Fermenting
Step 7: Bottling

Measuring
Cleaning
Keg Fermentation

Easybrew Brewkettle 36 liter with tap

36 liter brew kettle with an extra thick bottom suitable for brewing 20 to 25 liters of beer. High quality. Specifications: 304 grade stainless steel/INOX Brushed stainless steel look 12 liter capacity Sturdy Tri-clad bottom Sturdy handles with silicone coating. Stainless steel ball valve with hose barb Laser engraved graduation in liters on the inside of the pan. Diemensions: Inner dimensions kettle: D 35.5 cm, H 38 cm Hosebarb: 1/2" Will fit hose size 12x17mm Our Easybrew brewing kettles are in principle suitable for induction cooktops. Some cooktops however may not offer an advanced temperature control during mashing. Please use an induction cooktop of which the heating unit matches the diameter of your brewing kettle.

€169.95*

Available

Weck W25A Thermostat & Time Clock & Tap

Type W25A canning kettle Adjustable thermostat incl. timer + tap 220 volt, 1800 Watt. The device has a pilot light and a special position for dejuicing (juice inlay sold separately) Special position for dejuicing (juice inlay sold separately) Venerable Stainless steel, with flat bottom Diameter: 35 cm Height 30 cm. Content: 30 ltr. (can contain 14 weck jars of 1 ltr, or 21 weck jars of 0.5 ltr) Supplied complete with inlay roster. The stainless steel models have been set to 1800 Watt element to prevent local overheating at the bottom of the kettle. 1 year warranty Dutch user manual Note: If the thermostat Weck boiler is put into "kochen/entsaften" position, all the water in the kettle will evaporate. That is because you then turn off the on/off control of the thermostat. The light will stay on continuously . This position is meant for using the -separately available- dejuice inlay. In this position the on/off switch will not be working! This Weck kettle is intended for household use. Attention! In the accompanying instructions it is clearly stated that the water in the canning kettle needs cooling after use before the kettle is emptied. If you fail to do this, there will be damage to the electronics and your warranty will be dropped (because of incorrect use)! Also, the legs of your wire grid will melt.

€199.95*

Not Available

Details

Grainfather S40 brewing system

The Grainfather S40 brewing system has a 46L capacity, allowing you to create 40L of your own beer every time that you brew. This product has a high grade stainless steel build and is packed full of features to make every brew easy. Features: 304 grade stainless steel body Easily manage heating using the digital controller with colour display Built in pump for maximum brewing efficiencies Easily cool wort with the stainless steel immersion chiller Recirculation arm for more efficient mashing 2-year warranty Whats included: Grainfather S40 Grain basket Lid Immersion chiller, hoses connection fittings Recirculation arm wort sprayer Built-in pump

€549.00*

few Available

Speidel Braumeister 20L PLUS

Now even newer: like the original, but better. That’s the #Braumeister PLUS with new brewing control unit and with the known welded-on double jacket for cooling. The new automatic control system brews with your own individual recipes and guides you through the brewing process. Recipes and software updates can be synced automaticly with the integrated wifi. The time and temperature are precisely maintained through all brewing phases (temp sensor in the center rod in the middle of the malt). In contrast to the cumbersome equipment of some other hobby brewers, the Braumeister does not need to be stirred all the time. Thanks to the patented malt pipe technology, the wort is circulated gently and conveniently. Nothing can burn on and nothing needs to be racked during the brewing phases. This way brewing more complex beers is easier than ever before. The #Braumeister PLUS is available with a capacity of 20 or 50 litres. For emptying the waste water there is an additional outlet tap mounted to the tank bottom, which makes cleaning remarkably easy. features New control system with touch screen integrated brewing guide Wifi for software updates and sync of recipes Made of stainless steel Cooling jacket for easy and hygienic cooling with water Quantity: 20 l of finished beer (normal beer) = approx. 23 l of wort Max. malt quantity 6 kg Additional outlet valve in the bottom Whether you prefer wheat beer, Maerzen or Altbier: all kinds of beers can be brewed with the Braumeister. You will certainly taste the difference in quality between your own beer and indistinguishable, mass-produced beers. But be careful: Anyone who has ever got the taste, will care no more for commercial brews that all taste the same. After this you won't want to do without natural brewing without pasteurizing, good ingredients and leaving out chemical additives.

€2,295.00*

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