Propane Burner To Boil Wort

[JoshuaGates]

Hi Brewers,

So I recently made some significant (for me) changes to my hobby. I am now going 100% all grain. This means larger vats of wort to boil and my old 1500 watt convection cooktop just can't handle it. So, I bought a propane burner. Not going to mention which, because I'd like this advice to be universal.

I searched the forums and couldn't find a dedicated topic about how to use a propane burner correctly. Therefor, I'm hoping the OG's in here will drop some advice.

I think this would be a typical volume amount for most home brewers. Boiling 7-7 1/2 gallons of wort to make 5 gallon batches of beer.

Question 1: Do you just turn your propane regulator up as high as it will go to get the boil started or do you start moderatly? I've heard you can burn the wort if the heats too high to start the boil?

Question 2: Do you keep the kettle covered or uncovered?

Question 3: Boil over sounds to be a regular subject, so any tips on the best methods for controlling this would be helpful.

I'm just getting this thread started, so please, all you OG's, drop some knowledge and help us newbies to propane boiling out.

Sincerely,
Joshua
The Cellar Pub

 

[Sandy Feet]

Your water level will depend on your method and boil off rate. For BIAB in Florida, I actually start with 8 gallons of water.
1. It depends on the burner. I have a Hell Fire that goes 110,000 BTUs. I don't turn that thing all the way up unless it gets really cold outside. You don't want is so hot that you have a massive hot break, and you want your boil to be a rolling one. not one that is out of control if that helps.
2. UNCOVERED!!! The only time you cover that thing is when you are mashing.
3. Get a 16 gallon kettle.

 

[J A]

Yes to all That^^^
Most turkey-fryer burners will do the job. The only difference is that the bigger the burner, the sooner you get up to temp. After it reaches boiling temp, you turn it down to a hard simmer. Also, the bigger the burner, the more likely you are to boil over. If you're outside and it's relatively cool or windy, it's a little hard to hold the perfect boil and you may have to babysit the control valve a little..

 

[Minbari]

Just 1 observation, going all grain doesn't have to mean larger batches. plenty of all grain brewers on here that do 2-3 gallon batches.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I have a Dark Star 2.0 burner (65k BTU). I turn the burner up to where the flames are significantly yellow (which means poor combustion) then turn it down just enough so the flame is blue. I've never had a problem with scorching the wort. I think that's more of a risk with electric.

Boiling uncovered is by far the best option. However, if it's a windy day, or I'm trying to reach boiling quickly, I'll have the lid 75% on. However, it's important to boil uncovered for at least the final 20-30 minutes or so DMS and it's precursors can be boiled off. With modern, well-modified malts, I don't think that's not a huge risk anymore. In addition to DMS boil-off, it's harder to catch a boil-over before it happens because you can't see the surface of the wort. Quite often I start with a very full kettle. I use the kettle thermometer to see how close to a boil I am. When it gets close, I watch it like a hawk. In one hand I have my spoon so I can push aside the foam to keep an open area on the surface and my other hand is on the propane burner control. At the first sign of a boil-over, I kill the gas.

 

[J A]

Just 1 observation, going all grain doesn't have to mean larger batches. plenty of all grain brewers on here that do 2-3 gallon batches.

I would agree with that but add that relatively large batches might make a more efficient grain bed for using a traditional fly sparge. Or more accurately batches that are matched to the size of the vessels.
If I try to do small batches in my 16 gallon tun, the grain bed is too thin and won't hold up very well. I have a smaller 8-gallon vessel that I used to use and that works much better for mashing smaller batches.

 

[Donoroto]

1. Yes, too hot can scorch the wort. At first, full bore is ok, once it gets warmer dial it back… or just go slow the whole time.
2. The answer above regarding DMS is good. Fully-covered boils will risk unpleasantly flavored beer. On your first boil, sniff the steam: that ‘creamed corn’ odor is DMS, and if it isn’t boiled off, it stays in the beer.
3. Boil over is an inescapable fact. The proteins will always cohere into foam, just like when boiling pasta. You must watch for it! When it happens, either stirring or spraying water from a spray bottle will burst the bubbles and knock it down. On my equipment, it lasts for 4-5 minutes at most.

Good luck!