Do I need to boil for 60 minutes?

[billp]

Okay, I've decided to take a make another visit to the dark side (away from my Mr Beer training wheels) and do a boil with hops and everything to make a Fat Tire clone beer from extract using an ingredient kit from MoreBeer. The kit comes with 8 pounds of extract and 1.5 pounds of specialty malts for steeping.

Here's my question. I'm splitting the kit into two 2.5 gallon batches, because I don't want to make more than a case of any one type of beer at a time. Since I'm doing a full volume boil, I know I've got to adjust my hops amounts to account for the lower gravity of the boil. The directions say to boil for 60 minutes, but only add hops for the last 20 minutes of the boil. There are other hop additions at the last 10 minutes, and at the last minute.

Since I'm only boiling the bittering hops for 20 minutes, and I'm using extract, do I still need the full 60 minute boil? I read about 60 minute boils to avoid DMS and its off-flavors, but if I"m reading correctly, DMS is primarily an issue when using grain instead of extract. WOuld the 1.5 lbs of steeping grain give me a DMS problem if I only boiled for 30 minutes instead of an hour?

What say ye?

[berryman]

Okay, I've decided to take a make another visit to the dark side (away from my Mr Beer training wheels) and do a boil with hops and everything to make a Fat Tire clone beer from extract using an ingredient kit from MoreBeer. The kit comes with 8 pounds of extract and 1.5 pounds of specialty malts for steeping.

Here's my question. I'm splitting the kit into two 2.5 gallon batches, because I don't want to make more than a case of any one type of beer at a time. Since I'm doing a full volume boil, I know I've got to adjust my hops amounts to account for the lower gravity of the boil. The directions say to boil for 60 minutes, but only add hops for the last 20 minutes of the boil. There are other hop additions at the last 10 minutes, and at the last minute.

Since I'm only boiling the bittering hops for 20 minutes, and I'm using extract, do I still need the full 60 minute boil? I read about 60 minute boils to avoid DMS and its off-flavors, but if I"m reading correctly, DMS is primarily an issue when using grain instead of extract. WOuld the 1.5 lbs of steeping grain give me a DMS problem if I only boiled for 30 minutes instead of an hour?

What say ye?

I have brewed that kit in both extract and all grain. It doesn't taste exactly like Fat Tire but close and still good beer. If you are doing a 2.5 split at different times, just cut all the ingredients in half and go by the same hop schedule. As far as boil time 20 min would be fine calling for first addition @20. After you get a good steady boil and hot break over, add you hops set the timer and wait for the next addition. Most kits are meant for a 60 min boil and home brewers get their boil-off rate figured on 60 mins.

[mashani]

Yeah, in case Berrymans post wasn't totally clear to you, the DMS isn't any issue here, but you need to know how much water will boil off in 20 minutes in your case and adjust the recipe to have that much more water before you start to boil instead of whatever it is suggesting you would use for a 60 minute boil (which would be more water). Otherwise you will end up with more wort at a lower gravity. This won't wreck it - but it might not all fit in your fermenter if it is too much, and the flavor/aroma and ABV will be slightly less.

[billp]

Thanks guys. I've ordered the kit, should be here next week.

Good input on adjusting the pre-boil size...thanks.