Grain Bag Split

ice bath?

Originally posted by skinnyguy
A couple things that can help for chilling next time:

Chill your kettle before adding the additional cold water (if possible for your setup).

Gently stir the hot wort inside the kettle while it is in the cold water bath. This is very helpful, especially as the wort gets closer to the water bath temp since the temp will start dropping much more slowly (and may stop entirely without stirring). This is still helpful when you add an immersion chiller (stir the direction opposite the flow of the chiller).

Save any ice you may have until the kettle is only warm or even cool to the touch. It will melt so quickly in the beginning that it’s better to save it, unless you have an unlimited supply at hand.

As others have mentioned, empty the water bath and refill as soon as it feels warm at all (even anything above cold).

I am considering boiling 2 gallons rather than 3 next time. What other challenges or differences will this make to the brew?

Originally posted by SarkyNorthener
I am considering boiling 2 gallons rather than 3 next time. What other challenges or differences will this make to the brew?

Originally posted by skinnyguy

Originally posted by SarkyNorthener
I am considering boiling 2 gallons rather than 3 next time. What other challenges or differences will this make to the brew?

The more concentrated you make your boil, the less potential bitterness you can convey into your final batch since the thicker and more sugary solution will only pick up so much bitterness, and then the top-up water dilutes it.

You may have a harder time dissolving all of your extract into the solution (not that it gets to be impossible, just tougher). And with that, more potential for the extract to settle to the bottom and burn.

With the more concentrated boil, your final product will be darker in color. It gets tougher to do light colored beers the further from a full boil you get.

That being said, 2gal boils are common and can still allow for a good variety of brews. You will probably just have to avoid higher gravity beers (imperial range) and possibly beers with a delicate and light profile.