Terminology
Time: Kettle addition times are usually measured in terms of minutes remaining in the boil.
- Lag Time: Amount of time between when the yeast is added to the wort and when it starts showing active fermentation (when you start seeing bubbles in the air lock).
- Pitching: The act of adding yeast to the wort. Namely, you often measure the temperature of the wort at which you pitch the yeast.
Temperatures
- 185F: Max temperature to add whirlpool hops
- 170F: Good lower boundary for keeping the beer sterile
- 160F: Point at which beer becomes at risk of contamination
- 130F: Able to transfer wort to fermenter
- 80F: Max temperature for adding yeast
- 70F: Good temperature for fermentation
Partial vs. Full Boil
A partial boil is where you boil 2-3 gallons and then supplement it in the carboy with cold tap water until it reaches 5 gallons.
A full boil is where you boil 5.5 - 6 gallons1 (or even 7.5+ gallons) and you add no tap water in the carboy. This reduces the risk of contamination but is much harder to cool. It often requires a wort chiller.
| Partial | Full | |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 2-3 gallons | 5.5+ gallons |
| Cooling | Cold tap water in carboy | Usually wort chiller, but can use ice bath |
| Contamination | Tap water is more likely to contaminate | Not likely to be contaminated |