Boiling in the mid 19th century

Another extract from the 1850 to 1880 chapter of "Beer, Ale and Malt Liquor". It seems such a waste to leave all these words unused. Especially if you're as chronically lazy as I am.

To prevent cooling of the wort, which could lead to the creation of lactic acid, Faulkner suggested fitting the underback with a steam coil. (Source: "The Art of Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1876, pages 76.) Wort was vulnerable before it had been stabilised by boiling. Having multiple coppers was a good way of ensuring worts did not to have to wait long before being boiled. (Source: "The Art of Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1876, page 76.)

There were three purposes in boiling:

1. extracting bitterness, oils, resins and tannin from the hops
2. coagulating proteins (the hot "break")
3. evaporating away some of the water to increase the gravity of the wort.
(Source: "The Art of Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1876, page 77.)

Loftus suggested a short boil: just 1 hour. "To boil it for a longer time is wasteful and pernicious, both to the extract of the malt and to that of the hop." (Source: "The Brewer" by William Loftus, 1856, page 40.) In order to avoid the need for a longer boil (to increase the gravity of the wort) brewers should try to hit the right gravity during mashing. "The gravity of the wort does not increase in proportion as the length decreases by evaporation." Loftus warns. (Source: "The Brewer" by William Loftus, 1856, page 41.)

Faulkner maintained that, while strong worts should not be boiled for longer than 90 minutes, weaker worts could be boiled for as long as three hours. Though the hops were not added until half way through. Having a smaller amount of extract, weaker worts were not as susceptible to caramelisation. (Source: "The Art of Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1876, page 81.)

Half the hops were added add the start of the boil and the other half after 30 minutes. Loftus: "By this mode of dividing the hops, an aromatic flavour is imparted to the ale which greatly improves it" (Source: "The Brewer" by William Loftus, 1856, page 80.)