[jimrod]

I've heard of boiling the first 2 gallons down to 1 pint and adding it back to the wort.  Is this just to add a caramel taste to the beer?

[denny]

Pretty much so, although I don't know if "caramel" is exactly the right description.  And in Skotrat's classic recipe, I think it's a gal. that gets boiled down, not 2.

ETA: After looking at the recipe, it seems like the 2 gal. boildown is for an 11 gal. batch.  I've always done only 1 gal. for a 5-5.5 gal. batch.

[blatz]

it definitely adds a level of richness to the malt flavor - I can't say its definitely caramel tasting however - but I have used this technique in Skotrat's recipe and my old ale with great success.

always done 1gal --> 1 pint per 5 gallons - be sure to watch the boildown carefully once it gets below a half gallon as it can get away from you in a hurry and create a huge mess.  Also, be sure to either collect more runnings or add water to keep your volume what you planned.

[tom]

+3
boil it down until you're scared!

[redbeerman]

+3
boil it down until you're scared!

Yeah, that boiled down pint is like syrup!  And darn tasty too!

[skotrat]

+3
boil it down until you're scared!

This is my favorite response in a very long time.