I think it is more efficient to let the lid on while brewing:

-you don't have to put the heat so high, because it will boil much faster
-you don't have to refill water all the time
-less chance of burning your brew (this shouldn't happen even with the lid on, as you're supposed to stay with it, but I guess it happened for some in the past)

Doing a quick google search I found this:



It seems to me that this are traditions that may have their value for those people, but in terms of efficiency I don't realy see why I shouldn't put the lid on (or brew only 3 hours).

Why SHOULDN'T i put it on?

Instead of using the same water to brew, I take the water out from the pot twice and add fresh water. This helps snag the alkaloids from the plants. I could see how a lid would be effective for the water boiling faster, but that's about it.

Well the idea off course is to do 3 boils of 3 hours, and replace the water after each cycle.

When I don't put the lid on I have to put my stove on setting 6. With the lid it will boil on 2,5. So I think this is very cost effective, especially since we are boiling for hours here.

Sure, those three points are all true but sometimes I will take the lid off for a bit towards the end of the boil just to reduce some of the extra water off if need be.

I boil always on the lowest heat, so it is just simmering anyway (until the last of the three boils. I ramp it up slightly then) If I put the lid on it would a)boil over or b)boil the life out of the spirit/actives. Also, I find it necessary to keep adding water, as the water level goes down, and evaporates off, giving more space for the extraction with each add. This is very efficient for me, and like I said, its always on the lowest setting anyway.

Yes I realized yesterday during brewing that adding water eacht time the water level goes down should be beneficial for extraction, the fresh water has more space for the goodies. Thanks for the input...