In order to reach a given volume in the fv how do you guys cater for the volume losses which occur at various stages post-sparge e.g. evaporation in the boiler, hop absorbtion etc ?
Various options I can see:-
1. Start the boil with a greater volume than the target
2. Top up with liqour during the boil to balance evaporation loss
3. Top up with liqour in the fv
My Burco boiler is 27L capacity so option 1 might not give me 5 gallons in the fv without going for 2 or 3 also.....
Comments ?
Achieving target volume
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sagwalla
I usually don't worry about volume loss. Just take what I'm handed. I'm looking for 6.5 gal at the end of sparge, but sometimes I miss - depends on the grain bill. I have two coils in my boiler, so I can whack in more heat if required. I usually use the two coils to bring it up quickly to the boil, then switch one off. But last time it was cold enough outside that my boil wasn't particularly rigorous, and after an hour I still had too much liquid, so I stuck the other coil on and aimed for evap loss.
As much as a goal of, say, 5 imperial, is admirable, I find I really don't want to be stuck with more than about 21 litres in the fv, so about 25 litres at the end of boil or I have just too much to get into a corny. My last batch was perfect...a full corny with about 1 inch of headspace, plus one pint leftover as a taste of things to come. [btw, it was bright and in excellent condition, so no waiting really required
]
If you're short, I guess I'd top up during the boil to get some sanitisation, although when I did kits I used to use just filtered water in the fv as a heat sink, put in the heated wort and top up to desired volume with more filtered. That was good enough for me.
Maybe I'll eat my own dog food this weekend and do a kit while I'm doing an all-grain. Top up the stores!
As much as a goal of, say, 5 imperial, is admirable, I find I really don't want to be stuck with more than about 21 litres in the fv, so about 25 litres at the end of boil or I have just too much to get into a corny. My last batch was perfect...a full corny with about 1 inch of headspace, plus one pint leftover as a taste of things to come. [btw, it was bright and in excellent condition, so no waiting really required
]If you're short, I guess I'd top up during the boil to get some sanitisation, although when I did kits I used to use just filtered water in the fv as a heat sink, put in the heated wort and top up to desired volume with more filtered. That was good enough for me.
Maybe I'll eat my own dog food this weekend and do a kit while I'm doing an all-grain. Top up the stores!
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James
Assuming your kit/recipe has an Original Gravity reading (OG) you should be brewing to a gravity, not to a certain volume. It took me a while to figure this out. Many kits come without an OG reading, which stinks..
It is better to end up with 4 gallons of beer at the right OG than 6 gallons of beer but missing your OG by .10.
The way I do this is right at the end of my boil, take the OG reading, and apply a temperature correction factor. If i'm out I just correct here and then.
http://www.bossbeer.org/tips/hydrometer.htm
I never add water to the fermentor, that’s asking for trouble IMO.
Try it. Your beer should taste more as the recipe intended, and if you decide to brew the same again, repeatability/consistency will also be improved.
JC
It is better to end up with 4 gallons of beer at the right OG than 6 gallons of beer but missing your OG by .10.
The way I do this is right at the end of my boil, take the OG reading, and apply a temperature correction factor. If i'm out I just correct here and then.
http://www.bossbeer.org/tips/hydrometer.htm
I never add water to the fermentor, that’s asking for trouble IMO.
Try it. Your beer should taste more as the recipe intended, and if you decide to brew the same again, repeatability/consistency will also be improved.
JC
)
