Help needed with dilution volumes

[andyg55]

Hi all

I'm making the Harold-is-Weizen beer from "Brewing Classic Styles" but need to use the partial boil method as I only have a 5 gallon boiling kettle.

The book is a little confusing when it comes to describing how to do this:

"The ingredient quantities and hopping schedules are based on a 7-gallon boil, with 6 gallons at the end of the boil, 5.5 gallons going into the fermentor, and 5 gallons going into the bottles or keg."

The book explains that you make a 3 gallon wort in your boiling kettle and then add it to cold water already added to your fermenter, but it doesn't say how much. I copied the partial boil method from "How to Brew" which is 3 gallons of wort in the boiling kettle and 3 gallons of water in the fermenter. But if the recipes are "based on a 7-gallon boil," am I missing 1 gallon from my mix?

I finished brewing an hour ago and pitched my yeast. If I really am missing 1 gallon from the total volume, can I still add it, or is it too late?

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[johncrobinson]

The book is using total volumes and taking into account things like trub,spent grain,boil evaporation. ect.

Or at least thats the way i am reading it.

Given a set weight of ingredints its the final volume that goes into the keg or bottles thats important.

If you are short there will be no harm done by adding water to a fermentation as long as the water is sterile.

 

[johncrobinson]

I answer a lot of queries from winemakers on this site regarding following recipies from old books, Esp with adding sugar.

TBH the ONLY REAL ANSWER is to be guided by your hygrometer to get a desired origional gravity.

Beer or wine the OG. is the most imporant parameter.
The rest is personal taste.

 

[andyg55]

Thanks for your response. The recipe states that the OG should be 1.050 and I recorded 1.056 before pitching my yeast. I also just checked the volume in the fermenter and it’s at 5.4 gallons, when the recipe says that it should be 5.5 gallons going into the fermentor. So I guess I was pretty close? This is just my second attempt at brewing, first attempt at not using a kit. How far off would you say I am?

 

[johncrobinson]

Not far off at all

Your brew should be just fine.

Glad to see you have a hydrometer and can use it.
Good luck.