Liquor Back after fermentation???

[SnowMark]

I've had an American IPA fermenting for 12 days (Gravity 1.014 from OG 1.062). Due to some problems at the end of the boil it looks like i have a huge amount of trub in the FV - I'm just about to rack to secondary and wondered if there is any problem with adding a couple of litres of water at this stage? It seems like I'm only going to get 18l into the secondary instead of the planned 21l.

I know that the ABV will reduce but happy to drop below the 6% mark anyway - will it just make the final beer taste watery?

Thanks for any advice:wha:

 

[Tony1951]

I've done it for sure, but now I'd tend to say you should go for quality rather than quantity. Stronger beer may mean you drink it in smaller amounts, but it will taste damned good I bet.

I actually sampled a bottle which I'd topped up with water because I'd run out of wort at the end of the bottling and had a bottle about 90% full. It was poor in comparison to its full strength brothers. My eldest son and I drank it side by side with the others and it was nothing like as good.

 

[clibit]

I've done it. I would have a taste before you bottle it and decide whether it could handle some dilution. Consider the malt flavour and the hop bitterness and flavour. Sometimes a beer might benefit from a little dilution, I reckon, if it has become more 'concentrated' during the brewing process than it was intended to be. I could be talking nonsense though.

What Tony says is very much worth bearing in mind. If in doubt, leave it alone. Put it down to experience and adjust your quantities next time. And don't add much water, if you do.

 

[SnowMark]

Thank you Both - sound advice, as always.

I shall leave well alone and be content with 36 bottles rather than 44 - i probably would have just given the extra 8 away, anyway.

Bottling tomorrow! Thanks again.