stevea1210
Well-Known Member
I had a problem with my brew day today. I collected more wort than would fit into my pot. I usually max at around 6.75 gallons in my 30 qt turkey fryer. Well today was more like 7.75 gallons. I'm not sure how it happened, but I mis calculated or mis measured something (not important and not my question).
I had to decide on a plan. Don't use the extra wort, boil it separately, or slowly add it to the kettle as room permits. I chose to slowly add it throughout the brew. Don't know if it was the best choice.
The recipe called for a 75 minute boil, I boiled for 95 minutes to bring the volume down. I added more wort every 10 to 15 minutes until it was all in. That meant I was fighting boil overs the entire boil. Not fun!
Apparently I didn't boil it long enough. After pitching my starter, I have just shy of 6 gallons in the fermenter (blow off tube is installed). Also I missed my og. Recipe called for 1.071, I got 1.061. My efficiency was close to normal, but could be better. I think that if I would have boiled off another half gallon or so, I would have been much closer to my OG, and not been at the top of my carboy.
So the question isn't why I missed my og (pretty obvious I didn't boil down enough), it isn't why my efficiency sucks (working on that seperately). The question is what should I have done when I realized I had more wort than would fit into the pot. I don't think my plan of slowly adding it in worked very well at all.
I had to decide on a plan. Don't use the extra wort, boil it separately, or slowly add it to the kettle as room permits. I chose to slowly add it throughout the brew. Don't know if it was the best choice.
The recipe called for a 75 minute boil, I boiled for 95 minutes to bring the volume down. I added more wort every 10 to 15 minutes until it was all in. That meant I was fighting boil overs the entire boil. Not fun!
Apparently I didn't boil it long enough. After pitching my starter, I have just shy of 6 gallons in the fermenter (blow off tube is installed). Also I missed my og. Recipe called for 1.071, I got 1.061. My efficiency was close to normal, but could be better. I think that if I would have boiled off another half gallon or so, I would have been much closer to my OG, and not been at the top of my carboy.
So the question isn't why I missed my og (pretty obvious I didn't boil down enough), it isn't why my efficiency sucks (working on that seperately). The question is what should I have done when I realized I had more wort than would fit into the pot. I don't think my plan of slowly adding it in worked very well at all.