Idiot-how do I fix this?

I'm doing a partial mash - trying for a steam lager. My problem is i usually do a 3 gal boil and add ice and 2 chilled gallons at the end to reduce the temp. to 75-80 and pitch. My dilema is one of my gallons of water shattered before i was able to add it to the wort (in the freezer, my wife will soon be my ex b/c of this). This was suppose to be 5.5 gal but will now be 4.5 gal. Can i pitch the yeast and add an additional 1 gal when moving it to the secondary to fix this f***up? I havent checked the OG b/c of the current temp (100 f).

6.6 light lme
6oz 10 crystal
60z 10 briess 6 row
1 oz cascade
1 oz fuggle
1 w tab, 1 tsp irish, 2 tsb yeast nutrient

lager yeast

yaddayadda

pitch now or wait to add 1 gal. additional water when the stores open in 8 hours? My city water is nasty.

Can't you just boil some tap water to top it off?

BrettMan said:

Can't you just boil some tap water to top it off?

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Ever been to south bend IN? The toilets are connected to the tap water.

Given your dilema I would wait until the stores open and add the water and the yeast. I don't think I would add it to the secondary. The California Lager yeast like it cooler than regular ale yeast any way. Ferment in the low 60's if possible.

either boil some water add more ice if you can or go with 4.5 gal and have a stronger beer. are there no qwic mart stores that sell bottled water?

if the tap water taste ok to drink it will be ok in your beer . . . If it taste like my feet then run to 7/11 and grab a gallon

BTW all tap water is attached to the tolet unless you have an outhouse

Pumbaa said:

BTW all tap water is attached to the tolet unless you have an outhouse

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good point, i'm boiling some tap water as we speak...thanks for all your input to all and we'll see whats created.

btw, i was enjoying my homebrews too much while brewing to run to the 7/11. :cross:

brmdavis said:

Ever been to south bend IN? The toilets are connected to the tap water.

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The problem only exists when the toilet output is connected to the tap water.

brmdavis said:

My dilema is one of my gallons of water shattered before i was able to add it to the wort (in the freezer, my wife will soon be my ex b/c of this).

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If you used a glass gallon container, try plastic next time. Maybe save a few 2L soda bottles or punch/juice jugs. My husband used to put his plastic water bottles in the freezer (filled up with about 2" head space for expansion) so they'd be frozen solid when he left for work. This way, he'd have ice cold water for a good portion of the day. We never had one shatter; a few cracked, but only after the water had frozen. It was more a mess when a bottle started defrosting and hubby didn't realize it had cracked in the freezer.

This brings up and interesting point for me, at least. Can you use bagged ice from the store? I would assume it is reasonable clean.

Comments?

DSL - I've used 7 lbs of ice for every batch i've ever done and never encountered any problems.

Follow up to the beginning of this thread. I boiled enough water to bring the batch to 5.5 gal...I used dry lager yeast recommended by my LHBS for the first time. After 48 hours there was no activity so i snuck a peek and there was no krousen either...only several hunks of stuff floating like clouds in the sky. I decided to give it a gentle stir. (this is the first time i've messed with a brew in progress so don't yell at me for it)

I checked the gravity and I've had no change or maybe a couple 100ths less, hard to tell. Should i say screw it and pitch some ale yeast that i've never had any problems with or does lager yeast take longer/ are slower to do their thing??