Ever add water after fermentation?

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Trevor57

Trevor57

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I have heard that the "big guys" do it that way. I was wondering if anybody has tried it, and to what degree of success? I was thinking about making a big DIPA around 10% abv, and then adding water at bottling time to make 10 gallons at 5% abv. If for no other reason, than to make 10gal of beer in one fermenter.

Discuss.
 
I guess I don't see the appeal, but I don't see why you couldn't dilute post-ferment as long as you follow sanitary practices.
 
I could see it doing more than just diluting the abv%, its going to dilute your flavors, aromas, bitterness, sweetness. . .taste in general. I realize youre starting with a big beer but even an IIPA doesnt have twice the taste of a regular IPA.
 
You are remembering the quality of beer that the "big guys" make, right?

Maybe you could try it with a DIPA that you like before you go for a whole batch...the carbonation would be different, but you could at least get an idea for the flavor.
 
Barley water is right if your adding water your adding oxygen and thats bad news, I wouldn't do it.
 
I don't think it will work very good. I expect the beer will taste like you added water to it. Try a small experiment. Take a strong beer like a 90 min IPA. Mix it with equal parts water and see what happens. I'm thinking it's not gonna taste that great.
 
If you added water before bottling the carbonation wouldn't be off.
 
Trevor57 said:
If you added water before bottling the carbonation wouldn't be off.
Click to expand...

I meant it would be different if adding it to a finished DIPA. I meant to suggest the exact thing that maida7 suggested to give you an idea of your finished product.
 
If you boiled the water to sanitize and purge oxygen out, it will "work". There are varying degrees of "work" though. I agree with the replies here...
 
I don't think it would be a big deal, but when doing higher gravity batches, you're going to get much worse efficiency, and hop extraction, so you're going to waste a ton of ingredients.

If you're going to 50% dilute a batch, you might need 120 IBU in the 10 gallons to get 30 in each of the diluted batches.
 
The big guys do this to lessen the flavor of their beer more than can be accomplished in the brewing process. They are basically creating the least beer-tasting thing possible.

If that is what you also are looking for, I would recommend not starting with a 2IPA.
 
I guess I was thinking it would be a more efficient way to do it, which is why large companies would do it that way.
 
Trevor57 said:
I guess I was thinking it would be a more efficient way to do it, which is why large companies would do it that way.
Click to expand...

It is, it requires no fermentation room, just an extra pot to boil water.

But they are already making something watery, are you?
 

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