Adding Water?

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skeletor

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Me and my brew partner are in a slight disagreement.

A few of our batches we had calculated water a bit wrong, and had somewhere under 5 gallons of wort. My friend insists that you can add water. Im worried about any bacteria that may be in the water, but mostly loss of flavor. it seems to me if you add water, you are basically diminishing your efficiency from your mash...

Whats the deal?
 
what was the estimated verses real OG? I wouldn't add water unless these were really off. You'll just have a bigger beer that's all.
 
You could always boil and then cool the water, right?

Do you use software for your calculations and have you properly compensated for dead space losses, boil off, grain absorption, and trub loss?

Idividually, they all seem insignificant but they do add up.

BeerSmith, as well as others, has a dilution calculator that can let you see your what if. Most do not concern themselve too much with the final volume as long as the gravity and bitterness are where they need to be. If we come up short on a batch then we twitch our numbers on the next batch.

The hardest part, IMO, is the boil off number. I wish there was a way to allow a humidity factor to adjust the rate figure. I keep a thermometer with a humidity indicator outside so I could easily make an adjustment but, I haven't found a way to anticipate the current humidities impact and that is where I have to guess with each brew. Some times I boil off a lot, sometimes not so much and the boil gets extended to hit my target.

Dilution will alter the beer. If the addition is a gallon or less and your gravity is high to start with then I'd go for it if volume is that big a concern for you. If you are under your target gravity then I would skip it and increase my water needs for next batch.
 
I keep a jug of unopened bottled water on hand for top off. I've only needed it once since I monitor my boiloff and top off with 15 minutes left in the boil as needed.

Here is a pic of my high-tech wort volume measuring device:

DSC01679.JPG


:D
 
I've topped off every single batch I've made so far (I'm a partial boiler), both with bottled water and straight out of the faucet, with no problems whatsoever. I would take an SG reading first, and I wouldn't top it off if I'm already at or under my anticipated OG.
 
[re: saccharomyces] Nice. Mine's a wooden dowel rod with 1/2 gal notches carved into it.

I think I like yours better. Much easier to read!
 
Skeletor!

I will drive you back to snake mountain!

You will never learn the secrets of Grayskull!!!

NEVER!











um, sorry?

:drunk:
 
i wouldn't add tap water, but "boiled and cooled" or bottled h2o should be fine.

i used to always top off with tap water and i made some good beers, but i've noticed much improvement since i started using only bottled drinking or distilled water.
 
So if my brew is right where I want it, OG and all, then it is stupid to add water?

and yes tell me its stupid so I can laugh in his face...
:D
:tank:
 
well...uh...that is...um...damnit, now i can't say it! :p

it's definitely "silly" to add water if your beer is at the gravity you want it to be at. but it also may mean you need better efficiency so that you can meet the gravity AND volume.

it sounds to me like you are not sparging with enough water and you haven't quite got your boil-down perfected. work on your method, but don't worry about the beer. even if your OG is off, even if your volume is off, even if you pitch the wrong yeast...it'll still be beer.
 
Good thing I read this thread. LOL we have always just dumped water to fill to 5 gallons and then measured OG. Been doing it backasswards. :drunk:
 
as long as you know where your efficiency is at (or you are using extract) it isn't going to make a difference. just ensure you have a good mix before you take your reading so it is accurate.

but yes, if you truly want to hit an exact gravity, it's best to take the OG first and calculate your volume from there.
 
Ah, I see! We have been brewing extract kits but on Friday comes the much anticipated Dunkel! Made the starter last night and it smelled of beer this morning, so good signs!! Get excited!
 
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