Adjusting for full boils

I bought my first three kits from Northern Brewer and never really accounted for the fact that because their instructions and ingredients are for 2.5 gallon boils, I might have to change the recipes.

I'm doing 6 gallon boils for 5 gallon recipes. It's the hops that I will need to adjust each time, correct? I'm thinking that's why my first batch was a touch too sweet (took a sample, haven't bottled yet).

How do I know how to adjust the recipe - with something like BeerSmith?

Lastly, is there anything I can do to help out my first batch that's been in secondary for 3 weeks & my second batch that's been in primary for one? Did not account for this in either of those.

Or do I have this completely back-asswards?

EDIT: I'm doing some research while waiting for replies and it seems like if anything, I could have done a hop reduction (?) - not addition like I was thinking. So I did have it backwards?

Could it be a gravity issue that is contributing to the slightly-sweeter taste? I didn't take an original hydrometer reading because my first brew night was kind of a clusterf-ck.

Generally, a full boil increases the hops utilization, making the beer more bitter. Beersmith helps with seeing the actual IBUs (bittering units), so that's what I use.

I'm not familiar with their kits, but some new kits have instructions for adding some of the extract late in the boil. If they do, the hops utilization in that (even in a smaller size boil) will be similar to a full boil. In generaly, the "thicker" the wort, the lower the hops utilization.

The first batch (Grateful Dead Guy) did have a late extract addition...

If after all is said and done, this beer turns out overly sweet - what do I blame and correct for next time? Or is it impossible to tell without hydrometer readings?

For the record, I don't think my boil was as vigorous on the first batch as it was the second. It was rolling, yes - but I messed with it way too much in fear of boilovers.

Well, the hydrometer readings are crucial, especially if the beer is too sweet. There are many things that come into play with making the beer have the correct amount of residual sweetness. It could be too sweet because of recipe failings (like being underhopped, or too much crystal malt) but it could be too sweet because it finished at a too-high FG. A less attenuative yeast, or not making a starter for the yeast, could also cause the beer to finish sweet tasting.

If you want to post a typical recipe, with the SG readings, one of us could take a look and see where the problem might be.

The recipe from NB looks like:

0.75 lbs simpsons caramalt
0.75 lbs briess 80L
3.15 lbs pilsen malt syrup
6.00 lbs munich malt syrup - late addition (15 min)

1.5 oz perle @ 60 min.
1.0 oz saaz @ flameout

yeast is wyeast 1764 pacman

OG: 1.064

I learned from asking questions the day after brewing this & later on that a starter wouldn't have been a bad idea... pretty sure I underpitched. Aeration could have definitely improved as well.

Underpitching and resulting crapout by the yeast could result in a "low alcohol, residual sweetness" type feeling, right?

Oh and the OG reading is what the kit instructions state - I mentioned before that ... well, things got kinda hectic & late and I didn't take a hydrometer reading.

Not a habit I plan to get into in the future, but yeah... I messed that up this time.

Burgs said:

Oh and the OG reading is what the kit instructions state - I mentioned before that ... well, things got kinda hectic & late and I didn't take a hydrometer reading.

Not a habit I plan to get into in the future, but yeah... I messed that up this time.

Click to expand...

did you take a hydromter reading after the fermentation, so you know what it finished at?

What were the AAUs of the Perle hops? I used 7% as a guess, but they do vary quite a bit. I come up with 32 IBUs, if the recipe was done as written. Doing it as a full boil is very close, about 29 IBUs, so I don't think that's the problem.

There is a lot of crystal malt in that recipe- 1.5 pounds is a lot- and if the yeast didn't get going well, it definitely could be cloyingly sweet.

Makes sense... the other hydrometer reading I don't remember off hand. I've got it at home though.

Not sure on the AA of the Perle hops either, I don't think I noted that down.

P.S. -- thank you YooperBrew for the help!