Volume loss?

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razz

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I know that volume can be lost during the boiling process, but I have what may be a dumb question. My last two batches (5 gal extracts) have lost volume after being added to the secondary fermenter; not during the transfer, but after being put in the fermenter and then being sealed with an air lock. Question #1 What the heck happened? Question #2 will this cause a problem with the beer?
 
The obvious answer is that your beer is breaking the laws of physics.

Seriously, we'll probably need more information to diagnose this. How do you actually notice the loss in volume? How much are we talking here?
 
Do you mean that you lost volume to trub that was in your primary? Or that your beer escaped into the fifth dimension?
 
I must be a beer gnome, because I made at least a half gallon of beer disappear this weekend
 
HAHAHA. I haven't bottled yet, but here is what I did to verify the loss. I have two better bottle carboys. One has the mystery beer in it. I put 5 gallons of water into fermenter #2 and placed them side by side. The fermenter with the beer in it has approximately 1.5 inches less liquid in it. Another curve is that I can see the line where the beer used to be on the inside of the beer containing carboy... Again I put beer into secondary fermenter and since it's been in there....a week and a half....the liquid inside of the carboy has dropped about 1.5 inches
 
The airlock has water in it and appears to be working......like I said I'm at a total loss here.
 
Is it the same temperature as it started or has it cooled?
You know, the whole expansion/contraction thing.

Ed
 
Is it the same temperature as it started or has it cooled?
You know, the whole expansion/contraction thing.

Ed

It is cooler in my basement now then when I started. I'm fairly new to the home brewing experience, this will be by first fall/winter since I started in May. Could you explain
 
Are you sure you're not seeing the line the krausen made as the beer was fermenting? Also, how can you be 100% sure that you put 5gal of wort into the carboy before fermentation? Sounds like you probably had less wort than you thought at the end of the boil.
 
I boiled 2.5 gallons for the boil. After the boil I added the wort to my primary fermenter and then added water to replace what had boiled off.
 
It is cooler in my basement now then when I started. I'm fairly new to the home brewing experience, this will be by first fall/winter since I started in May. Could you explain

Sure, liquid expands when it get warmer (increases in volume) and contracts when it cools (decreases in volume). Depending on the temperature change, this could account for some of your loss.

Also, how did you measure your volume? If you used a calibrated container, you may be okay. If you used something like the lines on a Ale Pail, they are notoriously inaccurate. You said you put 5 gallons in a better bottle… how did you determine you had 5 gallons?

Ed
 
Originally I went to our local fill your own bottle spring water store with my refillable 5 gallon bottle. I added 1 gallon at a time and marked the outside of the bottle with a marker. When I noticed the loss in the better bottle I filled my marked water bottle up to the 5 gallon line and then racked that water into my second better bottle. My primary is a Maestro 6.5 gallon bucket with markings on the bucket. To be honest I've never checked the accuracy of the buckets lines.
 
So I guess I can't say that I started the original fermentation with 5 gallons; even though I added water after the boil to get the level up to the 5 gallon line on the unchecked bucket
 
So I guess I can't say that I started the original fermentation with 5 gallons; even though I added water after the boil to get the level up to the 5 gallon line on the unchecked bucket

Check your bucket, you may be surprised.
 
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