Brewed 4 gallon batch with 5 gallon recipe. Add yeast?

[Arkhomer]

I brewed two batches (all grain) last Saturday. One was an English Brown Ale and the other a hopped Pale Ale. I just figured out that my volume measurements were off on my measuring stick in correlation to my brew kettle. I only ended up with 4 gallons on both with 5 gallons recipes.

Will the beer be too sweet? Should I add more yeast or will the yeast consume the extra sugars and just create a higher ABV beer? Thanks in advance.

 

[grampamark]

As long as you pitched an adequate amount to begin with you should have plenty of healthy cells for fermentation.

 

[JohnSand]

You can add water if you like. Boil and cool it first.

 

[RM-MN]

I brewed two batches (all grain) last Saturday. One was an English Brown Ale and the other a hopped Pale Ale. I just figured out that my volume measurements were off on my measuring stick in correlation to my brew kettle. I only ended up with 4 gallons on both with 5 gallons recipes.

Will the beer be too sweet? Should I add more yeast or will the yeast consume the extra sugars and just create a higher ABV beer? Thanks in advance.

You don't have extra sugars, just a more concentrated wort. If your yeast could eat all those sugars in a 5 gallon batch they can eat them in a 4 gallon batch.

All you are lacking in your 4 gallon batch is a gallon of water. You can add that before fermentation starts with no problem. You can add it after fermentation starts if you are very careful to have boiled it to drive off the oxygen and are very careful adding it so you don't splash. Adding oxygen after fermentation starts can cause oxidation in your finished beer which will get you a nice cardboard tasting beer, not what most of us like.

 

[Miraculix]

Adding oxygen within the first day of fermentation is no problem at all and won't oxidize anything. If bottled water is used there isn't even a need for boiling it.just take care that you leave some headspace for the krausen.

 

[cubalz]

Sounds like you do not have your total amount of strike water figured out for your system boil off rate. Since both batches were off by a gallon each, add another gallon to your total strike water for your next batch. That should get you close, if not tweak it further.