Clarification on Ruination clone recipe

[mcslain]

I'm getting ready to brew a Stone Ruination clone, can't wait to get started. However when I look at the recipe there is something in there that doesn't make sense to me. The recipe is for 5 gallons/19 L, but in the directions it states:

Add wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) cool water in a sanitary fermenter, and top off with cool water to 5.5 gallons (20.9 L). Cool the wort to 75'F (24 oC), aerate the beer and pitch yeast.

If I am making 5 gallons of beer why am I adding water to make 5.5 gallons in my fermenter? I've seen this recipe numerous places on the web and in BYO magazine and it all lists this the same way. Maybe I just don't understand why you would put 5.5 gallons in your primary to make a 5 gallon batch?

Thanks!
mcslain

 

[MalFet]

The batch size is just an approximation, but I suspect you'll lose about a half gallon of wort to trub. Ruination is heavily dry hopped, no? That will soak up some wort as well.

 

[mcslain]

OK, so I added water to 5.5 gallons, and may have even overshot this a bit as the Better Bottle I am using doesn't have any measurement marks on it. I know I know, add them myself with a Sharpie or something. Next time I will. Live and learn... End result though is my beer has come in far lower than its expected OG. Embarrassingly lower. So my thinking is that i have too much water and that is the cause. Does this sound correct?

And what steps could i possibly take to correct the abv? My big double ipa is now looking like a hoppy session brew, not what I wanted really. I thought about adding more malt, but my Better Bottle doesn't even have that much room left in it!

Thanks again!
Mark

 

[bhop2112]

It can be hard to get an accurate gravity reading when topping off because frequently the higher gravity wort you boiled may not be thoroughly mixed with the water.

At this point, I would just let it ride. Your actual gravity may be closer to the target than you think.

 

[frazier]

With an extract-based recipe, you can probably calculate the gravity with more accuracy than you can read it. Assuming 5.5 gallons and 9 # of LME, your OG is 1.060. Ten lbs would bring you up to 1.067. What was your actual recipe?

 

[mcslain]

Great point. Now I'm racking my brain to remember if I took the gravity before I aerated... I really can't recall. But at least now I'm hopeful!

 

[mcslain]

Actual recipe had 6.6 pounds of Gold Light LME and 2 lbs DME. I think it probably shoulda have just been a 5g batch - maybe the numbers would work out better that way. Here is the whole recipe:

Ruination IPA clone
(Stone Brewing Company)
(5 gallons/19 L)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.010
IBU = 100+ SRM = 6 ABV =7.7%

6.6 lbs. (3 kg)Northwestern gold (light) malt extract syrup
2.0 lbs. (0.9 kg) Northwestern gold (light) dry malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) Briess 2-row malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Briess crystal malt (1 5 "L)
1 tsp. lrish moss (60 minutes)

36.0 AAU Magnum hops (bittering hop)
(2.25 oz./64 g of 16.0% alpha acids)
15.7 AAU Centennial hops (aroma/finishing hop)
(1 .5 oz./43 g ot 10.5%o alpha acid)
21.0 AAU Centennial hops (2.0 oz./56 g of 10.5% alpha acid)

White Labs WLPOOl(California Ale) yeast
or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast
0.75 cup of corn sugar (for priming)

Step-by-step
Steep the 2 crushed grains in 3 gallons (1 1.4 L) of water at 149 'F (65 'C) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from wort, add Magnum hops, malt syrup and bring to a boil. Add lrish moss and boil for 60 minutes. Add the first addition of Centennial hops at the end of the boil, and let steep for 5 minutes.
Add wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) cool water in a sanitary fermenter, and top off with cool water to 5.5 gallons (20.9 L). Cool the wod to 75'F (24 oC), aerate the beer and pitch yeast. Allow the beer to cool over the next few hours to 68 'F (20 'C) and hold at this temperature until the yeast has finished fermentation. Add last addition of Centennial hops for dry hopping. Dry hop for 3 lo 5 days, then bottle your beer, carbonate and enjoy!​

 

[frazier]

So based on those numbers, and without opening beersmith, I estimate your OG to be somewhere between 1.060 and 1.065. That's at 5.5 gallons. You'll be fine.

 

[C-Rider]

Here's a newbe question.
Why mix DME AND LME? Why not one or the other? Cost?

 

[Yooper]

Here's a newbe question.
Why mix DME AND LME? Why not one or the other? Cost?

Sometimes. But more often than not, it's an issue with supplies. Typically, DME comes in 1 pound bags and 3 pounds bags, while LME comes in 3.3 pound cans. LME doesn't keep well once the can is opened. If you have a brew store that has fresh bulk LME, you can order whatever size you need but many of us have to buy a "set" amount and then use DME to make up the difference.

Also, LME comes in more varieties. Munich malt, for example, only comes in LME. So, for a beer with munich malt extract as the bulk of the base, you'll need LME but you can make up the additional fermentables with DME.

 

[C-Rider]

Sometimes. But more often than not, it's an issue with supplies. Typically, DME comes in 1 pound bags and 3 pounds bags, while LME comes in 3.3 pound cans. LME doesn't keep well once the can is opened. If you have a brew store that has fresh bulk LME, you can order whatever size you need but many of us have to buy a "set" amount and then use DME to make up the difference.

Also, LME comes in more varieties. Munich malt, for example, only comes in LME. So, for a beer with munich malt extract as the bulk of the base, you'll need LME but you can make up the additional fermentables with DME.

Thanks! Lucky here I can get my LME in any quantity I want, but only choice is
Dark, Pale or Wheat.