Lost Half of volume after boil

[madz1980]

What is the best 'technique' to keep most of juice in the boiler. I used a net, it was my first whole grain, and after my Mash, before the boil, only half of the soup left... Is there a better method than the net? How to preserve the maximum amount of juice? I needed to add a lot of watter before the boil, which is bad for the flavor I think.

Thanks to let me know your best way to achieve best result.

Sincerly,

MA

 

[Yooper]

What is the best 'technique' to keep most of juice in the boiler. I used a net, it was my first whole grain, and after my Mash, before the boil, only half of the soup left... Is there a better method than the net? How to preserve the maximum amount of juice? I needed to add a lot of watter before the boil, which is bad for the flavor I think.

Thanks to let me know your best way to achieve best result.

Sincerly,

MA

Most people will boil off 1-1.5 US gallons per hour, but normally that is taken into account in the recipe. I don't know what a "net" is, or how it was used, but you want to boil off about 1-1.5 gallons per hour in most cases of all -grain brewing.

How much did you start with, and what size batch are you doing?

 

[jrcrilly]

after my Mash, before the boil, only half of the soup left...

You are always going to lose liquid in the mashing process due to grain absorption. Sparging is the process that rinses the mash and provides the remainder of the volume for the boil.

 

[jtratcliff]

Did you sparge?

Since we're using weird terminology, did you put more splashy stuff in your porridge after splorping the juice through your net the first time ... so that you splorped more juice before boiling?

Your porridge will absorb the splashy stuff only giving you a fraction of it back as juice. You need to splorp through your net twice.

 

[jtratcliff]

Now that I'm done being a smart @ss... sound like you did a no-sparge mash and didn't properly account for water volumes. As already mentioned, you need to account for grain absorption, boil-off, other kettle losses, loss to trub, etc. to get the final amount of beer that you're after. Brewing calculators or software like BrewTarget or BeerSmith can help.

Adding water pre-boil diluted your wort (The juice is called wort, BTW). A batch sparge (adding more water to the grain and draining again) would have been better for reaching a proper pre-boil volume. You'll wash more sugars from the grain and not just dilute with plain water.


May I recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer? http://www.howtobrew.com/
The 1st edition is online for free. While some stuff has changed since the 1st edition came out, you'll get better responses if you get some terminology down, so that folks know what you talking about.

Look into getting a hydrometer, as well. You'll want to measure your pre- and post-boil specific gravities (SG) to help you determine if things are going as planned

 

[Baldy246]

Did you sparge?

Since we're using weird terminology, did you put more splashy stuff in your porridge after splorping the juice through your net the first time ... so that you splorped more juice before boiling?

Your porridge will absorb the splashy stuff only giving you a fraction of it back as juice. You need to splorp through your net twice.

Haha. Classic!

 

[madz1980]

Most people will boil off 1-1.5 US gallons per hour, but normally that is taken into account in the recipe. I don't know what a "net" is, or how it was used, but you want to boil off about 1-1.5 gallons per hour in most cases of all -grain brewing.

How much did you start with, and what size batch are you doing?

I'm doing a 23L (average) and a net is a net in which you put you grain during mash. and you pull it out of the soup and you only get the liquid, no grain left.

 

[madz1980]

Now that I'm done being a smart @ss... sound like you did a no-sparge mash and didn't properly account for water volumes. As already mentioned, you need to account for grain absorption, boil-off, other kettle losses, loss to trub, etc. to get the final amount of beer that you're after. Brewing calculators or software like BrewTarget or BeerSmith can help.

Adding water pre-boil diluted your wort (The juice is called wort, BTW). A batch sparge (adding more water to the grain and draining again) would have been better for reaching a proper pre-boil volume. You'll wash more sugars from the grain and not just dilute with plain water.


May I recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer? http://www.howtobrew.com/
The 1st edition is online for free. While some stuff has changed since the 1st edition came out, you'll get better responses if you get some terminology down, so that folks know what you talking about.

Look into getting a hydrometer, as well. You'll want to measure your pre- and post-boil specific gravities (SG) to help you determine if things are going as planned

Thanks for info and link. Next batch will be better I add Maple Syrup before the boil, since it's higly fermentable and will compensate for the lost of density when added water instead of rinsing. Will see the result! Lmfao!

I will be better next boil!

Thanks,

MA

 

[NervousDad]

Oh BIAB or you case BIAN that sound like a lot of boil off how wide is your kettle.

 

[kh54s10]

Sorry to be a bit harsh but you need to do some more research on how to achieve proper wort volumes. There is more to it than just mashing then boiling. As said you need to account for grain absorption, boil off, trub loss etc.

 

[EcuPirate07]

Brewing software really helps here if not for just the simple calculations it does for you.

 

[BowAholic]

maybe reading this will help?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=233289

 

[PlexVector]

@BowAholic pointed you to a great thread on Brew In A Bag (BIAB) brewing. Definitely worth a look!