Volume troubles

[Landocota]

After transferring from primary to secondary I realized that my batch is at about 4.5 gallons. I was thinking of adding .5 gallons of ro water to bring it up to the full 5. What are the drawbacks of doing this?

 

[Daybis]

You probably could, but I wouldn't water down your brew. When I formulate my recipes, I try to aim for 5.5 gallons of wort into the primary. I assume I'll lose half a gallon from sediment, yeast dropping out, or blow off.

 

[Golddiggie]

Don't do it...

You'll reduce the strength, flavors, and everything else you've put into the brew. Far, far, far, far better to have a bit less brew to bottle, then to weaken it.

Also, this is yet another reason why many of us have passed on racking to another vessel without a damned good reason. IF we're going to rack, we brew more so that we still get close enough to our target volume for bottles/keg.

Next time, skip racking unless you had a damned good reason. Just because some kit directions say to, after X days, is NOT a good reason. Leave it in primary until it's ready for bottle/keg and enjoy it. Leaving the brew on the yeast cake will do the batch far more benefit than removing it from the cake early. Read up about this from the so many threads already on the site...

 

[C-Rider]

Don't do it...

You'll reduce the strength, flavors, and everything else you've put into the brew. Far, far, far, far better to have a bit less brew to bottle, then to weaken it.

Also, this is yet another reason why many of us have passed on racking to another vessel without a damned good reason. IF we're going to rack, we brew more so that we still get close enough to our target volume for bottles/keg.

Next time, skip racking unless you had a damned good reason. Just because some kit directions say to, after X days, is NOT a good reason. Leave it in primary until it's ready for bottle/keg and enjoy it. Leaving the brew on the yeast cake will do the batch far more benefit than removing it from the cake early. Read up about this from the so many threads already on the site...

Are you saying you bottle your beer directly from the fermenting bucket?

 

[Golddiggie]

Are you saying you bottle your beer directly from the fermenting bucket?

No, that would be foolish (IMO)...

I go from my SS fermentation keg (F the buckets, plastic and even glass carboys for beer ) racking to bottling bucket (over priming solution) when bottling. I rack directly from primary into keg for the part of the batch going there (using 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs) before going to the bottling bucket... Single racking to bottle means less loss to vessels. If you leave it in primary longer, the yeast cake will compact more, and the additional yeast will drop out/flocculate as you would expect.

 

[C-Rider]

No, that would be foolish (IMO)...

I go from my SS fermentation keg (F the buckets, plastic and even glass carboys for beer ) racking to bottling bucket (over priming solution) when bottling. I rack directly from primary into keg for the part of the batch going there (using 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs) before going to the bottling bucket... Single racking to bottle means less loss to vessels. If you leave it in primary longer, the yeast cake will compact more, and the additional yeast will drop out/flocculate as you would expect.

Had me going for awhile. I didn't think it made much sense to bottle from primary.

 

[Golddiggie]

Blame it on the Hawaii heat over where you are... Although we're just starting to go through a hot pop up here. So looking forward to summer being done, over, in the books, on our 6, etc... Already formulating my fall/winter recipes. :rockin: