Mash amount?

Ok, quick but dumb question:

I use well water and so efficiency wise, a wort chiller just CONSUMES water that I don't want to waste, so now to the question. Typically when I extract brew, I boil up 3 gallons of wort and then add ice to cool down and top off my water to 5 gallons for pitching.
When AG brewing, do I use the same recipes for 5 gallons and just collect 4 gallons of runnings (4 initial - 1 boil off to get my 3 gallons)? It seems like, and most likely, that I am leaving so much sugar behind that could I cut the recipe in half and collect 4 gallons via traditional sparge methods so I could save money? I hope this is as clear as mud. :cross:

 

If I was worried about wasting well water I would fill a cooler with ice and water and recirculate it thru your wort chiller with a pump, be it a march pump or and water fountain pump and not try to do a full mash using extract methods. My opinion, is your well low on water? if not why worry about wasting some your not paying for it.

 

I don't think that sparging more and boiling off a greater amount will save money in the long run. You'll be using more energy to boill off that extra gallon and that will offset your grain savings. I would just adjust your batch size and sparge with the usual amount and plan on an hour boil. Makes more sense to me, and it will also save time on brewday.

 

That makes sense. So maybe half my recipe and chill with ice and top off with water.

 

If would just shoot for 3 gal of wort post boil, if you undershoot a little, then top off. If you end up with a little more than 3 after the boil, then sparge a little less next time.

 

If you are sitting on a water table with access to it via a well you are also part of the watershed that will eventually return that water to that source. Not one drop of water has been created or lost on earth for a long time. You aren't "wasting" water, you are wasting the electricity that is required to pump the water from the ground.

 

I also have a well and I would not necessarily agree that I waste water when I cool my wort.

My water is 56 degrees from the well and it takes all of about 5-10 minutes to cool my wort to pitch temps.

I do not let the hot water go right down the drain, I fill my mash tun and other buckets with the hot water and PBW to perform the clean up.

Works pretty well and in theory the water goes right back into the ground outside and makes its way back into the well eventually.