1 gallon batch

[bigHEDbrewCo.]

I am doing a 1 gallon batch to experiment on a rum barrel... during boil I followed my normal procedure, however I started with 1.5 gal but I ended with 1/4 gallon. This has never happened before and I kept the temperature right around 215f. Any thoughts from all of the pros out there?

 

[RM-MN]

First off, unless you live quite a few feet below sea level, your boil was at 212 or less until you boiled off enough water to concentrate the sugars. Trying to keep the boil above that 212F means you boiled too hard and simply boiled off too much of the water. It only needs a very slow rolling boil. Since what you boiled off was water, add some back to get to your expected 1 gallon. I expect to boil off less than half a gallon on my 2 1/2 gallon batches, even less if I only boil for 30 minutes which do regularly.

 

[Druman07]

I do gallon batches all the time, and typically start around 6-6.5 qts, and after boil end up around 5 qts or a little more. Your boil was way too high if you lost 5 quarts of water.

 

[bigHEDbrewCo.]

First off, unless you live quite a few feet below sea level, your boil was at 212 or less until you boiled off enough water to concentrate the sugars. Trying to keep the boil above that 212F means you boiled too hard and simply boiled off too much of the water. It only needs a very slow rolling boil. Since what you boiled off was water, add some back to get to your expected 1 gallon. I expect to boil off less than half a gallon on my 2 1/2 gallon batches, even less if I only boil for 30 minutes which do regularly.

Thanks. That is what I did. I didn't realize that my boil wad too much. I'll let you know how it comes out.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I am doing a 1 gallon batch to experiment on a rum barrel... during boil I followed my normal procedure, however I started with 1.5 gal but I ended with 1/4 gallon. This has never happened before and I kept the temperature right around 215f. Any thoughts from all of the pros out there?

Are you boiling this on your stove? I find I get about 0.7 gal/hr boil off rate on my stove (1 to 1.5 gal/hr on my propane burner). Overall I would say to calculate your pre-boil volume you need to think about your boil-off rate, and any volume you will lose between the kettle and fermenter.