10 gallon extract brew

[pmoneyismyfriend]

If I'm going to make a 10 gallon batch, and I only have the capacity to boil 10 gallons, I am going to be short wort in the fermenter. My idea is to add the appropriate amount of distilled or spring water to get my wort volume to where it needs to be. Which is preferred, distilled or spring? or would this method not be recommended. Your thoughts?

 

[Hello]

I would add spring and it is highly recommended. Extract brewers, at least when new, often brew 1/2 the volume and top off. I would boil as much as you possibly can comfortably and top off the rest with spring. I'd probably do 8 gallons of water in the pot.

 

[peterj]

Yeah, topping off with water after the boil is what a lot of extract brewers do at first. It's a valid method. You might have trouble getting your IBUs high enough if this is a highly hopped beer, but as long as you boil as much as you can you should be fine.

Distilled or spring water will both work fine for extract beers. There should already be minerals in the extract from what the manufacturer used during their mash so as long as the spring water isn't super high in minerals, either would work well.

 

[pmoneyismyfriend]

years ago when I first started brewing, I did stove top, and boiled 4 gallons and added water to achieve 5 gallons. The beer turned out fine, but always had that unfinished some what "green" flavor for a while. Since moving to all grain, that was never an issue again. I have an 11 gallon stock pot and am obviously able to do full volume boils for extract 5 Gallon batches, which I have done all this winter, for time savings, and the beers all turned out fantastic, no off flavors, so now I am going to do most of my brews as extract, but just want to up the size, thought about employing the original stove top method, only with a burner and a bigger pot. Just wanted to get your thoughts. Thanks

 

[petrolSpice]

Chill your top off water in the fridge, it will help cool the wort when you add it.

 

[bmg97]

Not sure if this is a silly question but wouldn't adding non boiled water add a chance for infection?

 

[Hello]

Not sure if this is a silly question but wouldn't adding non boiled water add a chance for infection?

Not bottled spring water. I always dunked the top of the bottle in star san just for kicks.

 

[peterj]

Not sure if this is a silly question but wouldn't adding non boiled water add a chance for infection?

Meh, in my opinion the chances are pretty low. I don't get an infection from drinking non boiled water.

When I first started I would boil my top off water, but after a few batches I just started adding it straight from the tap to the fermenter. Never had any problems with that.