10gal batch size. Starting water?

[sandycat]

I'm going to do a no-sparge BIAB brew. I'm not sure how much water to start with.

No sparge. I have a more than large enough kettle, a powerful burner, and a couple of strong hands to help me out.

I'll be doing skeezer's zombie dust clone. I'll scale it using brewer's friend to get the grain and hop amounts.
It comes to about 23.95 lbs of grain for a 10gal batch.

Not quite sure about the water though.

Help?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Well ball parking I would say 2 gallons loss to grain absorption, 1.5 -2 gallons boil off and 1.5 gallons to trub yeast cake loss, so that would be 15.5 -16 gallons to start....

I always like to start with more and boil off / extend the boil if needed then be short

 

[pricelessbrewing]

If by batch size you mean into fermenter, and not packaged, then I'd guess somewhere between 13.5 and 14.5 gallons. Which would line up with Wilser, if you mean 10 gallons packaged (~1-1.5 gallons lost to trub)

 

[wilserbrewer]

Yes thanks priceless. With a BIAB mash and a full volume transfer to the fermenter, I find fermenter losses can br substantial. I would guess 10-15%.

I Never liked how batch size refers to post boil volume when what's important to most is what's "consumable".

Maybe that's why I get it wrong lol

 

[sandycat]

Thank you. You are both right, in a way.

I meant 10 gallons into the fermenters, because that's all I'll be able to fit there.

I'll go with 13.5 and boil off if necessary.

I also want to take this chance to use a hydrometer for the first time. From what I have read I should measure pre-boil gravity and volume to calculate efficiency. Then, post-boil gravity to later on hit the ABV. Does this sound right?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Post boil and post ferment will give you abv

Most hydrometers have that scale as well.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Just so happens I made a 10 gallon batch of that recipe 4 days ago. I stopped taking exact measurements a while ago but I start with around 14.5 gallons and I'm usually a little short but not much. BUT..I fill my buckets evenly then top off with tap water until 2 inches from the top of the bucket. Around 6 to 6.5 gallons in each.2 inches will not give you a blow off. That fills my kegs to the MAX. I want as much beer as possible for my work.
Five gallons in your fermenter will only get you around 4 gallons in the keg...And that's just not enough
FWIW I only do 10 gallon batches and just double everything if its for a 5 or 6 gallon batch. Always works out fine