5 gallons=5 gallons?

[HarrisonHomeBrew]

I just completed my 2nd batch of beer and I've had the same problem both times. I have used 5 individual US Gallons of water. (I bought the first time and saved the jugs b/c my RO system doesn't have a large tank) Each time I boiled with 3 gallons and had 2 gallons of cold water in the carboy. When I pour the wort into the carboy, I have had about 1/2 a gallon left of wort that won't fit. Did I get a 4.5 gal carboy, or does all the other ingredients add to it? Do I need to get a larger carboy and keep this one as a secondary???

 

[rdwj]

That seems odd - usually you lose some volume to the boil. What kind of carboy are you using for your primary? Just a 5 gallon? You should really have a 6.5

 

[the_bird]

Get a 6.5 gallon carboy (or a bucket, or a better bottle), and use the 5 for secondary. Doesn't sound like you are getting much evaporation; how vigorous is your boil? In any case, I like to shoot for 5.5 gallons going into the primary, since I will inevitably lose a half gallon to the trub when I rack to secondary. A 5 gallon carboy doesn't give you a lot of room for an active fermentation, anyway.

 

[Orfy]

The water jugs will have over a 1 gallon capicity if they ar sold with 1 gallon and you have the volume of the malt to add to it as well plus maybe a 4% increase in volume on heating.

 

[david_42]

If you are using LME it adds about a quart of volume per 3 lbs.

 

[TK421]

I just completed my 2nd batch of beer and I've had the same problem both times. I have used 5 individual US Gallons of water. (I bought the first time and saved the jugs b/c my RO system doesn't have a large tank) Each time I boiled with 3 gallons and had 2 gallons of cold water in the carboy. When I pour the wort into the carboy, I have had about 1/2 a gallon left of wort that won't fit. Did I get a 4.5 gal carboy, or does all the other ingredients add to it? Do I need to get a larger carboy and keep this one as a secondary???

5 gal carboys are really for secondary, as others have said get a 6.5 gal carboy or a bucket fermenter for Primary.

As a point of reference, I do full wort boils and I start with 6.5 gallons in the brew pot to yield 5 gallons into my primary when I rack it. I usually lose a gallon in the boil, then another half remaining in the bottom of my brew pot when I rack.