Adding a lot of water before bottling

[TastyAdventure]

Say I wanted to dilute my beer down post fermentation. Would there be any problem with adding, say 1 gallon of water to 2 gallons of beer just before bottling? Siphon right into the water so there's no splashing


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[BrewinBromanite]

That sounds like alcohol abuse! But a problem otherwise, I don't see one.


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[BrewinBromanite]

...but of course the flavor/body/hoppy, etc. profiles will taste completely different than your un-diluted beer.


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[cubalz]

Just curious: Why do you want to dilute? Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[agrazela]

Tell us more about your recipe for the 2 gal of beer. Ingredients, method, intended gravities, etc.

"Standardizing" ~5 gallon batches with ~1 gal of water is not unheard of, but to add 1 gal water to 2 gal beer, that beer better be formulated to be "able to take it", or else you're going to have some kind of very slightly malty, very slightly hoppy, discolored water on your hands.

 

[TastyAdventure]

I have 5.7 gal of 9% abv beer, and I was hoping to make a few session beers out of it. I'll probably cut back and do .5 gal into 1.5. Might dry hop with small amounts of williamette and cascade.

It's FG is 1.014, it has 55 IBUs. It's an "imperial Red Ale".


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[progmac]

might boil the water to remove any oxygen (i think boiling will do this?). A beer like that I think you could dilute it 30% or more and be okay.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I have 5.7 gal of 9% abv beer, and I was hoping to make a few session beers out of it. I'll probably cut back and do .5 gal into 1.5. Might dry hop with small amounts of williamette and cascade.

It's FG is 1.014, it has 55 IBUs. It's an "imperial Red Ale".


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If you drank it as is, you could call it a "fewer per session" beer..........

 

[ACbrewer]

this can be done. in the Joy of Homebrewing thre is a recipe for a 'quarter Bock' where Charlee P does just this, well he makes a double bock at 1 gallon, and then dilutes to 1/4 strength with the goal being a light beer.

Understanding that a lot of the flavors of beer come from yeast and the conditions that it ferments under, this would have different flavor than doing it the other way - that is putting all the water in at the beginning.

 

[morticaixavier]

I can't 100% swear to the truth of this but I have heard on several occasions that Budweiser does this as a matter of course. they brew a decent beer with higher IBU (like 6) and alcohol content and then blend with carbonated water on the way to the bottle.

I've actually blended carbonated water and barley wine in the glass to good effect. not the same as a purpose brewed session but a perfectly nice quaffer all the same.