Batch size

[David Henderson]

Ive just done my first biab and have been looking at a few recipes. When a recipe states the batch size, what does it refer to? Is it the amount that goes into the fermenter or the expected amount to be bottled/kegged? Thanks.

 

[Miraculix]

Ive just done my first biab and have been looking at a few recipes. When a recipe states the batch size, what does it refer to? Is it the amount that goes into the fermenter or the expected amount to be bottled/kegged? Thanks.

Fermenter!

 

[dmtaylor]

Most specifically, end of boil. If I leave any crud in the bottom of the boil kettle, I still count it as part of batch size. Some people are picky about this. Others are not. I usually just put 100% into the fermenter, in which case I agree with Miraculix that it's fermenter volume.

 

[chickypad]

That's the problem, isn't it. Some folks use the post boil volume, others what they expect to get packaged. Unless your efficiency exactly matches that of the author you're going to have to adjust the grainbill for your own system anyway. Might as well get used to just looking at percentages and OG and ignore the volumes in the recipe.

 

[Miraculix]

That's the problem, isn't it. Some folks use the post boil volume, others what they expect to get packaged. Unless your efficiency exactly matches that of the author you're going to have to adjust the grainbill for your own system anyway. Might as well get used to just looking at percentages and OG and ignore the volumes in the recipe.

Exactly. Percentage ftw!

 

[kh54s10]

I use the batch size as the amount bottled or kegged. I collect just over 5 gallons of wort at the proper OG to end up with 5 gallons of finished beer.

But, I always take someone else's recipe and adjust it in Beersmith for my system.

 

[wepeeler]

I'm not sure about any other software, but Beersmith specifies "batch size" as amount of volume going into fermenter. Beersmith lets you account for loss in the fermenter, but if you expect zero loss, amount into fermenter would equal packaging volume. With many highly hopped (dry hopped), you can expect some loss in the fermenter, so then batch size vs packaging volume would differ.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I'm not sure about any other software, but Beersmith specifies "batch size" as amount of volume going into fermenter.

That is the case with Brewer's Friend, and also "Calculate Beer" (an app) also. They both have "Batch Size" to equal the amount in the fermenter. I just looked at brewgr.com, and it seems to use "Batch Size" to mean the amount after boil (including trub that will be lost during transfer to fermenter). The amount into the keg/bottle seems to make more sense to me...but whatever I guess. For a 5 gal batch, I plug in a Batch Size of 5.25 and usually get a pretty full keg...though I don't really have a way to measure the exact amount that ends up in the keg (have thought about measuring by weight).

 

[kh54s10]

I use the batch size as the amount bottled or kegged. I collect just over 5 gallons of wort at the proper OG to end up with 5 gallons of finished beer.

But, I always take someone else's recipe and adjust it in Beersmith for my system.

I'm not sure about any other software, but Beersmith specifies "batch size" as amount of volume going into fermenter. Beersmith lets you account for loss in the fermenter, but if you expect zero loss, amount into fermenter would equal packaging volume. With many highly hopped (dry hopped), you can expect some loss in the fermenter, so then batch size vs packaging volume would differ.

Ah, yes. I actually am using a 5.25 gallon batch size to end up with 5 gallons packaged.

When I look at recipes I look for approximately 5 gallon ones. I then put the ingredients in Beersmith and have to adjust for my equipment. Almost every recipe needs a little bit of adjustment for equipment. Then again I just use them for a starter and change the recipe anyway.

 

[Soulshine2]

Ive just done my first biab and have been looking at a few recipes. When a recipe states the batch size, what does it refer to? Is it the amount that goes into the fermenter or the expected amount to be bottled/kegged? Thanks.

finished volume is what I plan for

 

[Bad Bubba]

I think some of the recommendations here point out the need to fine tune your recipes based upon your desired outcome. I use beersmith and have used Brewerfriend (both very good) to adjust any recipe based upon my equipment, grain adsorption, etc. I am targeting 6.5 gallons into my fermentor because I find I dump the trub I usually lose a little over a gallon of volume. I keg and I use a bathroom scale to determine when the keg is full - 40 pounds is where I stop. If I have extra beer I always have a couple of bombers ready to fill.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I think some of the recommendations here point out the need to fine tune your recipes based upon your desired outcome.

As I was thinking about this, tuning your "batch size" around your fermenter makes a lot of sense in many instances and especially for people that bottle. For example, my GF's current system has two 1 gal jugs as her fermenters, so she needs to tune recipes around "1.6 gal of wort into fermenters." She is flexible on the number of bottles she fills. In my case, I have a 6.5 gal fermenter and keg into 5 gal kegs, so I want to tune my recipe around 5 gal into the keg. The same would apply for batches into my 2.6 gal keg that I ferment in my 5 gal fermenter. I just got a 3 gal Fermonster hoping that it will support enough for a 2.6 gal keg, but I probably need to tune recipes to 2.5 or less into the fermenter.