Beer Quantity

[Imburr]

I brewed a 5gal extract kit. Due to my stove pot size, I actually boiled 2.5gal into wort, then added water to make 5gal.

I racked, and after 5 days, it was down to 4gal liquid.

Just moved to secondary, and it is now a little less than 4gal of liquid.

Is this normal? I feel like I am losing out on a ton of beer to drink.

 

[beergolf]

You racked too soon ( actually there is no need to rack, but that is another debate). In time the trub will compact down. At only five days the trub layer can be pretty big and will contain a lot of beer. Once it packs down there will be less loss.

Let it sit in the primary and you will notice the trub layer is less and you will net more beer (not beet, hahaha)

 

[Imburr]

You racked too soon ( actually there is no need to rack, but that is another debate). In time the trub will compact down. At only five days the trub layer can be pretty big and will contain a lot of beer. Once it packs down there will be less loss.

Let it sit in the primary and you will notice the trub layer is less and you will net more beer (not beet, hahaha)

At Five days I was in a 6 gallon plastic bucket, and at the 5 gallon mark was a thick green ring of plant material roughly 1.5 inches thick. But the actual beer level was already at 4 gallons- several inches below the material ring. The layer on the bottom (trub?) was thick, but when I moved it over to secondary I brought over a lot of that with it.

 

[beergolf]

If you filled the fermenter to the 5 gallon mark before pitching your yeast, there is no way you lost a gallon of liquid unless your fermenter was leaking.

 

[Imburr]

If you filled the fermenter to the 5 gallon mark before pitching your yeast, there is no way you lost a gallon of liquid unless your fermenter was leaking.

You are probably right, and now thinking about it, here is possibly what happened. I filled the bucket with 5gal, then poured half into my pot and brewed wort. Then I put this into fermentor and poured rest of bucket in... which didn't take into account any volume that boiled off during the boil.

So, based on the above, what is the best solution to this? Should I have added more water/ice to make 5gal? Ideally I am moving torwards an outside propane burner and a larger pot so I can boil the entire volume.

 

[flars]

When the krausen layer completely drops along with the suspended sediments the beer level can be above the five gallon mark. The hops and break material that drops out take up space in the fermentor. This will raise the the level of the liquid, your beer.

Leave your beer in the primary for at least a few weeks and there will be no reason to rack to a secondary vessel for clearing. You will end up with more beer to bottle.

Have you marked the five gallon level in your fermenting bucket by pouring in a measured five gallons of water? Factory marked levels are often not accurate.

 

[beergolf]

I filled the bucket with 5gal, then poured half into my pot and brewed wort. Then I put this into fermentor and poured rest of bucket in... which didn't take into account any volume that boiled off during the boil.

There is your answer. A gallon per hour sounds about right for a stove top boil.That is why you have less than 5 gallons.

For partial boils it is best to boil your brew, then when cool add to the fermenter and then top off with water to the 5 gallon mark. It is a good idea the double check you fermenter, often those marks are off.

 

[DaWhip]

Several combined factors probably. I'm guessing you filled your fermenter to exactly 5 gallons but got a lot of trub in from your boil kettle. When fermentation peaked a lot of trub stuck to the walls and you "lost" volume. If that is the case, you never really had that volume anyway. To nail volumes, you have to try and compensate for hop/trub absorption by adding a little more to fermenter or take measures to prevent the trub from going into the fermenter.

Was the wort hot when you put it in the bucket? if yes, you will lose ~4% volume as the wort cools.

Also, what beergolf said.

edit: apparently I didn't finish reading the thread before I replied. Sounds like the boil off is the answer. Do what beergolf said.

 

[Imburr]

10 4, thanks!