Brew Kettle Size, does it change the recipe?

[derekbelanger]

I have a 5 gal kettle that I want to use to make an IPA recipe. The recipe calls for steeping the grains in 7 gallons so the final volume is 5.25 gal. I can't accommodate that much water and will need to steep in 3-4 gal. and then add water in the fermenter to bring the volume back up. Will this effect my OG? Should I change the recipe?

 

[amandabab]

7 gallons is a lot for steeping.
if its all-grain and thats the water needed for the mash you can split the boil between multiple pots and combine it.


really need the recipe to answer.

 

[derekbelanger]

Lagunitas IPA Clone 5 Gallon (Extract Version)

Light DME 6.5lb
Cara-Pils Dextrin 1lb
Crystal 20° 1lb
Munich Malt (10L) 1lb
Wheat Malt .75lb
Crystal 60° .50lb

.25 oz Horizon 11% @ 60 mins
.15 oz Zeus 14.5% @ 60 mins

.75 oz Williamette 4.75% @ 30 mins
.50 oz Centennial 10% @ 30 mins

1 oz Cascade 5.75% @ 1 min

.75 oz Cascade 5.75% @ Dry
.75 oz Centennial 10% @ Dry

White Labs 002 English Ale @ 68° F.

OG: 1.060 - 1.065 with ~45 IBU's

I steeped in 7 gallons. 5.25 gallons is my target volume after boil. .2 gallon per pound of grain must be factored in for grain absorbtion, so this would be 4Lb specialty grain x .2 = .8 gallons, and finally my boil off rate is about 1 gallon per hour. So adding this all up (with a little rounding), my initial steep amount is 7 gallons. I also give a little squeeze once done steeping after 30 minutes. I steep at around 150-165 F, trying not to exceed 170 F as this may extract harsh tannins.

 

[CastleHollow]

If you're going to top up in the fermenter anyway, you don't need that much water for steeping or for your boil. Steeping won't be affected by using 3-4 gallons of water. Your hop utilization will change just a bit with the smaller boil volume (meaning you'll need more to achieve the same IBU,) so make that adjustment particularly for your bittering additions. Everything else is good to go.

 

[kapbrew13]

If you're going to top up in the fermenter anyway, you don't need that much water for steeping or for your boil. Steeping won't be affected by using 3-4 gallons of water. Your hop utilization will change just a bit with the smaller boil volume (meaning you'll need more to achieve the same IBU,) so make that adjustment particularly for your bittering additions. Everything else is good to go.

+1 hop utilization changes. : (

 

[amandabab]

you could do that recipe partial boil. just boil as much as you can. don't obsess too much about the hops.

 

[ajf]

First, that's not an extract and steeping grains recipe, it's a partial mash. (The Munich and Wheat malts require mashing to convert).
Second, are you sure it calls for 7 gallons? 7 quarts would seem to be a reasonable water volume for the mash.

-a.