First AG nxt weekend

[BrewJr]

So i'm taking the plunge next weekend and will do my first AG beer, not sure what type but non the less i'm going to give it a shot! Just wanted some advice before i get started, i understand how the mash and sparge works, but i'm still a little fuzzy on the volume of water i need to use from mashing to sparging to end up with a full 5Gal batch, also will i need to be able to boil the full batch when doing AG or can i top off with some water in the carboy? if there is any other tips you all can suggest i'm all ears!

 

[fratermus]

Water volumes will depend on:

* the grain bill
* some fudge factors like "grist-to-water ratio", which is determined by how thick you want your mash

I think there are online calculators for this, or you can post the recipe when you settle on it, and someone will punch it into beersmith or similar.


After sparging you will end up with (significantly) more than 5gal of wort for the boil. AG generally involves boiling down large volumes to primary size, allowing for loss. You will likely not have an opportunity to add make-up water to a fermenter with AG.