First batch recipe check and lots of questions

[jtfisher63]

I plan on brewing my first batch soon and wanted to have the recipe checked. I want to brew Kent's Hollow Leg Wheat by JZ. The recipe I have is for what I believe to be a 7 gallon batch. I'd rather cook a 5 gallon batch to start with, unless you guys change my mind. Here's the supposedly 7gal recipe.

Recipe for 5.5 gal. All Grain (5.5 gallon?)
6# American 2 row
6# Wheat malt
Mashed @ 152 degrees

Extract
8.9# of LME instead of grain
7 gal preboil @ 1.044 (7 gallon?)
60 min = 1 oz Williamette 5% for 20.3 IBUs
0 Min = .3 oz Williamette
0 Min = .3 oz Centennial
OG of 1.052
WLP 320 or Wyeast 1010 @ 65 degrees
FG of 1.012

The changes I want to make are that I am going to use Wheat LME (8.9#) from my LHBS and use a Kolsch yeast. Here's the questions.

1. Does this look like a 5.5 gallon or a 7 gallon recipe?

2. How much water should I start with in my 7.5 gallon kettle? I've read IBU's change depending on the volume of wort being boiled. I'll be using an electric kitchen stove.

2. Should I add all the LME at the beginning?

3. When topping off to desired volume is OG or actual volume more important?

4. I plan on using jugs of drinking water from the store. Assuming I'll be boiling less than the final volume of water into wort, should I chill my topoff water before filling to the final volume? I figure if I can add almost freezing water to the wort in addition to a ice bath it should bring the temp of the wort down much quicker.

5. After adding enough water to achieve my desired OG or volume, can I pitch my yeast while the wort is still in the cooled kettle instead of in the glass carboy? Even with a 7G batch I can fit it all in my kettle before transferring to the carboy. I figure it would be easier to stir it in the kettle than the carboy.

The reason I'd like to brew a 5 gallon batch is that my carboy is 7.5 gallons and I don't think 7 gallons would leave enough room, or is that okay?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hopper450]

Your recipe reads like you need 7 gallons of wort preboil which should boil down to 5.5 gallons by the end of the boil. The 5.5 would go into your fermenter which is absolutely fine with a 7.5 gallon carboy. Use a blow off tube if you are worried at all.

 

[muthafuggle]

That's a 5.5 gallon recipe for all grain. There is no way in hell you are going to get 7 gallons of water to boil on an electric stove in a 7.5 gallon pot.

Assuming that your stove is not one of those flat top horrorshows,I would suggest you try about a 5 gallon boil. Plan on topping up with the coldest water you can still pour.

Boil the water, turn the stove off, Add half the fermentables, stir well, crank the stove back up, wait for the hot break, add the hops and start your timer for the boil. With about 15 minutes left in the boil, turn the heat off momentarily and add the rest of the lme or dme or whatever. Stir it very well and turn the heat back on.

After your boil, cool as rapidly as you can ( while being careful of sanitation). Top off, stir, aerate your wort, transfer to the fermentation vessel, add your yeast, seal the fermenter, put it in a cool place and forget about it for 2 weeks (3 might be better, but no one is that patient on their first beer)

Bottle or keg, age to carbonate and enjoy a homebrew!

 

[jtfisher63]

Thanks guys.