How to achieve higher gravity? More grain or less water? Or more Boil?

[westchesterBrewer]

What is the best way to achieve a higher gravity? Especially for a 5 gallon batch?

For my mash setup, a 10 gallon cooler + false bottom, with 10lbs of grain @ 1.2 quarts of water/lb for initial strike water, + mashout water + ~3 gallons batch sparge water, I usually get around 6.5 gallons of pre boil volume. After a 1 hour boil I usually end up with 5.5 gallons of wort @ 1.050 gravity. This has been consistent for the last three batches with this formula and has been perfectly fine for those brews.

Now I want to try a higher gravity beer, a Belgian Tripel, which has a starting gravity in the 1.07x range. I have seen some recipes calling for ~13 lbs of grain + sugar. I know the sugar will add a bit to the gravity, but for that extra 3 lbs of grain, how do I treat that?

If I stick with the same 1.2 quarts/lb setup like above, shouldn't I technically wind up with a larger pre boil volume? And will need to boil it longer to get down to my 5.5 gallon target? Or is there a better way by using less water?

Please enlighten me! Thanks!

 

[MedicMang]

You should have the same volume numbers as usual. The extra grain means more water absorbed. This also means more sugar that you will have in your wort. You can also just sparge with the amount that you need to get your preboil volume. If you drained off 3.5 gallons of wort from your first runnings and your preboil volume needs to be 6.5 gallons, you can add the 3 gallons of sparge water and get that back in wort since the grain has already absorbed the previous liquid. If you do end up wanting to boil longer just draw a bit more off and boil longer to keep your volumes. You may not want to add the sugar in until the end if you are boiling longer than an hour just so it keeps your color nice and light for a trippel. Don't want to caramelize that shtuff.

The straight sugar will add a decent amount of gravity points. How much does your recipe want you to add?

Doing a longer boil will increase your SG but you are only getting that from boil off concentration of the wort so your pitching volume will be less.

 

[sweetcell]

another way is to follow your usual process, but add extract at the end of your boil to make your OG.

 

[y2jrock60]

Your strike/mash water volume will be higher, while your sparge volume will most likely be lower. Boiling longer will just lower the volume of wort. If you don't have Beersmith get it. It will calculate all of your water volumes. You can even tweek it for your specific equipment and adjust your water/grain ratio. It will even let you know if you have enough room in your mashtun. If you have too much grain in water you can lower your mash ratio. Beersmith is an excellent tool.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Home Brew mobile app

 

[flars]

High mash temperatures will result in less fermentable sugars and a sweeter end product. Can you lower your mash temperature?

 

[dobe12]

A slightly thinner mash than you described, step mash, and a lower sac rest will all add fermentability (is that a word?).

I brewed a tripel in December that's now sitting on oak in secondary. Went from 1.095 down to 1.008. Here was my recipe and procedure.

5.25 gal
73% Pils
14% Cane sugar
5% Aromatic
5% Carapils

5.25gal strike water at 139F to reach 131F for 15min.
Infusion 1.75gal boil water to step up to 148F for 60min
Sparged at 168F (BIAB - dunk sparge)

Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale

My efficiency was a hair under 75%
Attenuation was 91.6%
11.4% ABV

I wasn't really expecting my efficiency or attenuation to be that high, but whatever... it's a tripel! Aging on french oak chips for a few weeks. Looking forward to this one warming me up in the fall.

EDIT: To get your final volume in line, either sparge with less water or boil longer.

 

[westchesterBrewer]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will go the use less sparge water route to reach my desired pre boil volume.

 

[bajaedition]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will go the use less sparge water route to reach my desired pre boil volume.

I do not think you understand

you want a higher OG correct?

and you want to start with 6.5 gallons into the boil kettle correct?

in order to get a higher gravity you will need more grains to mash

 

[Gixxer]

Check this out. Its an halfway interesting read.

http://beerandwinejournal.com/big-wort-production/

One way to get a higher OG is more sparge water for more sugar extraction and higher efficiency, but the boil is a lot longer.

 

[westchesterBrewer]

I do not think you understand

you want a higher OG correct?

and you want to start with 6.5 gallons into the boil kettle correct?

in order to get a higher gravity you will need more grains to mash

I get it. I will be using more grain at the same 1.2 quarts/lb for initial strike water, but less sparge water to achieve the 6.5 gallons.

 

[westchesterBrewer]

Check this out. Its an halfway interesting read.

http://beerandwinejournal.com/big-wort-production/

One way to get a higher OG is more sparge water for more sugar extraction and higher efficiency, but the boil is a lot longer.

Thanks for the link. Good and informative read!