How to hit target gravity with consistency?

[3 Dog Brew]

I'm at that point in my brewing that I want (need) to hit my target gravity when brewing. Why? Let's say you come out a little low on FG, your hopping rate that was calculated for the FG Estimate is now too high. The inverse is true for having your FG too high, your hopping rate is now too low.

What methods are you using to hit your target FG with any accuracy?

• Take pre-boil gravity and add water or DME to compensate?

I would really like to brew the beers I design and not "whatever" comes out the other end of the process.

 

[tunoffun]

Underestimate your efficiency. Then add water to dilute if you achieve a higher efficiency that estimated. I assume you've got a few batches under your belt by the tone of your post. So you should have some reliable average of what efficiency you can attain. Just undershoot that by a comfortable margin so you know you'll hit at least the efficiency you expect.

I wouldn't overestimate & then add DME to compensate.. as that would <potentially> alter your intended recipe.

 

[3 Dog Brew]

Underestimate your efficiency. Then add water to dilute if you achieve a higher efficiency that estimated. I assume you've got a few batches under your belt by the tone of your post. So you should have some reliable average of what efficiency you can attain. Just undershoot that by a comfortable margin so you know you'll hit at least the efficiency you expect.

I wouldn't overestimate & then add DME to compensate.. as that would <potentially> alter your intended recipe.

So, let me attempt to understand what you a saying:
If my "average" efficiency is 65%, I should lower that expected efficiency to say 55% and if I hit 55, perfect. If I hit 65% or 70% I need to add water to achieve target pre-boil gravity? (I am assuming you are talking pre-boil, not post and that I would use a refractometer to determine PBG).

Wouldn't that change the "volume" of my brew and therefore be just as detrimental to my hop calculations? FYI, I'm using Beer Smith for my calculations.

 

[devilishprune]

Yes, either way missing your efficiency is going to be non-ideal. I suppose the best situation you could be in would be to have your OG be too low, and add DME to compensate, keeping your hop additions and volumes the same.

If you aimed low on efficiency, and got higher, then you would have to dilute and change your hop additions accordingly.

It's a possibility that if you have a lower efficiency then you can increase your boil time, end up with a lower final volume, and then decrease the amount of hops that you had planned for originally. In this situation then you would already have all the ingredients on hand, but boiling the wort longer is obviously going to consume more time and possibly lead to some caramelization of your wort.

 

[tunoffun]

So, let me attempt to understand what you a saying:
If my "average" efficiency is 65%, I should lower that expected efficiency to say 55% and if I hit 55, perfect. If I hit 65% or 70% I need to add water to achieve target pre-boil gravity? (I am assuming you are talking pre-boil, not post and that I would use a refractometer to determine PBG).

Exactly. You could also use a hydrometer & simply correct for temperature.

Wouldn't that change the "volume" of my brew and therefore be just as detrimental to my hop calculations? FYI, I'm using Beer Smith for my calculations.

Nope. Just dilute to hit your target OG and then transfer only enough wort to the boiler to hit your anticipated pre-boil volume. Whatever you have left over will be dumped.

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

Brew more ................................

Then you can forget all about DME and underestimating your efficiency and adding water and all the "what if I'm off" adjustments.

Not sure how many all-grains you have done but for me the first 3 or 4 were a little all over the place.

Then after that it was smooth sailing. Eventually you'll know the exact amount that you will boil off. Efficiency should smooth out and you will be able to get consistent results within a few points of expected.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

I was under the impression it isn't so much the volume that affects hop utilization, but rather the gravity of the wort you're using.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I was under the impression it isn't so much the volume that affects hop utilization, but rather the gravity of the wort you're using.

+1


Let go the notion that professional brewers the world over manage to hit the numbers perfectly time after time and that you should do the same at home.

Feck, even Budweiser blends for consistency from can to can.

Instead, focus on technique and learn the processes and chemical, tactile, visual, and palateable changes that occur with each step and how to emphasise or restrain their effect on your beer.

Concern yourself with the gravity and not the volume. Check the wort pre-boil to determine if you need to dilute pre-boil or concentrate in the kettle (knowing that longer boils increase maillard reactions) or simple re-adjust hop rates.

 

[3 Dog Brew]

I was under the impression it isn't so much the volume that affects hop utilization, but rather the gravity of the wort you're using.

If I'm running the numbers in either the Brew Tools software I wrote, or using Beer Smith, both volume and gravity have an affect on total bittering. It just makes sense. If I throw 1 oz of Cascades into 1 gallon of plain water and compare that to 1 oz in 5 gallons of plain water (taking gravity out of the equation altogether) the IBUs and flavor will be different. Reality we are talking about is not as dramatic, but I'm exaggerating to make the point clear.

I have been brewing all grain for at least 5 years, but until I built a RIMS system in 2009 my mash temps were all over the place so I don't count that as "experience" other than tactical process. I can hit my mash temps within a degree or two depending on getting my plumbing to cooperate. I'm fixing that this weekend.

Brewing beer that is good beer is one thing and I'm sure most of us can do that. I'm looking for the next level, the Jamil level of brewing great beer consistently. I know enough to talk about process and technique all day with people that are new to brewing, but there's still so much more to know to attain that 10th level brewing warrior (nod to D&D).

I'm probably over analyzing since I can't brew until next week. I need to brew more; that statement is correct. I'm averaging only 6 batches a year and I want to get to at least 12 (once a month) over the next 12 months.

Thanks for the advice, it's all helpful.