Increase in Volume When Grain is Added?

[brew-in]

Hi Team,

Could you all give me an idea of the volume increase in the kettle when you add grains.

Another way to ask is:

Assume 8 gallons of water (making a 5 gallon batch) .

When I add grain basket, what can I expect for the new volume? Maybe 10 gallons for a medium gravity beer? Just looking for an approximate range...

Thanks

 

[Bobby_M]

A pound of grain adds .075 gallons of volume. Example, if you have 8 gallons of strike water and 10 pounds of grain, the total volume required is 8.75 gallons.

 

[brew-in]

A pound of grain adds .075 gallons of volume. Example, if you have 8 gallons of strike water and 10 pounds of grain, the total volume required is 8.75 gallons.

Perfect...thanks

 

[jakenbacon]

So basically you are trying to determine grain absorption numbers right? I have heard anywhere from 1/10 of a gallon of water per pound of grain up to 1/5 of a gallon per pound of grain. I tend to follow the 1/5 of a gallon of water to 1 pound of grain. So, for me, if I am doing a 5 gallom batch, with 15 pounds of grain, I know I will lose 3 gallons of water, which will leave me with 5 to the kettle (15lb x 1/5 =3) So now say I am making a 5 gallon batch again, but with 10lbs of grain (10 x 1/5 =2) Well I know now that I will lose 2 gallons to the grain. Long story short, the dead space in your system will effect these numbers, but to be short and sweet, I expect to lose 1 gallon of water for every 5 pounds of grain I have. Hope that helps...

 

[jakenbacon]

whoops sorry got your question all wrong. nothing new there though I guess...

 

[brew-in]

whoops sorry got your question all wrong. nothing new there though I guess...

sorta...you answered my next question so thanks...

 

[brew-in]

so let me see if I have this.

To end up with 8 gallons of wort for boiling.

If using 15 pounds of grain.

you would need to start with 11 gallons of water.

Once 15 pounds of grain are added, that 11 gallons of water plus grain will take up 12.2 gallons...

Do I have all that correct?

 

[brew-in]

so let me see if I have this.

To end up with 8 gallons of wort for boiling.

If using 15 pounds of grain.

you would need to start with 11 gallons of water.

Once 15 pounds of grain are added, that 11 gallons of water plus grain will take up 12.2 gallons...

Do I have all that correct?

so one would need a 15 gallon pot to make this work?

 

[jakenbacon]

Yessir I think you nailed it.

 

[1MadScientist]

What is the highest OG and batch size of this?

 

[Gavin C]

so let me see if I have this.

To end up with 8 gallons of wort for boiling.

If using 15 pounds of grain.

you would need to start with 11 gallons of water.

Once 15 pounds of grain are added, that 11 gallons of water plus grain will take up 12.2 gallons...

Do I have all that correct?

No wrong.

This is BIAB and the grain absorption amounts were given to you are applicable to traditional mashing.

For my BIAB setup I see 0.045 gallons of absorption per pound of grain. This is not hard to achieve. My recipes are formulated at 80% brewhouse efficiency.

I use an 11 gallon pot for 5.5 gallon batches. Heres what the grain bag with 9lbs looks like after lautering.

9lbs grain in squeezed bag atop a colander

if you use the higher figures for grain absorption you will end up with far too much volume of sweet-wort.

I'd be using the following approximate figures for total water needed

Batch size+
Boil off(hour as default)+
trub loss/deadspace in chiller+
cooling shrinkage (4%) +
grain absorbtion at 0.045g/lb =

5.5+1+0.25+0.25+0.75 = 7.75 gallons of strike water

-0.75gallons lost to absorption

=7 gallons of preboil (for 1 hour boil)
=6 gallons post boil
- 0.5 gallons trub/deadspace/hop absorption/shrinkage
=5.5 gallons to FV
-0.5 gallons FV losses

= 5 gallons of tasty beer.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

so one would need a 15 gallon pot to make this work?

Only if doing a full-volume mash. You could mash with less water in a smaller pot and do a dunk sparge (or other sparge method) to get the remaining wort volume.

 

[doug293cz]

This handy calculator will tell you if what you want to brew will fit in your pot. You need to put in your pot size info instead of leaving the defaults.

Brew on

 

[brew-in]

This handy calculator will tell you if what you want to brew will fit in your pot. You need to put in your pot size info instead of leaving the defaults.

Brew on

Wow that is a neat calculator...thanks tons!

 

[doug293cz]

Wow that is a neat calculator...thanks tons!

Don't thank me. Thank @pricelessbrewing .

Brew on

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Wow that is a neat calculator...thanks tons!

No problem let me know if you need/want any other features.