number of 12oz bottles per 5 gallon batch???

[marc1]

I bottled my first batch yesterday. It was a kit for Nut Brown Ale from Hoggetowne Ale Works, a homebrew shop in Gainesville, FL. I think it is coming out nicely - smells good, tastes good, looks good. However, I was disappointed that I only managed to bottle 4 gallons of beer. I new it would yield less than 5 gallons but I didn't expect to loose an entire gallon. (The batch was topped up to a full 5 gallons in the initial fermentor before pitching the yeast.) I believe the major culprit was how much I left behind in the primary and secondary fermentors when I racked to the next container. So here are my questions:

- How much beer do experienced brewers get out of a "5 gallon" batch?

- How do you maximize the transfer of beer and minimize the transfer of trub when racking?

Given the time and effort involved in a batch of beer, I target 2 full 5 gallon kegs packaged per batch, so I make extra and aim for 12 gallons to the fermenter.
My neighbor and I often drink any good excess beer on kegging night (beer is mostly carbed from spunding, chilled from cold crashing, and pulled from the fermenter with a floating dip tube... if it is tasty we'll hook up a Pluto gun and drink the leftovers until they get yeasty. )

 

[whoaru99]

I stick with the "5 gal batch" is 5 gal into the fermenter since that's the typical convention. I think it just creates less chance for misunderstanding especially for newer brewers.

 

[Brewer Mike]

I stick with the "5 gal batch" is 5 gal into the fermenter since that's the typical convention. I think it just creates less chance for misunderstanding especially for newer brewers.

But, it's not beer at that point, is it? It's a batch of wort.

 

[Rish]

primary and secondary fermentors

Since you used a secondary, you probably lost additional beer there. Many (most?) of us just leave the beer in the primary until time to bottle. Instructions of lots of kits tell you to secondary but unless you're bulk aging, adding fruit, etc. it's not really necessary.

 

[whoaru99]

But, it's not beer at that point, is it? It's a batch of wort.

The moment the yeast goes into that 5 gal batch of wort in the fermenter it's legally a 5 gal batch of beer.

 

[Brewer Mike]

The moment the yeast goes into that 5 gal batch of wort in the fermenter it's legally a 5 gal batch of beer.

Really? There's a law that says that?

 

[whoaru99]

Really? There's a law that says that?

Frankly, it doesn't really matter to the point.

A "5 gal batch" under normal/typical convention is 5 gal into the fermenter regardless what you call the stuff at that point.

 

[MaxStout]

There's a law that sets a threshold of what is deemed an "alcoholic beverage," but it is not at the point of pitching yeast. The threshold is 0.5% ABV.

 

[Brewer Mike]

Frankly, it doesn't really matter to the point.

A "5 gal batch" under normal/typical convention is 5 gal into the fermenter. Call it beer, call it wort, call it what you will.

Sounds more like one opinion. As I said, I've seen sources call a batch what's left in the kettle a batch. It may be a common opinion, but I don't think there's any definitive source that says "normal/typical convention" is what goes into the fermenter is a batch.

 

[whoaru99]

Sounds more like one opinion. As I said, I've seen sources call a batch what's left in the kettle a batch. It may be a common opinion, but I don't think there's any definitive source that says "normal/typical convention" is what goes into the fermenter is a batch.

The "definitive source" is heaps of recipes for "5 gal" whos OG aligns with the ingredients bill and 5 gal into the fermenter.

 

[Brewer Mike]

The "definitive source" is heap of recipes for "5 gal" whos OG aligns with the ingredients bill and 5 gal into the fermenter.

You win! That's now the definition of a batch of beer. Congratulations!

 

[whoaru99]

You win! That's now the definition of a batch of beer. Congratulations!

Thanks!

 

[bwible]

You can't. That would require more than 5 gallons of liquid. The math just doesn't work.

5 gallons X 128 oz/gal ÷ 12 oz/bottle = 53.3 bottles. Any more than that requires either more than 5 gallons of liquid or less than 12 ounces per bottle.

Yeah I wonder about that also. Those bottling wands seem to leave alot of space after you pull them out. I never filled a beer bottle all the way to the top and measured what it holds if its filled to the top. When they say its a 12oz bottle does that mean its 12 oz if filled completely and you’re not really getting 12 oz in a fill? If you’re leaving that airspace in there and getting 12 oz, then it would really be about a 14oz bottle, right?

Fill a bottle all the way to the top, pour it ito a measuring cup and see what it really holds.

 

[bwible]

You can’t put 5 gallons into a fermenter and expect to get 5 gallons back out. You will have losses.

I brew 3 gallon batches and I always calculate all my recipes as 3.5 gallons going in to the fermenter. So I actually do get 3 gallons of finished beer. 3 gallons for me almost always ends up being exactly 30 bottles.

 

[whoaru99]

When they say its a 12oz bottle does that mean its 12 oz if filled completely and you’re not really getting 12 oz in a fill?

Typical convention is a 12 oz bottle of beer is 12 oz contents. The full to the brim level is something more.

When I was bottling in longnecks, I seem to recall 1/3 to 1/2 way up the neck was around 12 oz of beer in the bottle. Had to allow the bottles to fill fairly close to the top to get the level around there when the wand is withdrawn.

Here's a commercially-bottled 12oz beer. Not the best picture but I'd say it's in the 1/3 to 1/2 way range.

 

[bike2brew]

Just confirmed 12 oz in bottle at the level of head space following removal of the racking wand.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

View attachment 839188

Bells Two Hearted?

 

[whoaru99]

Bells Two Hearted?

Yup.

 

[Drunken Monkey]

How much do you end up with in the bottling bucket? You might start with 5 gallons, but like you said you'll lose some along the way depending on what you're doing/ingredients. Most of the time I end up with two cases and about a 6 pack extra for a 5 gallon batch.

Spot on!

 

[redrocker652002]

Just confirmed 12 oz in bottle at the level of head space following removal of the racking wand.

That is what I have been doing. Fill the bottle all the way to the top, and once you remove the filling cane, it drops the level to where it should be. Carb drop or Sugar and you are good to go.