Only yielding about 3 1/2 Gallons off 5 Gal Batch?

[mahamire]

So this is my second AG batch. Both times Ive really only ended up with about 3 1/2 gallons of beer even though I start my boil with about 6. It seems that I loose a half gallon through the boil and almost 2 to Grain and Hop material. Am i doing something wrong or just not using enough water?

 

[brandonhagen1]

I use 7.5gallons total use a mash calculator it will help a lot

 

[Beernik]

Here are the main places you'll lose water volume:
1. Dead space in your mash tun
2. Grain absorption
3. Boil off
4. Wort shrinkage (cooling the wort from boiling to 70F).

I need about 6 gallons going into a 60 minute boil to get 5 gallons after it. For a 5% beer, I need about 7.5 gallons between the mash and sparge water so I collect 6 gallons for the boil.

 

[brandonhagen1]

here are the main places you'll lose water volume:
1. Dead space in your mash tun
2. Grain absorption
3. Boil off
4. Wort shrinkage (cooling the wort from boiling to 70f).

I need about 6 gallons going into a 60 minute boil to get 5 gallons after it. For a 5% beer, i need about 7.5 gallons between the mash and sparge water so i collect 6 gallons for the boil.

+1

 

[Dirty25]

I try to have 6+ gallons post boil, I usually lose about a gallon to hops and protien solids. I normally start my boil with 8ish gallons

 

[RonPopeil]

most of my loss is in the mash tun. 1.070 beers lose nearly a gallon. next big loser is boil when it's cold out. otherwise all losses aside from the tun are negligible.

i mash in at 1.0-1.25 qt/grain lbs. if it's a step mash i add the adjustment water on top of this value. most beers mash in between 4 and 5 gals. i then bring ~4 gallons of water up to mash out temp and run it until i collect 7 gallons. if it's hot out i'll get at least 6 gallons back. when it's cold i struggle to get 5. using this method i almost always have extra water in the kettle after collecting 7 gallons.

 

[Yooper]

In order to get 5.25 gallons of finished beer in the fermenter, I start with about 9 gallons of water!

For example, say there is a 10 pound grainbill.

I'd use 15 quarts of water to mash with. (3.75 gallons).

The grain will absorb about 1.25 gallons of water- that means you'd get out about 2.5 gallons of wort.

I lose nearly two gallons to boil off and trub in my system, so I start with 7 gallons in the boil kettle. I need to sparge with 4.5 gallons of water to get that, if I get out 2.5 gallons from the mash.

That right there is using 8.25 gallons of water. I "lose" a little bit in the plumbing/false bottom, so having 9 gallons ready is insurance that I don't undersparge.

For larger grainbills, you'd use even a bit more water since the grain absorbs about .125 gallons per pound.


For your next batch, keep track of the volumes you have and if you have a boil off of more than a gallon or so, start with more wort in the boil kettle. It'll work much better if you measure your volumes.

 

[mahamire]

In order to get 5.25 gallons of finished beer in the fermenter, I start with about 9 gallons of water!

For example, say there is a 10 pound grainbill.

I'd use 15 quarts of water to mash with. (3.75 gallons).

The grain will absorb about 1.25 gallons of water- that means you'd get out about 2.5 gallons of wort.

I lose nearly two gallons to boil off and trub in my system, so I start with 7 gallons in the boil kettle. I need to sparge with 4.5 gallons of water to get that, if I get out 2.5 gallons from the mash.

That right there is using 8.25 gallons of water. I "lose" a little bit in the plumbing/false bottom, so having 9 gallons ready is insurance that I don't undersparge.

For larger grainbills, you'd use even a bit more water since the grain absorbs about .125 gallons per pound.

For your next batch, keep track of the volumes you have and if you have a boil off of more than a gallon or so, start with more wort in the boil kettle. It'll work much better if you measure your volumes.

Thank you! Im going to boil with 7 gallons of water next time. That's exactly what I thought I would need to do I just wasn't sure.