Post Boil Wort Dilution

[Eric Carbobiach]

Hello there!

Annually, some friends and me go to ranch and have party for a weekend, so I brew! But, this year, the meet will be closer and I need to brew a lot of beer in a month.

So I thought to dilute a high gravity wort at fermentor. I found tips about IBU, color, gravity, but I don't find an article or in books how much can I dilute. I thought make a Blonde Ale and an American Lager (using a fast-working yeast, that works well at 60oF, that have here), both with low gravity, to potentialize the production.

Here in Brazil people say I'm crazy and, if do that, would be better buy some large scale beer, because is a sacrilege dilute your beer, u will lost all your work. The fact is that I don't need that batch be a masterpiece beer, just cheap and drinkable.

So, anyone can help me with the maximun dilution I can apply?

Cheers and a big hugge from Brazil!

PS: some pics of my beer cave. Now I use a single vessel, but the cooler mash tun was the configuration I used for years (inspired in US's homebrew, here in Brazil isn't common, normally people here use a 3 pot system).

Carbobiach

 

[mabrungard]

Post boil or post ferment dilution is common in commercial breweries and when they don’t have enough brewing capacity.

 

[Eric Carbobiach]

Post boil or post ferment dilution is common in commercial breweries and when they don’t have enough brewing capacity.

Hello! Thanks for the answer! Do you have a north about % that can be diluted? In software is easy simulate a 5 gal batch and dilute to 10 gal, but, it's really applicable?

 

[bierhaus15]

It is more common among the industrial brewers to dilute post fermentation and commonly do so up to 40-50% of volume for light lagers, ect. Once fermentation is complete, there is less issues with dilution as you don't have to worry about disrupting fermentation performance. They are using deaerated water. Typically the beer is brewed to 8-9% ABV and diluted to spec.

On the same token, you can dilute your wort pre fermentation down to whatever gravity you need. For instance, brew to 15-16P and dilute down to 11-12P before fermentation. You should be able to get 20-30% wort dilution that way without any real issue, although you'll have to adjust your bittering and other things like calcium to account for the dilution.

 

[Vale71]

Hello! Thanks for the answer! Do you have a north about % that can be diluted? In software is easy simulate a 5 gal batch and dilute to 10 gal, but, it's really applicable?

100% dilution is really unrealistic. To get to a 12°P wort you'd have to start with a 24°P wort and that will impact efficiency, color, taste, and hop extraction. In the end, you'll probably be better off diluting 30% to 40%.

 

[Eric Carbobiach]

For instance, brew to 15-16P and dilute down to 11-12P before fermentation. You should be able to get 20-30% wort dilution that way without any real issue, although you'll have to adjust your bittering and other things like calcium to account for the dilution.

My setup can sustain sufficient grain to make beer about 19P, using about 3,7l/kg. But I usually just add suffient malt to the target OG, never diluted, so I was afraid to do that.

And thanks a lot, for all! Help me so much!