Replacing volume from blowoff?

[meatandcookies]

So I'm pretty new to brewing, just brewed my first batch about 2 weeks ago. All of my brews have been 1G, which has been working out well for me in an NYC apartment. But I digress...

Last night, I brewed NB's Bourbon Barrel Porter 1G extract kit. Well into the boil time, I realized I'd dumped all 2# of DME in, when I was only supposed to use 1.5#. As a result, throughout the last 12hrs, there was a pretty serious beersplosion through the blowoff tube. I'm not even going to tell you all what my kitchen looked like before I attached the blowoff tube, when there was only an airlock. And of COURSE it was porter. Couldn't have been something easier to clean. I probably lost 1/5-1/6 of the gallon batch.

I wouldn't even ask this if I hadn't added too much DME, but can I add boiled & cooled water in to the carboy to compensate for the volume loss? If so, at what point?

 

[number40fan]

I wouldn't just because of the infection issue.

 

[andrewmaixner]

partial-volume / extract brewers add water straight from the tap all the time to bring the fermentation vessel from 3 up to 5 gallons.

Now, your yeast have already taken off, so it could be different.
If your fermentation is still going strong, mildly oxygenated tap water ??shouldn't?? be an issue (someone correct me if this is wrong)

I can think of no reason at all why you couldn't add boiled/cooled (deoxygenated) water at any point you want, now or at bottling time. Bottling dilution is common also.

 

[feinbera]

Yeah... it kinda is what it is, at this point. Infection issues aside, you're blowing off beer; if you replace blown-off beer with water, you'll get a full gallon of watered-down beer, versus most of a gallon of unadulterated fermented goodness if you just leave it as it is.

Chalk that beer or two you lost up to the learning curve and throw a blowoff tube on right from the start next time.

 

[dnslater]

I agree with others. I wouldn't add water. You did have extra malt at the start, but remember, it was fermenting beer that you lost, not water. An extra .5 lbs of malt should not make much of a difference with that beer. I would let it ride.

 

[meatandcookies]

Thanks, all. I guess I'll chalk this one up to learning, and go ahead and order another kit today.

 

[unionrdr]

I agree, you'll just water it own at this point. Never heard of diluting at bottling time either?...new one on me.

 

[Kahler]

Definitely do not add anything.

Side note. Check out the whole foods in the bowery. They have great homebrew section. Cheapest grains in the city, great list of yeasts and hops.

 

[TheZymurgist]

I disagree. I see no harm in adding boiled (and cooled) water once fermentation is complete. Seeing as you've added 33% more DME than you were supposed to, there's certainly no harm in adding a fifth or a sixth of a gallon of water. Just be sure to taste it before you do to see if it needs to be done.

 

[andrewmaixner]

I agree, you'll just water it own at this point. Never heard of diluting at bottling time either?...new one on me.

I looked into it a while ago. Decided not to, but it is essentially identical to into-the-fermenter dilution, as long as the water is deOxygenated and steril. Say you have a beer where you wanted to hit 6%abv, but it was at 7 or 8 instead. Just add safe water when you keg or bottle.
It's just one more tool in your kit, you can use it or skip it, personal preference.
Pull a bit off a few days early to sample the original side-by-side with a diluted sample to make sure it tastes good still.

 

[unionrdr]

Some will dilute to recipe volume. others to the perfect OG or even ABV%. I top off to recipe volume & if the OG is a little high, I chalk it up to greater efficiency. More ABV for me.

 

[meatandcookies]

I read here that they DC'ed their homebrew section....haven't been down there in a long time (I'm way up in Inwood)...is that not the case?

 

[m00ps]

I disagree. I see no harm in adding boiled (and cooled) water once fermentation is complete. Seeing as you've added 33% more DME than you were supposed to, there's certainly no harm in adding a fifth or a sixth of a gallon of water. Just be sure to taste it before you do to see if it needs to be done.

This is what I think too. If I'm worried about some volume loss or too high a n ABV, I'll boil a large amount of water for bottling with the priming sugar. Do like 600ml or so and you squeeze out 2 more beers as well.

 

[dnslater]

I disagree. I see no harm in adding boiled (and cooled) water once fermentation is complete. Seeing as you've added 33% more DME than you were supposed to, there's certainly no harm in adding a fifth or a sixth of a gallon of water. Just be sure to taste it before you do to see if it needs to be done.

I just noticed that we were talking the 1 gallon kit, not the regular 5 gallon kit. You are probably right.

 

[Kahler]

I read here that they DC'ed their homebrew section....haven't been down there in a long time (I'm way up in Inwood)...is that not the case?

Just looked it up. They did close it. That really sucks. Even though I'm out on the island now, I would have gone into the city for it.

Back to your issue at hand. Maybe add a little extra water to your priming liquid.

 

[meatandcookies]

It's going to stay in the primary for at least 3 weeks...I'll check it when bottling, but good to know it's an option. Thanks, all.