Top Off

[beerfan]

Does everyone usually top off if shy after sparging before or after the boil?

 

[jayhoz]

Does everyone usually top off if shy after sparging before or after the boil?

Since no one has answered I'll throw in my 2 cents. I have never done an AG batch so take this with a grain of salt. I believe you should top off only if you have overshot your OG. Dilute to the correct OG. I'm guessing you would do this prior to the boil to keep the hop utilization correct.

More experienced people please chime in.

 

[D2T]

My first AG was about 1.5 gallons short of my target because my banjo burner was cranked a bit too high during the boil. I topped off slowly to try and hit my target OG. Turns out my efficiency was better than expected and I hit my target volume still 3 points over. I just did a little dance to the AG gods at that point and let well enough alone.

If you are short and not over your target OG I guess it's up to you whether you want to dilute for volume, or keep it low for the sake of hitting your target.

But dialing in to your equipment is key. I managed my second AG and hit target after boil with no top-off (crappy efficiency, but that's another story ). I mad some marks on my stirring spoon so that I'd know when I was close to target, and then I started using a lid on my pot.

 

[Jester369]

I started using a lid on my pot.

Do you have the lid on the whole time? Might not be a great idea - there's unwanted stuff in the wort that you want boiled off.

 

[Desert_Sky]

depends. My evaporation rate varies depending on the humidity or wind. I have notches marked in my spoon for pre boil volume, and post volume. I can tell where Im going to end up and add if neccesary.

 

[beerfan]

While sparging yesterday I thought for sure I was going to be short, if anything I ended up with a little more than what I needed. Before I brew again I am going to mark my brewpot between 5 and 6.5 in half gallon increments.

 

[D2T]

Do you have the lid on the whole time? Might not be a great idea - there's unwanted stuff in the wort that you want boiled off.

No, not the whole time, and even then not completely on. I'm still trying to work out boil-off for my new burner, so hopefully I can get it dialed in without the lid in another brew or two.

 

[Rook]

I tend to top off after the boil, but I tend to care a bit less. I don't use a hydrometer very often and since I'm using partial mash and still get the bulk of my fermentables from extract I figure I get 'close enough' to how fermentable the wort needs to be.