How to compensate for a slow boil-off rate.

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I am trying to make 5 gallon batches of all-grain recipes, but my boil-off rate is very slow, about 0.5 gallons/hour. SO if I start with 6.5 gallons of wort as most recipes say, I end up with 6 gallons after the boil.

Is it best to start out with less wort, say 5.5 gallons so that I am at 5 gallons after boil, or is it best to still start at 6.5, but to boil for more than one hour to reach 5 glassons?
 
I would personally go for less wort, but that can reduce your efficiency. You could easily boil longer, just change how you add hops to account for it.

Either way will work for you, just have to approach them from different angles.
 
I would personally go for less wort, but that can reduce your efficiency. You could easily boil longer, just change how you add hops to account for it.

Either way will work for you, just have to approach them from different angles.

So I assume that I just boil until I have 0.5 gallons more than I need, and then start the 60 min hop additions...?
 
Basically yeah.
 
I am trying to make 5 gallon batches of all-grain recipes, but my boil-off rate is very slow, about 0.5 gallons/hour. SO if I start with 6.5 gallons of wort as most recipes say, I end up with 6 gallons after the boil.

Is it best to start out with less wort, say 5.5 gallons so that I am at 5 gallons after boil, or is it best to still start at 6.5, but to boil for more than one hour to reach 5 glassons?
According to what I recently read about thermal loading of worts, revel. Plan for the lower losses and enjoy.
 
I think he means to start with less water so that your preboil volume is that 1/2 gallon more than you batch size. Having said that, I find that I typically lose a 1/2 gallon to trub in the fermenter, and yet more if I am dry hopping, so I try to put a minimum of 5.5 gallons on the fermenter, closer to 6 if I have a significant amount of hops going into the fermenter.

Do you bottle or keg?

What are you fermenting in?
 
I think he means to start with less water so that your preboil volume is that 1/2 gallon more than you batch size. Having said that, I find that I typically lose a 1/2 gallon to trub in the fermenter, and yet more if I am dry hopping, so I try to put a minimum of 5.5 gallons on the fermenter, closer to 6 if I have a significant amount of hops going into the fermenter.

Do you bottle or keg?

What are you fermenting in?

Fermenting in an Anvil SS then bottling.
Isn't the gravity different if I boil down versus just starting with less wort?
 
I also have a boil off rate of .5 gallons an hour. I plan for 5.5 grains pre-boil. I pour my kettle into the fermenter so I don't count on leaving anything behind in the kettle. I've never seen a low boil off rate as a negative. And no you're gravity won't be any different if you're using the same amount of malt and ending with same volume. Doesn't really matter how you get there.
 
I also have a boil off rate of .5 gallons an hour. I plan for 5.5 grains pre-boil. I pour my kettle into the fermenter so I don't count on leaving anything behind in the kettle. I've never seen a low boil off rate as a negative. And no you're gravity won't be any different if you're using the same amount of malt and ending with same volume. Doesn't really matter how you get there.

But won't the wort be more concentrated if I boil it down as opposed to using less of it?
 
But won't the wort be more concentrated if I boil it down as opposed to using less of it?
No. If you're using X pounds of grain and finishing at Y gallons of wort your gravity will always be about the same as long as the final volume is the same. The starting volume is pretty irrelevant. I actually target a gallon less in my kettle than what I want in the fermenter because I max out my kettle (new bigger kettle supposed to be delivered Tuesday!) and then I top the fermenter up with a gallon of water like an extract batch. My gravity ends up coming out the same as having a greater volume in the kettle and boiling down. Point is if you're starting with the same amount of sugars and ending at the same volume that's all that matters number wise anyways
 
Essentially, either boil off the extra water, or don't add it in the first place. A half gallon per hour seems pretty low, is that on you kitchen stove?
 

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