Over Volume Under Gravity

[Craigerrr]

I guess I need to adjust my equipment profile, last few brews preboil volume has been high, gravity low. I think this tells me to reduce my mash tun dead space? The odd thing is that my batch has ended up below expected volume when boiling down to target OG. What I have done is boiled down until I get to the target preboil numbers then start my 60 minute timer and start adding my hop additions. Today's batch was 5 gallons in the fermenter, target was 5.5.

Should I only adjust the mash tun dead space, then brew again and see what the result is? Or is there something else I should be doing as well. The deadspace being off is throwing off efficiency...

 

[Nosybear]

Deadspace is easy to find: Fill your system with a known volume of water, run it to make sure all the lines and crannies are full, drain as if you're lautering. The difference is your deadspace. Adjust your profile.

 

[J A]

You can always just stop collecting wort in the boil pot when you get to your proper volume. Save the last of the runnings for making starter wort. It's that simple.
If you consistently have more sparge than you need, figure out at what stage you're over-estimatinig and change your settings.

 

[Mase]

I never calculate any deadspace

Like JA, what ever is left over once boil volume has been met, just discard or make a starter wort. And even the Boil Kettle gets drained through a hop filter on its way to the BK so no deadspace there.

JA... I end up with between a half and a full gallon left over (once BK is topped off), but it’s only at around 1.010. Are you boiling that down to get a 1.040ish wort?

 

[Craigerrr]

Thanks, I will figure out, and adjust mash tun dead space. I will deal with fermenter volume separately. I will also weigh the hop debris before discarding, my hop absorption rate may be messing with me fermenter volume as well. I will subtract the beginning hop weight from the weight of the hop debris, then calculate absorption based on water being approximately 10lbs/gallon.

 

[J A]

JA... I end up with between a half and a full gallon left over (once BK is topped off), but it’s only at around 1.010. Are you boiling that down to get a 1.040ish wort?

The way I usually sparge, my final runnings are closer to 1.015. If I want a starter, I'll use a 1.025 - 1.030 gravity wort so it doesn't take a lot of boiling.
If I really want to keep some final runnings, I'll raise the bag I use as a liner for my tun and let it drain and/or give it a squeeze. That way I'll maximize the volume and gravity of that last little bit and have something that's a little closer to what I need for starter.

 

[Hawkbox]

You can always just stop collecting wort in the boil pot when you get to your proper volume. Save the last of the runnings for making starter wort. It's that simple.
If you consistently have more sparge than you need, figure out at what stage you're over-estimatinig and change your settings.

This is what I do, I over sparge on purpose to get starter wort.

 

[Hawkbox]

For the record I don't actually have a clue what my starter work gravity is. I should measure it sometime. Never had an issue with it though.

 

[GFHomebrew]

This is what I do, I over sparge on purpose to get starter wort.

Or over build your batch size and take starter Wort 10 Or so minutes into boil I must note you get some hops in your start this way though. I've got zero mash tun dead space as my mash run is my boil kettle lol!

 

[Hawkbox]

I mash in a bag so I just pull off the cooler, though I do like the idea of pulling from the boil.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I mash in a bag so I just pull off the cooler, though I do like the idea of pulling from the boil.

Yeah savesnbuying 1kg DME for 12 bucks a pop. I actually spied a real cheap LME option with big supermarket brand on it for $9 lately should make 20lt but if I remember my extract days it's a bitch to work with.