Problems I am having with volume

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Mjgclutch

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Hi all

My full grain plan seems to be going to plan, but for one issue.

Volume calculations. I get the idea of working backwards from desired volume, and the amount that is lost by boiling. My issue is with the trub, and how much volume that takes. I can't work out the difference between final volume in the boiler, and the volume that ends up in the fermenter (lost / left in trub). How do I calculate that.

Also, on the same theme I am struggling to efficiently rack from the boiler. My ideal method would be siphoning, but the siphonin keeps getting full of hop, and clogged up. This happens quite quickly, meaning that I have to revert to other methods. This would be after racking 5 gallons. Leaving me to tap off the rest - using a false bottom doesn't appear to have much effect. This has in the past left me to use a sieve, but I worry about getting too much trub into the fermementer. Anyhow, both these issues mean my volume to ferment is inconsistent and difficult to control. I have tried today stirring the wort and waiting for it to settle, but still the siphon clogs up.

Any advice would be appreciated!

ta
 
If you are just sticking the siphon in you're going to suck all the hops and stuff up anyway straight into the fermenter.. I assume you just have a pot.

You could do what a lot of people do use a sanitised jug and sieve.

Unlike kits you will still end up with an inch or so of trub. It can settle down and compact, if you can cold crash it or cool it after a few weeks that can help speed that up
 
I don't use a boiler etc I BIAB but what I used to do (cant be bothered now tbh) was as Cov suggests tranfter to a FV passing your wort through a seive to seive out the hops. Then wait for the trub to settle out (you could even whirl pool if you wanted) then rack to a second fermenter leaving almost all the trub begind in the first. A bit of a faff I know but it works
 
Good stuff. I'm transfer to an intermediate bucket. I didn't realise that I had to sieve. It kind of felt a bit primitive!! Can I use any sieve, or are there brewing specific ones?

I assume when recipes refer to making 25L, 5 Gallons or whatever that is the post boil volume and doesn't take into account liquid absorbed by hops, left over trub etc?

ta
 
Mjgclutch said:
Good stuff. I'm transfer to an intermediate bucket. I didn't realise that I had to sieve. It kind of felt a bit primitive!! Can I use any sieve, or are there brewing specific ones?

I assume when recipes refer to making 25L, 5 Gallons or whatever that is the post boil volume and doesn't take into account liquid absorbed by hops, left over trub etc?

ta
Click to expand...

You can use a normal SS one.. but remember to sanitise it first. Not primative all you're doing is straining out the hops and if you can some debris out of the pot.. You see a lot of boilers have taps with hop strainers on.. It is essentially the same thing just a seieve over the tap.

As for the loss do you have or use brewing software? you can try to estimate your volumes but it does depend on the recipe for example a DOuble IPA is going to be different from say a stout because of the amount of hops you throw in the DIPA. If you use brewing software you could set a loss of say 1-2 litres (what do you think you normally have?) and then build that in to your figures..

A lot of these things are trial and error and something which you have to evetually tweak to your own setup.. I myself have moved to a new setup and am also now in this same process of working out my volumes
 
I would estimate the water for the first brew (and adjust for the second brew once you have a clearer idea of your losses) by assuming you will lose about 1 litre per grain to absorption, maybe 2 litres to trub/hop losses, and then about 20% of what you start the boil with. So for a 23 litre brew length you want to start the boil with about 27 litres, plus 2 litres trub makes 29, plus 4 or 5 litres for grain absorption if you use 4 or 5kg grain. That might turn out to be slightly low, if you get 22 litres you can add a litre of water to the FV. Better a bit below volume than too much, I think.
 
Ok. Does that mean that when you read recipes, such as the Hughes book that the final volume is the amount of beer to drink, or post boil?

I do have the software, but I am having IT trouble at the moment. I was trying to estimate, and my latest is 22L, when aiming for 5 gallons so I am getting there! I
 
Primitive is good. Ghetto brewing. Two fingers to the Herms geeks. :thumb: :-)
 

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