How much water?

[Robbadgie]

Hi, I've done kits for a few years and I want to take the next step and use DME. My plan is to do regular small brews, around 10 litres, to allow myself more practice/variety. But from what I've read on the process I do not know how much water to add to the boil initially so that I end up with 10 litres of beer. How much extra do I need to add for evaporation/what's left in the fermenter/etc? Or do I just start with 10 litres and top up with boiled water afterwards to make up for what's been lost?

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[moto748]

Do you have a boiler of some sort, or are you doing a stove-top in a large stock-pot.?

If stock-pot, the size of that may limit you. But I wouldn't worry about it too much, I's just start with maybe 12 litres or so, and see what you end up when it's cooled and ready for pitching the yeast in the FV. Then take a hydrometer reading and check that it's near your target. If it;s close, it's all good and if you have a bit less than 10 litres, you can accept that, or add a little water and accept slightly weaker beer, Conversely, if you;ve overshot your target, you could again dilute a little to get back back to your target OG..

Keep a record of what you do, and if it looks like 12 litres isn't quite enough, try 12.5 or 13 next time. But best to let the OG be the determinant of whether you dilute or not, rather than rigidly saying, I must end up with 10 litres exactly, if you see what I mean.

 

[Robbadgie]

Hi thanks for the response. It's low tech, a fermenting bucket with a variable heating element in it. Bough a long time ago and not yet used. I'll start with 12 and see how it goes.