Double Strength Beer To Water Down

[Munut]

I want to fill to kegs and was wondering if this would work?

I make 22L brews and once a couple of samples have been taken out find this fills a keg with not much left over. I only have the regular size fermenter (30L I think) and can only fit one in my ferment fridge.

If I were to double all my ingredients in a 22L brew and then ferment to achieve something around 10%abv, then split this into two kegs and top them up with water to get a beer around 5%abv. Carbonate and serve as usual.

Would the result be the same as if I brewed at my usual amounts?

The only thing I can think of is I may need to pick different yeast to handle 10%alc otherwise the final ratio of all your ingredients once split and water down is the same as normal.

I do extract brews if this makes any difference.

Thanks

 

[pdilley]

No.

You have the problem of hop utilistation let alone fitting all that grain in all grain brewing. It is a lot easier to do with extract brewing as you are already bittered at known levels. Ale yeast can easily handle 12% +/- a percent or so.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[argon]

I want to fill to kegs and was wondering if this would work?

I make 22L brews and once a couple of samples have been taken out find this fills a keg with not much left over. I only have the regular size fermenter (30L I think) and can only fit one in my ferment fridge.

If I were to double all my ingredients in a 22L brew and then ferment to achieve something around 10%abv, then split this into two kegs and top them up with water to get a beer around 5%abv. Carbonate and serve as usual.

Would the result be the same as if I brewed at my usual amounts?

The only thing I can think of is I may need to pick different yeast to handle 10%alc otherwise the final ratio of all your ingredients once split and water down is the same as normal.

I do extract brews if this makes any difference.

Thanks

Few issues here;
1.Do you have the capacity to brew twice as much in a brew session? If so do that... and either cube half for later or buy another fermenter and do them both at the same time.

2. You can double the batch by doubling all ingredients, however a couple of differences will occur. Your hop utilisation will be effected. It can be done but you'll essentially be using alot more hops to achieve the same bitterness and flavour profile. Get a hold of beersmith or promash (or whatever) to calculate this for you. eg beersmith has a scale feature and top-up water calculator that's good for making double batches.

3. It's not really a good idea to add water post fermentation. The chlorine/oxygen and other chemicals/minerals within water will effect the shelf life of your beer, possibly oxidising it. Some think it's not much of an issue. Others much more experienced than me say it will negatively impact the final product in time. I tend to err on the side of caution and don't top up post ferment. If i have to, i do it pre-ferment. And always use pre boiled water.

4. You're right about the yeast. Doubling the gravity will stress the wrong type of yeast. As an example a US05 is not going to be keen on chomping a 1100OG wort down to 1010FG or so. So trying to do this will also cause some headaches.

So... can be done just need to consider the potential impacts

 

[Munut]

No.

You have the problem of hop utilistation let alone fitting all that grain in all grain brewing. It is a lot easier to do with extract brewing as you are already bittered at known levels. Ale yeast can easily handle 12% +/- a percent or so.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

I do my own bittering I use unhopped extract.

I bitter in about 3 or 4 lietrs of wort at 1040 sg, i would expect to have to use double the wort at 1040 to get the same results with double the hops.

 

[Kingy]

i brewed a beer not that long ago that was way to sweet and strong and bitter (1st brew on new system and experimenting continual sparging at the same time)(not a good idea lol),it was going to be my first AG batch that was thrown out. I saved it by emptying about 8 litres from the keg and topped up with natural spring water from coles. The beer ended up 10 times better.
Just a hit and miss i think it was for me.
To plan it like you wanto tho, id get beersmith or likewise program as others have mentioned so you get your calculations right. And top up with de airated water after fermenting. I dont see why this wouldnt work?

 

[Bizier]

Are you trying to make Budweiser?

 

[QldKev]

As mentioned you will get reduced hop utilization in a high gravity wort. There is a calculator on here somewhere to work out the correction factor. The only other thing I would do would split / dilute prior to fermenting; so just run 2 fermentors if they fit into your brew area (fridge or what ever)


QldKev

 

[Munut]

If I was making Budweiser I'd halve all my ingredients.

How do you de airate water?

Oxygen in the water I add post ferment causing oxidation would be the biggest problem I can forsee.

Other than that I can't see why it wouldn't work all your quantities end up the same at the end. Bit like the fresh wort kits you top up to 23L before fermenting except I'll be doing it after fermenting cause I don't have the extra capcity.

 

[MCT]

How do you de airate water?

Boil it.

 

[Munut]

"As mentioned you will get reduced hop utilization in a high gravity wort."

I don't do full volume boils for my bittering, I use a small portion at 1040 sg so I should get the same results as my current beers, Yes/No?

"The only other thing I would do would split / dilute prior to fermenting; so just run 2 fermentors if they fit into your brew area (fridge or what ever)"

This would be the sensible solution but I only have one fermenter and can only fit one in my ferment fridge. That's what brought me to this idea.

 

[Munut]

Boil it.

Too easy you may have talked me into.

I'll do a brew I have done a few times so if it turns out lacking I'll be able to tell.