Same here - you have to guesstimate how much trub you’re going to leave behind anyways. A best guess should get you close enough. The other option is to add it after you transfer and stir it in gently with a sanitized spoon.
OR I could always make a solution for 4 gallons or so, add it before hand. Once I add beer and verify volume add a second solution.
Anyone see a problem with this? ^^
No problem there really. After another handful of batches, you should be able to estimate by looking at it. Unless you dry hop, that makes it tough.
Yeah, once you get your system down, you should pretty much know what your final volume is going to be and be able to calculate your priming solution from there.
I add it hot as well. If you cold crash it’ll cool the priming solution even quicker.
Shizer! I think it may be under-carbed. There was some thick residue left in my pot which I assume had some sugar in it. Otherwise, business as usual, can’t wait to stop bottling.
Bottling still definitely has its place. I like to brew 7 gallon batches and bottle the remainder after the keg is full. Since I ferment in 5 gallon cornies, I can bottle right off the fermenter with a little honey in each bottle. It’s pretty sweet, I can create an archive.
And hence the admonition always to keep careful and detailed notes. After a couple of batches it will seem less like an estimate and more like a calculation.
+1 to marking your fermentation vessel. i mark my glass carboys at 5gal and then .25gal increments up to 6. then all you are accounting for is the cake. helps with the beginning volume of collected wort after boil as well as note for fermentation volume loss, lagering volume loss, and then final volume going into bottling when figuring priming sugar. just grab a one gallon measuring pitcher and fill with water and make your marks. just keep in mind even permanent marker will come off. i just put clear tape over my markings.
If you’ve got a ton of carboys, just notch a wooden dowel with whatever increments you desire. View dowel close to fermenter with your eye at liquid level. Absolutely don’t forget to subtract the trub.
I’ve got a square dowel with marks added for all my glass carboys (3, 5, 6.5 and my single 6 gallon–each gets a side). After all that measuring and notching, I keep that baby hidden and safe from my wood-chewing puppy.
I printed volume marks on Avery weatherproof address labels and stuck them on my (tragically empty) carboy.