This question will likely seem like sacrilege to many of you but I’m wondering what your thoughts are on adding water to beer after the initial fermentation has slowed. I don’t really want an above normal alcohol content in my beer (normal being about 5%) and I’m looking for a session style beer that I can drink with friends for an evening and not get too loaded or too hung-over the next day.
My last 3 brews have higher than expected extraction so my beer is a bit higher alcohol potential than I’d like. Also, I overfilled my carboy today so I am expecting to lose a good amount through the blow off tube. Can I just top it up with boiled and cooled water after the initial krausen surge is over? Will this make it too watery? I am sure that if I had more room to ferment, adding water prior would have been preferred but all I have available is one 5 US gal carboy.
I used 9 lbs MO, 1 lb of Crystal 40 and ended up with 1.062 OG instead of the 1.058 I got last time. I really wanted something in the 1.050 - 1.054 range so next time I’m taking the crystal and MO each down 1/4 lb.
Anyway, should I leave well enough alone or should I water it down a bit?
Thanks
I’ve never done it but this is the way the macro-breweries do it if I’m not mistaken. If I were going to do it I’d wait until bottling or kegging and add the extra water then.
I know Mike McDole is a big fan of this technique. He’ll have a ~8% ABV beer on tap, along with a keg of carbonated water, and dilute to whatever strength he wants.
Whether it comes across as too watery depends on the beer, you could certainly give it a try. I think it’s better to do it at packaging so you can taste it and see how much you’d like to add.
I have talked to other award-winning brewers who do the same thing. It’s easy to get three substyles out of one keg for Scottish Ales, English Pale Ales and some Light Lagers. I think they boil the water, then keg and carbonate it for blending.
Probably the best idea but I don’t have anymore free carboys. I suppose this could stay in the primary some extra time and I could try to figure out a way to keep it until the next batch is done.
Is it just me or is anyone else pleased there’s a tad bit more alcohol than you planned in a beer? ;D I’ve never considered watering down(with the resultant time commitment), just worked harder to hit my numbers.
Hey, I’m not upset that my efficiency is getting better (this is only my 4th all grain) but I am weak. See, when my friends come over and we have a beer, it usually turns into a few which turns into many. Then, I get up with a nasty headache the next day. See, if I had any sort of self-control or restraint when it came to beer, I’d be fine but it’s just so darn tasty that I can’t help myself.
I’ll probably end up leaving well enough alone but if this does blow out a bunch of krausen, I may try to top it up at bottling. Right now the yeast seems pretty lazy compared to an ale so it may not even be an issue (Wyeast 2112 @ 60 degrees).
For me, the best plan would be to try to find a 3.5% mild recipe or something. If I could make a full bodied, good tasting 3.5% beer, that’s really all I want. If I ever made a barley wine, you’d be scraping me up off the carpet.
I would add water to your primary to get the gravity down so you wont produce as much alcohol. BeerSmith’s dilution tool is a great help for doing this.
I do get excited when my beer is stronger than expected too. Most of the beers I drink are big beers anyway. I drink’em slow, so getting too drunk is usually not an issue… usually! ;D
I’ve been on a similar quest recently. I think the key is to keep the sparge runnings high in gravity (or do a no-sparge mash), mash for moderate-to-low attenuation, and use a yeast that will contribute a lot of esters. I have a split batch of 3.6% ABV blondes on tap right now (one with English yeast, the other Belgian) and it’s great. My 7.5% IPA feels thinner.
When I worked at the power plant part of my area of responsibilty was analysing and controling cooling tower chemistry. We bought our circulating water scale inhibitor from Nalco. Part of the contract was a Nalco rep would come to the plant once a week to do a circ. water analysis and write his recommendations. (I always though this was amusing because I ran a more comprehensive circ. water analysis twice a day).
Anyway, this rep and I became good friends. When he found out I was a homebrewer he was excited. Part of his service area also included the AB and Schlitz breweries in Tampa. He told me that both breweries brewed strong beer and then “de-brewed” the beer with the addition of carbonated water just prior to bottling or kegging. AND the only difference between their standard beers and their light (lite) beers was the amount of water added during the de-brewing step.
He told me the tasters at the breweries spent a lot more time insuring that the carbonated water tasted right then they did on making sure the beer tasted right. He said they were supremely confident in their brewing skills and beer. It was the carbonated water that was the most variable.
He also said that they let him try the beer from the pigtail valve on the bright tanks - the strong beer before de-brewing. He said it was very good beer; much better than what they sold. He wanted to know if I could brew something like that. He really liked my pre-pro pils (thank you George Fix).
So, a little while later (summer 1994) I got the chance to take a tour of the Coors plant in Golden. We were served some of the strong beer from the pigtail on that tour. Who knew Coors could brew beer like that? Veeeerrrry tasty!
Here’s what I was thinking.
4 lbs MO, 1/2 to 3/4 lb C40, 1 to 2 oz of Black Patent Malt added at the end of the mash.
Keep the mash temp high (156 - 158) and mash in with 25 quarts of water which should give me about 20-21 quarts pre-boil. Do a small sparge to get another 6-8 quarts (or just do 32 quarts at the start). I like to have about 28 quarts pre-boil and I usually finish around 20 with a bit left in the hop pellets etc at the bottom of the brew kettle.
1 oz Northern Brewer 7.8% at 60
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 15
1/2 oz East Kent Golding at flameout.
What I’m wondering though, would it be worthwhile to add some thing like rolled oats to the grain bill? I’m thinking Oatmeal Stout and the body that the ones I’ve had seem to have. My fear is that if I back off the grain bill so much for 5 gals, it’s gonna get pretty thin.
My yeast is going to be Wyeast London III because that’s what I’ll have washed and ready for a starter next.
This may be better in another thread. I’m hijacking my own thread here…
