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  • FG too low; dilution method?

    I am trying to nail down a specific dilution method. We have a beer where the FG is 9 points too low, causing this to be about 1.2% higher ABV than needed. We need to get this beer out, so rather than brewing another batch and blending, we are looking at adding sanitized water. Does anyone have a good calculation for this?

    Thanks

  • #2
    dilution

    I think most folks here would probably highly advise against dilution as you are diluting your entire product (aroma, color, flavor profiles, etc..). Can I ask why you want to dilute rather than send the beer out a a percentage point higher than expected? Is the beer destined for cans or bottles? Printed labels already? If your hell bent on diluting I would suggesting taking a look at proofing calculations and methods often used by our friend in the distilling industry. Here is a site turned up from quick google search that might be of use... http://www.katmarsoftware.com/articl...alculator.html. Also a friendly reminder your TTB brewers report will need to reflect the additional water in your calculations.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by fermentedlife View Post
      I think most folks here would probably highly advise against dilution as you are diluting your entire product (aroma, color, flavor profiles, etc..). Can I ask why you want to dilute rather than send the beer out a a percentage point higher than expected? Is the beer destined for cans or bottles? Printed labels already? If your hell bent on diluting I would suggesting taking a look at proofing calculations and methods often used by our friend in the distilling industry. Here is a site turned up from quick google search that might be of use... http://www.katmarsoftware.com/articl...alculator.html. Also a friendly reminder your TTB brewers report will need to reflect the additional water in your calculations.
      It's one of our core beers that we just ran out of yesterday. We were on schedule to have it available right on time until we got a much higher attenuation. Dilution is not my preferred method, I agree 100% with what you said. It's an 18bbl batch; considered brewing enough bbl to dilute it to desired FG. May end up just brewing another batch and blending. Trying for a quick solution that doesn't affect product quality

      To give an idea; its 18bbl, needs to be dry hopped still; 1.076 OG - 1.010 FG (target was 1.019)
      Last edited by brentt03; 11-12-2017, 02:22 PM.

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      • #4
        Just label it an 'imperial' version of the beer. Special event/launch party opportunity.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by brentt03 View Post
          It's one of our core beers that we just ran out of yesterday. We were on schedule to have it available right on time until we got a much higher attenuation. Dilution is not my preferred method, I agree 100% with what you said. It's an 18bbl batch; considered brewing enough bbl to dilute it to desired FG. May end up just brewing another batch and blending. Trying for a quick solution that doesn't affect product quality

          To give an idea; its 18bbl, needs to be dry hopped still; 1.076 OG - 1.010 FG (target was 1.019)
          Well, the problem is that you're going to dilute your FG even further if you do this. That said, this is a simple matter of ratios. You have 18bbl at abv% abv and you want abv2% abv.

          abv * vol = abv2 * vol2

          for example, say you have 8.14% and you wanted 6.96%

          8.14 * 18 = 6.96 * y
          146.52 = 6.96 * y
          y = 21.05

          You need to dilute to 21.05 bbl to have the proper ABV, which means adding 3.05 bbl if water to your current 18bbl of beer. Water has an SG of 1, so your SG will be:
          (10*18 + 1*3.05)/21.05 = 8.7

          Your final SG will be 1.0087. If you usually finish at 1.019, this is something your customers/patrons *will* notice. My unsolicited advice would be to brew a batch of beer with a higher FG and blend to make up the difference.
          Last edited by claponsie; 11-12-2017, 06:14 PM.

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          • #6
            Thanks everyone! Appreciate the input in this forum for sure. Definitely think we will be brewing another batch and blending. Done it in the past and feel much better about this method.


            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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            • #7
              Do you know what caused the FG to get so much lower than expected? Did someone forget to add cara malts or something?

              I would be not normally have a concern about blending beers, but your expected and actual are way off, which could mean you have a contaminant. I would strongly advise you plate and incubate, as well as thorough sensory analysis before blending more beer into this batch. The last thing you want to do is end up with even more beer that is out of spec, or beer that goes bad quickly and becomes unacceptable.

              I'd probably opt for skipping the dry hop, and adding a fruit or flavoring of some sort and making it a special release if at all possible, personally. If you have a known reason as to why you finished so dry, then I would consider the blend. It sucks to be out of one of your core beers, but it sucks worse to compromise the quality of a core beer (and have a lot more of it). Just be very sure before you go the blending route. It can go both ways.

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