How is fermentation affected?

[DrDance]

Hi all! Great information on this forum! It's fun to just flip through and read about everything!

This may have been asked before, but I can't find it.

How is alcohol content affected by concentration of wort?
It's my (limited) understanding that if I was to add more water before fermentation and dilute the wort, there would generally be a lower alcohol content in the beer. And thus, if the wort was more concentrated there would be a higher alcohol content after fermentation.
I know there are many variables that can affect fermentation, but would this be a general outcome, all things being equal?

 

[DurtyChemist]

Yes

 

[RM-MN]

Hi all! Great information on this forum! It's fun to just flip through and read about everything!

This may have been asked before, but I can't find it.

How is alcohol content affected by concentration of wort?
It's my (limited) understanding that if I was to add more water before fermentation and dilute the wort, there would generally be a lower alcohol content in the beer. And thus, if the wort was more concentrated there would be a higher alcohol content after fermentation.
I know there are many variables that can affect fermentation, but would this be a general outcome, all things being equal?

Since we mostly talk about alcohol by volume(ABV), if you change the volume the ABV will change inversely. The total amount of alcohol doesn't change, you just have diluted or reduced the volume of water.

 

[DrDance]

Then I do have a question...
I did an extract kit for my first brew (the Brew House IPA) it's basically a pour, add water, pitch yeast and wait. I'm 100% sure I topped up to the correct volume with water. After fermentation, and based on OG, I have an ABV of about 6.69%.
Is that normal for an IPA?

 

[cobrem]

Yep. It fits the BJCP guidelines for OG. http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf

 

[DrDance]

Great! Thanks cobrem for the info!