1 Gallon Short

[FLBrew]

Like a beginner dummy, I didn't top off pale ale before fermenting. Now I'm a gallon short. Could I boil a gallon of water to remove the oxygen, cool it down and add to the bottling bucket to bring my volume up to 5 gallons like the kit intended?

 

[lumpher]

is it already fermenting? if so, best to leave it like it is instead of watering it down. call it an ipa instead

 

[ktblunden]

It's not worth the risk of introducing oxygen or contaminating it at bottling, just let it go as is.

 

[FLBrew]

Thanks.

 

[drainbamage]

I'd add that you make sure to cut back appropriately on your priming sugar at bottling time. Adding 5 gal worth of sugar to 4 gal of beer might lead to some gushers or bottle bombs.

 

[tennesseean_87]

This is silly. You can certainly do that. Just use a gallon to mix your priming sugar at bottling. Let it cool a bit before you throw it in the sanitized bottling bucket and then rack on top of it.

 

[FLBrew]

This is silly. You can certainly do that. Just use a gallon to mix your priming sugar at bottling. Let it cool a bit before you throw it in the sanitized bottling bucket and then rack on top of it.

Have you had experience doing this? I thought it would be ok. All the ingredients were for 5 gallons so it shouldn't seem watered down.

 

[Snisup]

Are you worried about the lost volume or the effect on the beer?
When I was doing kits I would intentionally leave out the top up water because I only had 5g carboys. I always liked the outcome. Then again I'm a quality over quantity type of guy.
I say leave it be and call it an IPA.

 

[FLBrew]

Are you worried about the lost volume or the effect on the beer?
When I was doing kits I would intentionally leave out the top up water because I only had 5g carboys. I always liked the outcome. Then again I'm a quality over quantity type of guy.
I say leave it be and call it an IPA.

I'm more concerned with quality. Didn't know if it was gonna be overly bitter. I guess I'll taste it during my last FG reading and decide then whether to add the gallon or not.

 

[Snisup]

Good idea. I'd give it a chance, at least.

 

[FLBrew]

Good idea. I'd give it a chance, at least.

I bottled last night. The taste was pretty good....slightly more bitter than I was looking for with this pale ale. I just boiled a half gallon of water withy the priming sugar.