So I brewed yesterday. Followed instructions by starting with 3 gallons in my brewpot. My boil was over and I transferred to my Carboy and added 2 more gallons, but I was nowhere near 5 gallons. I had to add an additional 1 1/2 gallons of water to get to the 5 gallon point. So I used a total of 6.5 gallons for my brew.
Am I at risk for having a watered down beer now? I tasted the Wort I used for my OG reading and it tasted a litte watered down, so I’m nervous.
Agreed… You lose a lot of water due to evaporation during the boil. It’s perfectly normal, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. Your beer is fine sir.
Boil off rates vary with the seasons and weather - so take hydrometer readings and add water as necessary to hit your mark. I will even do this with all grain batches, when necessary, but I try to hit the mark by estimating based on my equipment and experiences - I also have gone to putting a lid on the boil partially covering the pot,while allowing steam to escape with the SMM to avoid DMS issues.
