Quick Water Requirements
The Quick Water Requirements (QWR) are a collection of water volume calculations based on a specific recipe and a chosen equipment profile.
The Quick Water Requirements (QWR) is a collection of water volume calculations based on a specific recipe and a chosen equipment profile. (NOTE: If you have not created a custom equipment profile, the default 12 US Gallon profile will be used.) The calculations will show you how much water you will need to be adding at each stage, and where your water losses will be coming from.
From the Recipe Builder, you can access the QWR measurements from either under the “Recipe Tools” dropdown at the top of the page, or by using the section menu in the “Mash Guidelines” section.
These are the calculated volumes that are provided. Note that volumes are only displayed when relevant to both the type of recipe that you are brewing and the equipment profile that you have chosen to brew with. While we will describe all of the possible volumes in this document, you will only see those that make sense to your recipe and equipment.
NOTE: All volumes will be displayed in the units chosen for the given recipe and assumes a calibration temperature of 68°F / 20°C.
Overview of an all grain Double IPA recipe for target Batch size to fermentor.
- 1.[Heat | Boil] water added to kettle If the recipe includes any steeping grains, this line indicates heating the water (steeping) otherwise it directs you to start with boiling water.
- 2.Grain absorption losses (steeping) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one steeping grain or mashable fermentable.
- 3.Hops absorption losses (steeping) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash/steeping hops addition.
- 4.Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable *not marked as ‘Late Addition’.
- 5.Pre boil volume
- 6.Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’.
- 7.Boil off losses
- 8.Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition.
- 9.Post boil volume When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Kettle’, it represents the target batch size volume.
- 10.Kettle losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Kettle losses”.
- 11.Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition.
- 12.Misc. losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”.
- 13.Hops absorption losses (hopback) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition.
- 14.Top off amount This line is included if the post-boil volume is less than the desired target batch size.
- 15.[Estimate] Going into fermentor When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.
- 16.Total This line shows the total volume of water needed for the recipe.
- Heat water added to kettle If the recipe includes any mashable grains, this line indicates heating the water otherwise it directs you to start with boiling water
- Grain absorption losses This line is included if the recipe includes at least one steeping grain or mashable fermentable
- Hops absorption losses (mash) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash/steeping hops addition
- Mash/Lauter Tun losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Mash/Lauter Tun losses”
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable *not marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Pre boil volume
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Boil off losses
- Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition
- Post boil volume When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Kettle’, it represents the target batch size volume.
- Kettle losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Kettle losses”
- Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition
- Misc. losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”
- Hops absorption losses (hopback) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition
- Top off amount This line is included if the post-boil volume is less than the desired target batch size
- [Estimate] Going into fermentor When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.
- Total This line shows the total volume of water needed for the recipe
- Strike water volume By default, all recipes using the BIAB brew method are setup for full volume mashes. This is what seperates a BIAB recipe in Brewer's Friend from an "all grain" recipe. The total volume of water calculated for this recipe will be used as the strike volume with no sparge volume.
- Grain absorption losses
- Hops absorption losses (mash) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash hops addition
- Mash Lauter Tun losses This line is included if the selected equipment profile has a non-zero mash/lauter loss volume
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable *not marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Pre boil Volume
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) This line is included for recipes that include at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Boil off losses
- Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition
- Post boil Volume This line is included for all-grain recipes where the batch target is using ‘Kettle’
- Kettle losses
- Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition
- Misc. losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”
- Hops absorption losses (hopback) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition
- [Estimate] Going into fermentor When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.
- Total
- Strike water volume at mash thickness of XX qt/lb (includes XX gal addition) If the mash guidelines include a custom mash thickness value, it will be used here, otherwise the ‘Starting Mash Thickness’ value in the current equipment profile will be used. If neither of those have values, a system default of 1.75 gal/lb (3.65 kg/L) is used. An extra mash tun addition volume is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value for the ‘Mash Tun Addition’ field.
- Grain absorption losses
- Hops absorption losses (mash) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash hops addition
- Remaining sparge water volume
- Mash Lauter Tun losses This line is included if the selected equipment profile has a non-zero mash/lauter loss volume
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable *not marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Pre boil Volume
- Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) This line is included for recipes that include at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’
- Boil off losses
- Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition
- Post boil Volume This line is included for all-grain recipes where the batch target is using ‘Kettle’
- Kettle losses
- Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition
- Misc. losses This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”
- Hops absorption losses (hopback) This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition
- [Estimate] Going into fermentor When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.
- Total
For extract or partial-mash type recipes, if your equipment profile has a high amount of loss compared to its ending volume you will be shown a warning about how this might affect the original gravity (OG) calculated in your recipe. For extract or partial-mash type recipes, make sure that your equipment profile is accurately representing how you are using it for each recipe. E.g. full kettle dump for an extract brew vs. accounting for loss under the dip tube in an all-grain mash.
For all-grain and BIAB type recipes, if the mash tun’s capacity in the chosen equipment profile doesn’t allow for the given volume of fermentable ingredients at the desired mash thickness, you will see this warning. It will describe how much volume the desired mash thickness requires and asks that you modify the desired thickness to accommodate.
If the post-boil volume after any kettle and misc. losses is greater than the capacity of your fermentor, it will ask you to reduce your boil size in order to eliminate waste.
For all-grain and BIAB type recipes, if the initial volume of strike water is greater than the total water needed for the recipe, it will ask you to reduce your mash thickness.
For BIAB, Extract and Partial-Mash type recipes, if the batch target is set to ‘Kettle’ a full boil is required and asks that you increase the boil size to be greater than the batch size.
Calculating Recipe Boil Size Volumes
In the event that the user’s values for pre-boil and/or post-boil volumes don’t produce the desired final batch size, or any of the QWR steps do not produce alignment between the recipe calculations, and the equipment profile, a notice will be shown in the QWR output showing the equipment profiles estimated calculation.
Recipe pre boil volume of 7.98 but equipment estimates 8.86 gallons. User could use the "CALC" button, change the preboi volume manually, or the equipment profile may need updating. Note that the boil volumes are not static across all recipes, as they take hop absorption, and sugar additions into account to adjust.
If you already know the initial pre-boil (and post-boil) volume that you want for your recipe, enter them into the “Boil Size” field(s) and the QWR will use those volumes as the basis for the volume addition/loss calculations. If, however, you aren’t sure of your pre/post-boil volumes, the recipe builder allows you to automatically estimate the pre-boil and post-boil volumes to expect based on your recipe, chosen equipment profile, batch size and whether your batch size target is “Kettle” or “Fermentor” by clicking on the “Calc” button beside the “Boil Size” field(s).
If “Kettle” is chosen as the batch target, the “Batch Size” represents the volume in the kettle at the time that the boil is complete and before the kettle has been drained. If “Fermentor” is chosen, the “Batch Size” represents the target volume that will be left in the fermentor after draining from the kettle.
Target Ferment Boil Sizes
The calculations for pre and post boil volumes are generated using the same measurements calculated within the Quick Water Requirements tool.
Last modified 10mo ago