Definition:
High Gravity Brewing (or Blending) is a technique that allows you to brew a larger end-batch volume without buying larger fermentation equipment. A higher gravity beer is first fermented and then blended with water to create a lower alcohol beer with less IBU and color than the originally fermented beverage.
High-gravity brewing (or blending) is a technique the big US brewers use. American Pilsners are brewed with an original gravity (OG) around 14–16 °Plato (SG 1.056–1.064). After fermentation, the strong beer is diluted to a virtual OG of around 10–11 °Plato (1.040–1.044). The big breweries brew this way because they can produce more beer with high-gravity brewing than if they brewed it all at working strength. A fermenter that holds 500 barrels of beer will end up producing 700 barrels of beer. For homebrewers, a 5-gallon (19-L) batch of strong beer can easily be diluted to yield 6–6.5 gallons (23–25 L) of finished beer, more if you’re careful. [Colby,2004]
--By WortMonger, member of HBT.com 14:37, 18 August 2008 (CDT)
