Split Brewpot Stove Top Boil

[beerdrinker]

Hey,

I know full boils have troubles on the stove, but I was wondering if anyone had experience in just splitting the mash into two pots and boiling that way, combining in the fermenter.

Also could a little complexity be added to the flavour by boiling the first and second runnings separatly?]

Thanks for your feedback,

Sean.

[Bruck]

I've never done it, but I can't think of why it wouldn't work. Seems like a pretty smart thing to do if you are constrained on where you can brew. Give it a shot!

[ScootsieDoubleday]

I do split boils on the stovetop. (I have yet to make the investment in a top notch brew kettle and burner combo). The kettles I've got are 4.25 gallon and 3.5 gallon. Like any method or system, you do the occasional tweaks here and there to get your schedules tight.

I switched to all grain about 7 batches ago. (I previously did the John Palmer partial mash with late extract addition method). As I said, you tweak your system to fit your brewing style and efficiency. Since I made the transition to AG, beers are better and better with every batch, and the split boil stove top method remains. Made JZ's Oktoberfest from BCS recently, came out fabulous.

Cheers!

[beerdrinker]

Could you provide a little more details on how you do the allgrain split boil?

Do you run off into one kettle for the first runnings and the seconds runnings into the second kettle?

Do you mix the runnings together to balance the gravities of the runnings, or just mix them when adding to the fermentor?

Thanks,

Sean.

[ScootsieDoubleday]

Could you provide a little more details on how you do the allgrain split boil?

Do you run off into one kettle for the first runnings and the seconds runnings into the second kettle?

Do you mix the runnings together to balance the gravities of the runnings, or just mix them when adding to the fermentor?

Thanks,

Sean.

I do try to mix the runnings. I don't get too bent out of shape if one kettle is more late runnings and another is more first runnings. I do try and balance out my hop additions, though, with 60 percent in the bigger kettle, 40 percent in the smaller. And I try to accomplish that all the way through (which leads to a lot of hop socks floating around everywhere).

Ultimately, I think it's most important to hit your mash numbers as best as possible (total grain bill, gravity, sparge water, etc). Of course, healthy yeast pitch as well. The boil, and the split of the kettles, are secondary to the whole process in my opinion.

By the way, made JZ's Classic Rauchbier with the same method recently. Also turned out excellent!

[Pharmbrewer]

I split my batches as well 3 gallons per pot. I split the hops evenly and I don't mix the runnings as I figure anything I lose in hop utilization in one kettle Ill make up for in the other.

Remember no matter how you split it you still have the same amount of alpha acids in the same amount of solution if you have 60% of the sugar in one kettle and 40% in another the utilization ratio should equal out. i.e. 20% better utilization in the 60% solution makes up for the 20% lower utilization in the other. This is purely theoretical on my part I have no data to back it up. However as long as you keep your process the same every time It wont matter you'll simply end up adjusting your recipies accordingly. Check hop show on brew strong it will really make you realize how IBU's are really relative to the brewer and their system.

Cooling it is fun as the one kettle is 5.5 gallons I combine them at the end of the boil and use my emersion chiller on a very full pot. I have made great beer this way, and burned the crap out of my hand

Prost
PB

[drummstikk]

Hop utilization is almost linear with respect to specific gravity, so the discrepancy in your calculations should be negligible compared to the variability in utilization that comes from other sources. Palmer describes the empirical relationship as Utilization = f*g where f = 1.65*.000125^(BG-1) where BG is boil gravity and g is a time-dependent term.

In an extreme case of a 120 minute boil and two pots containing equal volumes at 1.030 and 1.120, your overall utilization would be 22%. Compare that to a predicted 20% utilization if you mixed the runnings. You're only off by 2%, or 10% of your estimate. You probably lose or gain 10% in utilization due to hop oils sticking to your kettle and trub.

Another concern is caramelization in the more concentrated wort, but caramelization may also be approzimately linear with gravity.

[DeepEllumBrews]

I'm a firm believer in trying to get the same gravity wort in both kettles. Since I've taken the extra little bit of time to do this my beers' hop character has dramatically improved. Yes, dramatically.

In these situations I'm also a proponent of the theory "Hey, let's try it just to see. Then we'll know." but I'm a complete dork so...