Double Batches?

jacobyhale · 11-16-2007, 01:19 PM

I was just curious how many people brew 2 batches at once? I would figure that as long as you had 2 burners, 2 pots, and 2 mlt that it would cut the time in half required for 2 batches of beer. That sounds nice to me!

Kevin Dean · 11-16-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacobyhale

I would figure that as long as you had 2 burners, 2 pots, and 2 mlt that it would cut the time in half required for 2 batches of beer. That sounds nice to me!

Sounds like a pain to me. Realistically, you can only have "so much" beer before that meets it's point of diminishing return. If you want MORE beer, step it up to larger batches. If you want more styles, brew smaller batches more often. You'll brew enough that eventually you'll have to wait for a fermenter. If you fill all your fermenters in one session you'll wait (a minimum) of three weeks before you can brew again. If you fill one of your fermenters every week at the end of three weeks you've got the same amount of beer, same number of styles and probably less boilovers.

brett · 11-16-2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Dean

Sounds like a pain to me. Realistically, you can only have "so much" beer before that meets it's point of diminishing return. If you want MORE beer, step it up to larger batches. If you want more styles, brew smaller batches more often. You'll brew enough that eventually you'll have to wait for a fermenter. If you fill all your fermenters in one session you'll wait (a minimum) of three weeks before you can brew again. If you fill one of your fermenters every week at the end of three weeks you've got the same amount of beer, same number of styles and probably less boilovers.

Yeah but then you have to setup/cleanup more.

Is the question do people brew two different recipes at the same time? Or is it do people brew effectively double-sized batches of the same recipe?

Donasay · 11-16-2007, 01:48 PM

I have done 2 extract batches at the same time. They were both 10 gallons, and started about 30 minutes apart. It worked out well, but it did require an extra set of hands for a few critical moments. If you are planning on doing it by yourself, it could get a little stressful, and the timing has to be just right or you will get inconsistent results.

**Bobby_M** · 11-16-2007, 01:54 PM

I think the most efficient use of time/equipment for all grain would be two staggered batches. Mash your second batch while you're boiling your first. That way you don't really have to clean out the mlt, just dump the first batch of grain and throw the new water in.

Funkenjaeger · 11-16-2007, 01:54 PM

When I was helping a friend brew his first batch, we did his extract batch at the same time as my AG batch. The timing just worked out poorly - Murphy's law, every time we needed to do something important with one batch, the other one would be demanding attention as well.

YMMV though, if you've got your brewing process down to a science and can plan it carefully enough so things overlap smoothly, you could probably make it work just fine.

ohiobrewtus · 11-16-2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby_M

I think the most efficient use of time/equipment for all grain would be two staggered batches. Mash your second batch while you're boiling your first. That way you don't really have to clean out the mlt, just dump the first batch of grain and throw the new water in.

I usually do 2 batches when I brew, and I employ the technique that Bobby states above. It normally takes me 5-6 hours to do to 5 gallon batches this way. Last weekend it took me 7.5 hours to do two 11 gallon batches this way.

jacobyhale · 11-16-2007, 02:26 PM

I'm basically just wanting to do several styles, but with a small kid and SWMBO it's hard to justify spending every Saturday brewing. Thought that knocking out two at once might be a good option.

**david_42** · 11-16-2007, 02:58 PM

What I've done is brew an extract batch while the AG is mashing. A late addition extract can be squeezed into a little over an hour.

cheezydemon · 11-16-2007, 03:04 PM

I am planning to do 2 my next time out.

I plan to do an AG batch and continue to sparge the grains after I have my preboil filled.

I intend to then add Extracts to strengthen the "weak" leftovers from the first batch and see how it turns out. I guess it will be a hybrid of AG and extract.0

Like was said, you have to clean the equipment anyways, I figure I will get the most from my grains and a lot more beer for just avery little trouble.