Splitting your 5 gal batch into 2

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HotTrailerBrew

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Hey everyone, my brother-in-law told me that after he has his 5gal batch of wort, he halves that into 2 different carboys, then fills up the remaining 2.5gals with water again. So he ends up with 2 5gal batchs from his original. Is this a good idea? Would the recipe need to change? Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are. Thanks
 
I think that might be kind of like taking a gallon of water and adding it to 2% milk and then expecting to get 2 gallons of 1% in return :D
Sorry to be a smart @ss, but I don't think that would work too well. Even if it did work, you would have to make a lot higher gravity wort.
 
My wife has tasted the beer and says it's great. I think it sounds like a good idea, but like you, I don't know. What if you halve batches and then pitch seperately?
 
Unless he's calculating for the later dillution (similar to if he were making a partigyle) then all he is doing is making 10 gallons of weak, watery beer, at approx. half the strength of the original.
 
This is a great way to increase your brewing capacity without investing in new equipment. Just be sure to brew with 10 gallons worth of ingredients (minus the water which is to be used later to water down the wort). Even some breweries use this technique of high gravity brewing. If you were to increase a 10 gallon wort to 15 gallons, some say it is best to ferment the 10 gallon wort first, then add water down with boiled (de oxygenated) water befor carbonating. But when doubling your wort size, I would say go ahead and water down before fermentation. Just be aware that this procedure will not do you any favors in the flavor department, but the (slight) trade off for twice the amount of finished product definately has its advantages.
 
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