How to go about splitting a batch

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Scruffy1207

Scruffy1207

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Inspired by a few posts on here I decided to try the experiment myself. I am making a stout and splitting it into 5-1 gallon batches. 1 being the control (no additions), a raspberry, coffee, vanilla, and maybe blackberry for the last. I was wondering how I should approach doing this. I got 5-1g plastic buckets and some extra hop bags. Should I do everything as normal, then split the batch just before pitching the yeast and split the dry yeast and pitch?
 
Scruffy1207 said:
Inspired by a few posts on here I decided to try the experiment myself. I am making a stout and splitting it into 5-1 gallon batches. 1 being the control (no additions), a raspberry, coffee, vanilla, and maybe blackberry for the last. I was wondering how I should approach doing this. I got 5-1g plastic buckets and some extra hop bags. Should I do everything as normal, then split the batch just before pitching the yeast and split the dry yeast and pitch?
Click to expand...

I would be careful with little 1 gallon buckets....they never really seal that well, and make sure they are food grade or you will get the smell/taste of the bucket in your beer. I use 1 gallon tea jars that I bought at Target, connect a blow off tube and your good to go.
As for your experiment....make sure you accurately divide your yeast, additionally be aware of dry yeast explosions in small containers is a big mess, so dont put the lid on for 24 hours...instead sanitize a piece of tin foil and loosely cover the top of the bucket. The rest I would do as you normally do...and dont forget to soak the vanilla bean in vodka.
Good Luck, Happy Brewing!
 
SD-SLIM said:
I would be careful with little 1 gallon buckets....they never really seal that well, and make sure they are food grade or you will get the smell/taste of the bucket in your beer. I use 1 gallon tea jars that I bought at Target, connect a blow off tube and your good to go.
As for your experiment....make sure you accurately divide your yeast, additionally be aware of dry yeast explosions in small containers is a big mess, so dont put the lid on for 24 hours...instead sanitize a piece of tin foil and loosely cover the top of the bucket. The rest I would do as you normally do...and dont forget to soak the vanilla bean in vodka.
Good Luck, Happy Brewing!
Click to expand...

I bought 1g buckets from my lhbs that were meant for LME. Thanks for the vodka advice, also should I soak the ground coffee or the berries in vodka (obviously in separate containers)?
 
If you bought your berries frozen, just thaw them and pitch and you will be ok. As for your coffee, its your call on soaking....coffee has such a high acidity that bacteria doesnt grow on it, however if it gets dropped on to a dirty surface it could have dirt on it...so the vodka would sanitize it, but if you feel its clean then just pitch.
Also on the coffee beans, if you are using whole beans, they contain a lot of oil...wrap them in a paper bag or paper towels for a day (if possible) to soak up as much oil as possible.
 
Right on, is ground coffee better or do I take the beans and crush them or not worry. Lastly, I know I'm asking a lot, do I need to rack the beer to a secondary for the berries or can I toss them in at the last two weeks?
 
Scruffy1207 said:
Right on, is ground coffee better or do I take the beans and crush them or not worry. Lastly, I know I'm asking a lot, do I need to rack the beer to a secondary for the berries or can I toss them in at the last two weeks?
Click to expand...

I have used ground coffee and whole beans and got the same result (based on my palette), so that's your call....as for your berries, on this particular kind of beer, I would just place them in the primary...unless you are leaving it longer than three weeks, then I would rack to a secondary...after three weeks, yeast will start to do nasty things to your trub....now there are some people that will say they have left beer on trub for three months, but since and my experience says "No Bueno"!
 
Since you're just adding secondary additions, I'd ferment the whole batch together, then split it. No worries about splitting things and then you guarantee its all the same but your new additions
 
what about the head space in the buckets? I know in primary it is a non issue but once in secondary won't that cause issues?
 
OHIOSTEVE said:
what about the head space in the buckets? I know in primary it is a non issue but once in secondary won't that cause issues?
Click to expand...

only for the coffee & vanilla. the two fruit ones will ferment and fill the space with CO2 plus the fruit should take up extra space. I'd just fill the coffee & vanilla ones first, or make 5.5 gallons and then once the trub is removed should have 5 gals left. in any case, a week or 2 with a lil headspace shouldnt be an issue
 
I did a very similar thing with a brown porter a month ago. I brewed five gallons, primary fermented for two weeks, then transferred to five one gallon Carlos Rossi wine jugs. My adjuncts were steam sanitized fresh blackberries (6oz in one, 10oz in the other) and coffee (1/4 oz in one and 1/2oz roughly crushed in hopsacks) the fifth gallon was plain as the control group. I bottled 15 days ago and had my first tasting last night. The coffee was pretty up front and strong, even with the 1/4oz batch, but from what I've read this flavor subsides with aging. The blackberry was really nice in both concentrations. Good luck! Let us know how it comes out!
 
Your post is what inspired me NYPD, so I decided to do a few of the same things and try a few different things with it. I'm going to do several versions of this with different beer styles and see what works and what doesn't. Also for the experience :)
 

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