Can I break my wort into 2 different fermenters?

Still over thinking my first brew to be boiled in a few days. I plan on doing a partial boil extract brew and pouring the wort into two different fermenting buckets (SO is not keen on much cash outlay, so I got free icing buckets from local bakery and they are only 4.25gal each) My question is can I split my wort in two or will the second pour have more grains, stuff, good things in it than the first bucket? After fermenting I will do all my bottling on one day in the same bucket just two different cycles (this way I am out the cost of two airlocks instead of two 15.00 buckets). After a good batch of tasty brew SO will happily go for 6.5 gal purchase and I'll only be out $40.00 until bottling time.
Thanks,
Gnarly

Short answer, Yes. You can pour the same wort into two different fermenters. I split a 5gal batch 2 ways, and tried different yeast for the heck of it. And i had all the gunk come out in one of the fermenters, not a problem at all, but you just have to rack more carefully...

Go for it. If you can get a bigger bottling bucket by the time you're ready to bottle you could recombine the beer from the two fermenters prior to bottling.

As far as one bucket getting more trub than the other, try to leave as much trub behind in the brew kettle as possible. search for whirlpool and give that a try. Or just give the cooled wort a good swirl before pouring into the buckets, you should be able to distribute pretty evenly.

Good luck and have fun with your first brew day!

You can split your batch. Put equal parts wort in each bucket then top off equally.

I would rack both buckets into a single bottling bucket to ensure all your bottled beer is the same. You can bottle separately on different days but you are doubling the prep and cleanup.

GnarlyDudeBrewer said:

Can I break my wort into 2 different fermenters?

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Do it all the time. Use two five gallon carboys to primary and top off a 6 1/2 to secondary.

That solves one problem. Now the next.
Do I siphon the fermented beer from the fermenting buckets to the bottling bucket or gently pour? If i do siphon is the goal to siphon just above the bottom to minimize bits of trub from getting into the bottles? On a side note, I've read here that some pour the wort or the fermented through a screen. Which is preferred?

Gnarl.

Hey OldUR

What is the oxygen bottle do for you?
Is the bottle on the floor for Bow-off?

Just trying to understand All of it.

that's a CO2 tank and he's filling the empty space with CO2 when he siphons to keep O2 off the beer.

Actually, he's using the CO2 tank to start the siphon. Not saying he didn't use it to purge the secondary first, but that's what it's doing in the picture.

that makes sense

a good trick for splitting wort is to just use a whirlpool and a sanitary plastic pitcher. Pour alternating pitcher fulls of wort into each fermenter so each has an equal amount from both the bottom and the top of the kettle. I just recently split a porter into 2.5g batches and added almond to one and vanilla to another, both were good and had an equal amount of trub when it was all said and done.

Which flavor profile did you prefer, out of curiosity?

How much almond or vanilla do you add?

GnarlyDudeBrewer said:

That solves one problem. Now the next.
Do I siphon the fermented beer from the fermenting buckets to the bottling bucket or gently pour? If i do siphon is the goal to siphon just above the bottom to minimize bits of trub from getting into the bottles? On a side note, I've read here that some pour the wort or the fermented through a screen. Which is preferred?

Gnarl.

Click to expand...

When you're ready to bottle, siphon from the fermenters to the bottling bucket. Don't pour it, it's beer at this point and you want to minimize the oxidation risk.

When putting the wort into the fermenter (pre-fermentation), you want to aerate it so the yeast has a good supply of oxygen at the start. Pouring the wort through a screen not only filters it but also aerates it. You can also vigorously stir or rock your fermenters to get air into the beer, or pour the wort between two sanitized buckets several times. There are other methods too, but they would involve additional equipment.

GnarlyDudeBrewer said:

That solves one problem. Now the next.
Do I siphon the fermented beer from the fermenting buckets to the bottling bucket or gently pour? If i do siphon is the goal to siphon just above the bottom to minimize bits of trub from getting into the bottles? On a side note, I've read here that some pour the wort or the fermented through a screen. Which is preferred?

Gnarl.

Click to expand...

I use a simple clothes line clip to suspend the racking cane tip above the sludge. When the beer level gets low, tip the carboy (or bucket) slightly with a small 2x4 (or something) under one side, so the beer pools in the "corner" of the bottom and you get all the beer out.