Splitting into 2 fermenters??

Hello all..

Since I still consider myself a beginner, I'm posting this here.

I have just put my 2nd batch in my fermenter and already thinking of what to do for my 3rd. I'm really liking the idea of an American Wheat. This is where my question comes in. My girlfriend wants me to buy some of the raspberry flavoring that you add to give it a raspberry flavor. I on the other hand, don't care too - I get tired of the raspberry easily, and don't want a full 5 gallon batch of it.

I have a second fermenter bucket that my dad had from when he brewed his own beer a few times. When it comes time to put the batch into the primary fermenter, would it be hard to split the batch into 2 2.5 gallon mini batches... and then sprinkle half the amount of yeast on each? That way, I can have 2 smaller batches of beer with one being to my taste, and the other to my girlfriends?

It all seems reasonable to me... whatcha think?

By the way, I'm most likely going to be using a beer ingredient kit I'll by from the local brew store.. I think he sells TrueBrew kits, which have an American Wheat.

***Edited: On second note - Im ignorant about the flavoring.. Is it added after the boil, or is it included in the boil, which would not let this work?

personally i would go for two full 5 gallon batches, i just did a hefeweizen that ran me about 13 bucks for grain, 6lbs extract, hops and yeast, if its money youre concerned about

although thats a different style, if im not mistaken pretty much any wheat beer is fairly cheap to make.

if they both turn out good, youve got two full batches of great homebrew, if the regular american wheat is great but the raspberry turns out to be bad or underpar, youve got a full batch of great brew and one that was a failed experiement i suppose.

thats just my 2 cents, i have only been brewing doing mini mashes for about 8 months so hopefully some veterans chime in

I was told to brew as usual

at bottling time go ahead and bottle half then add flavoring to other half and bottle it.

that would split your batch for ya

mr_stimey said:

personally i would go for two full 5 gallon batches, i just did a hefeweizen that ran me about 13 bucks for grain, 6lbs extract, hops and yeast, if its money youre concerned about

although thats a different style, if im not mistaken pretty much any wheat beer is fairly cheap to make.

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Cost does become an issue, but not in the ingredients.. but paying for a way to store the beer. I would love to have these so called Corny kegs, but there is no way I can afford a system now. I can't afford the money, nor can I drink the beer quick enough to use the bottles/mini kegs I have. The problem with mini kegs is that in order to have more than 1 beer "tapped", I need another way to charge the mini keg with CO2, so the beer will last long enough for me to drink. Nor do I want to collect a large quantity of minikegs... Likewise, I can't drink enough beer from the stores to save up enough bottles in time. The brewstore sells recycled bottles either for 12 for $12.99 or a 24 for $12.99 - I can't remember which.

Any suggestions?

i have friends save their non twist off bottles for me, also certain recycling centers (if you live in a state that has an abundance of recycling centers) will sell back bottles for super cheap if not free

i guess for me ive got the room for cases upon cases of beer to be laying around, which is a luxury you might not have.

another thing is you might want to 'perfect' or get a good idea of an american wheat and make it straight up first, or even twice, then after that once youve got an american wheat you like, adjust it from there

Right...brew one batch and add the flavoring in to the second half at bottling.

homebrewer_99 said:

Right...brew one batch and add the flavoring in to the second half at bottling.

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This is definetely the easiest way to go

jjmadden08 said:

This is definetely the easiest way to go

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I agree. That's what I plan to do.