T-TownBrewer
Member
Hi I was wondering if I could prepare a 10 gal batch and ferment it in two 6 .5 gal carboys? Will the beer be consistent?
10 gal batch fermentation in 2 carboys?
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SavageSteve
Well-Known Member
You can do that. The beer will be consistent to the extent that you keep the conditions between the two carboys the same-- same temperature, same yeast pitch rate, same time fermenting, etc.
-Steve
-Steve
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yes, if you pitch the yeast at the same rate and ferment at the same temp
EDIT: what SavageSteve said
EDIT: what SavageSteve said
OMJ
Well-Known Member
+1 I do this all the time
bhatchable
Well-Known Member
if I were you i would use this opportunity to do single variable yeast experiments. pitch different yeasties into both, keep all other variables the same... great way to learn about different yeasties' contributions
Cookiebaggs
Well-Known Member
+ 1 as well!
I also do this. When it's time to keg and bottle, I transfer both fermenters into one vessel. This makes for one consistant beer over both fermenters.
KevyWevy
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I thought instead of starting a new thread, I'd just ask my question in this one.
So I split my second all grain batch into two carboys ~5.5 gal each. this is my first batch larger than 6ish gallons. I had made a yeast starter and pour what looked like an equal amount by eye into each carboy. I did my best to keep everything the same. Aerated them the same way, just sloshing the carboys back and forth over my knee for a few mins.
But Im experiencing uneven fermentation.
this picture was taken two days ago. not much has changed since. the beer on the left is fermenting for sure, but no more krausen has come up and the color is still dark. the beer on the right is still very light, but the krausen has now fallen. they're both fermenting well.
any ideas what would cause the difference in color and krausen levels? do you guys think this will end in unequal FG's?
Like somebody stated above, I will be racking both beers into the same container to get them to "mix" when i bottle.
So I split my second all grain batch into two carboys ~5.5 gal each. this is my first batch larger than 6ish gallons. I had made a yeast starter and pour what looked like an equal amount by eye into each carboy. I did my best to keep everything the same. Aerated them the same way, just sloshing the carboys back and forth over my knee for a few mins.
But Im experiencing uneven fermentation.
this picture was taken two days ago. not much has changed since. the beer on the left is fermenting for sure, but no more krausen has come up and the color is still dark. the beer on the right is still very light, but the krausen has now fallen. they're both fermenting well.
any ideas what would cause the difference in color and krausen levels? do you guys think this will end in unequal FG's?
Like somebody stated above, I will be racking both beers into the same container to get them to "mix" when i bottle.
MyBeerPants
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Hey guys, I thought instead of starting a new thread, I'd just ask my question in this one.
So I split my second all grain batch into two carboys ~5.5 gal each. this is my first batch larger than 6ish gallons. I had made a yeast starter and pour what looked like an equal amount by eye into each carboy. I did my best to keep everything the same. Aerated them the same way, just sloshing the carboys back and forth over my knee for a few mins.
But Im experiencing uneven fermentation.
this picture was taken two days ago. not much has changed since. the beer on the left is fermenting for sure, but no more krausen has come up and the color is still dark. the beer on the right is still very light, but the krausen has now fallen. they're both fermenting well.
any ideas what would cause the difference in color and krausen levels? do you guys think this will end in unequal FG's?
Like somebody stated above, I will be racking both beers into the same container to get them to "mix" when i bottle.
They do look uneven, but you'll never know until you bust out the hydrometer and take a reading.
JesseRC
Well-Known Member
Yup I do this all the time, I'll pitche s-05 and Notty just to see wuts up.
KevyWevy
Well-Known Member
but its the same yeast from the same starter.
once fermentation slows down, i'll check the gravity.
im interested to see what happens. hopefully i don't loose 5 gallons.
once fermentation slows down, i'll check the gravity.
im interested to see what happens. hopefully i don't loose 5 gallons.
JesseRC
Well-Known Member
well I would figure that you would have less trub in the 1st carboy that gets filled, so perhaps that could account for your diff in color.
KevyWevy
Well-Known Member
well, we had a lot of cold or hot break and let it all settle out and then racked into sanitized carboys to reduce the trub/cold/hot break.
bhatchable
Well-Known Member
It looks like the one on the left is further along. my guess, from the lack of settled trub in one on the right that alot more yeast are in suspension, making it appear lighter.
KevyWevy
Well-Known Member
Well, the lighter colored carboy (the one on the right, which had the very active fermentation and krausen) has reached the intended FG of 1.010 and the airlock isn't really bubbling any more.
The darker carboy (the one on the left with steady fermentation) has only reached a gravity of 1.015 and is still bubbling in the airlock on a consistent basis.
The colors still differ between the two carboys, but the right carboy has since gotten a little darker, but still a little lighter than the other one. After I took the gravity readings of both of them I put them side by side in pint glasses. When they're in the pint glasses the color difference isn't noticeable
They both taste similar, but of course the one with the higher gravity doesn't taste like its finished, its a little sweeter and stuff.
So Im just curious what made such a drastic change in the fermentation speed. I guess I'll never know.
The darker carboy (the one on the left with steady fermentation) has only reached a gravity of 1.015 and is still bubbling in the airlock on a consistent basis.
The colors still differ between the two carboys, but the right carboy has since gotten a little darker, but still a little lighter than the other one. After I took the gravity readings of both of them I put them side by side in pint glasses. When they're in the pint glasses the color difference isn't noticeable
They both taste similar, but of course the one with the higher gravity doesn't taste like its finished, its a little sweeter and stuff.
So Im just curious what made such a drastic change in the fermentation speed. I guess I'll never know.
kev7555
Active Member
It's impossible to exactly duplicate the conditions in one carboy and the other. More trub in one, probably not the exact same amount of yeast, one is filled first so is likely a warmer temperature then the second one at the beginning of fermentation, different amounts of head space, oxygen, etc, etc, etc.
No worries, though... Both are likely to turn out fine, and regardless of conditions, if they are the same wort and same yeast they are likely to be similar if not exactly the same. If you want the exact same ten-gallons of beer, blend them together when they are done fermenting. Personally, my curiousity would lead me to keg them seperately and see if there is really any difference between the two.
-Kev
No worries, though... Both are likely to turn out fine, and regardless of conditions, if they are the same wort and same yeast they are likely to be similar if not exactly the same. If you want the exact same ten-gallons of beer, blend them together when they are done fermenting. Personally, my curiousity would lead me to keg them seperately and see if there is really any difference between the two.
-Kev
