Critique my partigyle idea....please.

[seatazzz]

So I'm sitting here thinking. I know I can brew up a batch of something today by spending about $20 on grain. But...if I spend $30 I can do two batches, if I partigyle. I've never done one at home before, but I think I have a good recipe below to do a DIPA and a cream ale as the partigyle. Here's what I'm thinking:

17lbs two row
.5lb Cara 40
.5lb Dextrine

Mash these with plenty of water to get me at least 6 gallons first runnings. Add water to that to get my preboil up to 8.5 gallons, add .75lb dextrose, and there's the DIPA wort. I've got all of the hops so don't need to buy any, and plenty of yeast too.

Then:
1lb biscuit
2lbs flaked corn

Add that to the mash tun and add enough water to get at least 5 more gallons out of it, BUT let it sit and work while the DIPA is on the boil. Once the DIPA is done and in the fermenter, mash this out and there's a cream ale. The Cara 40 won't matter in terms of color for the cream ale because I'm planning on fermenting it with 5lbs of raspberries, and maybe some raspberry syrup for a bit more color and sugar.

Whadda y'all think?

 

[mongoose33]

Are you expecting/hoping there will be enough enzymes left in the now-drained mash to convert the flaked corn? The biscuit also won't convert if there is any starch left there, at least, not much. Very little diastatic power in biscuit malt.

I'd wonder whether you'll be able to convert the corn and/or biscuit malt. There probably won't be much diastatic power left in the spent grain.

 

[seatazzz]

Since I'm using first runnings and not sparging until the partigyle batch, I think I'll be okay on conversion. Might not get full conversion but it should be enough. Too late now anyway, grain is purchased and it's on like Donkey Kong.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

A true partigyle doesn't add extra grain, and a true partigyle blends the different runnings in different proportions, it's not a case of Beer1= first runnings, Beer2=second runnings, it might be that :
Beer1=80% first runnings + 20% second runnings
Beer2=20% first runnings + 80% second runnings

Or whatever, but even a small amount of first runnings can make a significant difference to the quality of the second beer.

 

[stevehaun]

I would add the corn to the original mash because it will not convert. Beta amylase will no longer be active and will be mostly contained in the first runnings. FWIW, Biscuit is not usually used in a cream ale. If you make cream ale with all second runnings, it will likely not taste good. I would collect first and second runnings and then blend them for both beers. Something like 70/30 for the DIPA and 30/70 for the cream ale. Have fun!

 

[HopHeavy]

I will second reserving some portion of first runnings for the second beer. Might help maintain a little body, if you are looking for it, too. I do a version of a RIS where I reserve the first 1 1/2 - 2 gallons for the second beer. I wind up with (roughly) a 1.100 RIS and a 1.060 "little" beer.

On the other hand, capping the mash is a practice any mash, homebrew or commercial, may benefit from. If you do cap the mash with corn, I would also drop some 6 row in to ensure diastatic power is adequate and continue mash while you boil.

 

[seatazzz]

Great ideas all, thanks. I haven't made a final decision yet on what I'll do but the strike is heating now and here we go. Will probably hold onto some first runnings to add to the second boil.

 

[Jtk78]

Let us know how it goes, at least the brew day. I've done quite a few beers that I've split the runnings to make two fairly equal gravity beers from, usually steeping some grains, using different hops, yeast or adding fruit to make two different beers. I've never done a partigyle.

 

[seatazzz]

Ok here's a thought....if I steep the corn & biscuit in the kettle before the boil starts for the second batch, will that work?

 

[seatazzz]

Ok so brew day is done. I did wind up reserving a gallon of the 1st runnings for the second batch. The first one (yeast pitched at 2pm from washed yeast) is already taking off. First batch at 1.061, second at 1.043. It'll be a small session but that's what I was going for. Hope they both turn out well.

 

[seatazzz]

As of this morning the DIPA has calmed down but there's a bunch of krauseny goo on the bottom of the lid (viewed with flashlight, no I didn't open it, this ain't my first rodeo) so I'm thinking it did just fine. The session is happily bubbling away. Both tasted fine going into the fermenters. This is turning into a double exbeeriment as I also used washed yeast (no starters, just added cooled wort, shook up and pitched). Looking forward to seeing how both turn out.

 

[seatazzz]

So for anyone who's interested....4 days in and both of them are doing quite well. The Pliny tastes absolutely marvelous although still with yeast in suspension, the cream w/raspberries is moving a bit slower but still tastes fine. Planning on 1st dry hop of the Pliny on Thursday, then the second sometime next week, then kegging next weekend. I might add some homemade raspberry syrup (boiled & cooled of course) to the cream ale just for the heck of it, as the flavor I'm getting now (yes I know, patience padawan!) isn't quite where I want it.