Dividing a batch into two separate fermentation buckets??? PLEASE HELP

[BeerArchitect54]

OK I’ve been brewing for about 6 months now with the Mr. Beer brewing kits.. I have had great successes with them and have been wanting to get into real brewing with 5 Gal. batches. Here’s my problem.... MONEY! I work part time at a grocery store and was able to get two 5 Gal. food grade buckets from the bakery (there frosting comes in them) they are really nice gasket lid buckets. But they are only 5 Gal. so there is not enough room to do a full batch in one bucket... Here’s my question:

1) Can I brew my 5 Gal. batch up and then split it into two separate buckets to ferment???

2) How would the yeast work and when would you add it???

I’m hoping this will work as i really want to do a full 5 Gal. batch but can’t afford the cost yet to really go full on into the 5 Gal. I know its only like 20-30 dollars to get the 6.5 Gal. Buckets but I cant swing it yet…

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

 

[Revvy]

Yes you can do a 2.5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon bucket...fermentation will produce a cushion of co2 that will protect your beer...Just don't expect airlock bubbling...there may or may not be an excess of co2 pushing out the VENT.

If you are pitching dry yeast, just sprinkle half on top of each...or rehydrate in warm water then pour half in each..you don't have to be precise...same with liquid yeast and a starter, just pour roughly half the yeast into each bucket...there will be plenty of yeasties for you beers.

 

[BeerArchitect54]

Is there a chance that each bucket could produce a different tasting beer??? or should they come out the same???

 

[Revvy]

Is there a chance that each bucket could produce a different tasting beer??? or should they come out the same???

Something to remember is that with yeasties, you are dealing with living creatures...every fermentation is different...you can split a batch in half put them in 2 identical carboys, and pitch equal amounts of yeast from the same starter...and have them act completely differently...for some reason on a subatomic level...think about it...yeasties are small...1 degree difference in temp to us, could be a 50 degree difference to them...one fermenter can be a couple degrees warmer becasue it's closer to a vent all the way across the room and the yeasties take off...

Someone, Grinder I think posted a pic once of 2 carboys touching each other, and one one of the carboys the krausen had formed only on the side that touched the other carboy...probably reacting to the heat of the first fermentation....

I've found that you should never assume anything where the yeasties are concerned except that they are in charge...not us...and they've been doing this beer making stuff for 5, 000 years...so basicially we just need to trust them, and not bug them...and give them plenty of time, and they will make us very very happy.

So the answer is, Maybe, maybe not...But you will have a nice experiment to see.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I'm planning my first bigger than 5 gallon batch next month (YAY, KEGGLE!).

It will be a 8 gallon batch of my sweet blonde ale. I'll be using a 6 gallon better bottle to ferment for the 5 gallon keg and a 5 gallon better bottle for the 3 gallon keg. The batch will be separated after the boil and a separate pack of rehydrated US-05 added to each BB.

Am I missing anything here?

 

[llazy_llama]

I'm planning my first bigger than 5 gallon batch next month (YAY, KEGGLE!).

It will be a 8 gallon batch of my sweet blonde ale. I'll be using a 6 gallon better bottle to ferment for the 5 gallon keg and a 5 gallon better bottle for the 3 gallon keg. The batch will be separated after the boil and a separate pack of rehydrated US-05 added to each BB.

Am I missing anything here?

Your process looks good to me.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I'm planning my first bigger than 5 gallon batch next month (YAY, KEGGLE!).

It will be a 8 gallon batch of my sweet blonde ale. I'll be using a 6 gallon better bottle to ferment for the 5 gallon keg and a 5 gallon better bottle for the 3 gallon keg. The batch will be separated after the boil and a separate pack of rehydrated US-05 added to each BB.

Am I missing anything here?

No looks good, but there really isn't a need t rehydrate Dry yeast. Some say it it's better sprinkling it on dry. I never rehydrate it and never had any issues.

 

[BeerArchitect54]

Alright then it looks like I will be starting my 5 Gal. career after all... YAAAAAA... I can’t wait to get this going... I need to drill the tops of each 5 Gal. bucket and get the air lock and gasket.. I’m going to be ordering from Northern Brewer.. Could you guys tell me what I need to covert these two buckets to brewing buckets???? Thanks

 

[llazy_llama]

sanitizer, two drilled stoppers, and two airlocks. Drill a hole in the bucket lid that your stopper will fit in.

 

[BeerArchitect54]

Any type of airlock better than the other???

 

[pompeiisneaks]

Nope both work... I think its preference, My LHBS has the straight cylinder shaped ones, but I see others w/ the sidways bubbly S shaped ones too... They both accomplish the same thing, create a water/liquid barrier that gas can escape out through but nothing can go back in...

 

[MikeG]

I'm curious if you get the same exact beer when you split your wort into two primaries with same yeast. Eventually, if you do get the same exact beer, you'll be able to experiment with different yeast to see how it affects the same exact wort and which you prefer.

Good luck!

 

[Killian_77]

This question sounds to obvious to ask but what the hey.....What is the best way to divide your boil into two equal parts? Do you just pour back and forth until they look even and then top off?

Fire away!

 

[rsmith179]

I would reccommend that you first fill up your primaries with water and mark the different levels at say every 1/2 gallon. I have gone this with my primary buckets and have also etched my glass carboys in 1/2 gallon increments. It's better to do this in advance, that way you don't have to eyeball the different volumes when splitting up the batch. I'm doing the exact same thing, but splitting the 10 gallon batch between two five gallon fermenters. Works great and keeps me from having to put down the money to buy a 10-15 gallon conical!

 

[OLB]

A slightly different question : what is the recommended limit of how much wort to put in a 5 gallon fermenter? I have seen that some people do 3g. Is 3.5g or 4g OK? I have also seen that some people put all 5 in and use a large blowoff hose, but I do not want to go that option to start. I picked up a cheap 5g carboy three weeks ago and have not put it to use yet. Thanks.

 

[hnsfeigel]

Thread resurrection in effect! I was trying to be good and search before posting. This thread seemed to be the best answer for my issue, so I thought I'd go ahead and continue it.

I am getting ready to brew my 2nd batch and was planning on doing a secondary. (I ended up with way too much sediment in my bottles for batch 1, and figure that a secondary will help me with that until I get better at siphoning.) I got some 3.5 gal frosting buckets from the local bakery and was going to use them to primary, saving my 6 gal Better Bottle to secondary in. I see from the previous posts here that I can just split my batch. The question is... can I just combine the 2 back into my BB for secondary? Is there any reason I wouldn't want to do this?? Thanks in advance for any insight!