Flavor/style separations with split batches

[FloppyKnockers]

Hey yall. I'm going to do some 10-gallon brews in the very near future. I'm intrigued by the fact that you can double your output (from 5-gallon brews) for only a slightly longer brew day. I have some house beers that I wouldn't mind having two kegs worth. However, the other part of 10-gallon brews that I like is being able to split the batch and make two different beers.

I'm already thinking of some options:
Taking my brown. Flavor one with raspberries after a week then put it on nitro while the other one gets to be plain ol' delicious brown ale.
Take my golden ale and US-05 it in one fermenter then put the other one in my lager fridge and WLP840 it.
Maybe even take my Munich Helles, lager one half like normal, then US-05 and dry-hop the other half and see what kind of bastard IPA I can make.

What do you guys do with your split batches?

 

[Red over White]

For 10 gals I do a munich helles with lager yeast and the other half with Verdant and then dry hop at 50% attenuation (open the all rounder and dump in, nothing tricky or clever needed with that poundcake kräusen with Verdant). Makes two distinctly different brews and the Verdant batch is typically clear & on tap in 7 days with a heavy dose of clarity ferm at pitching.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

For 10 gals I do a munich helles with lager yeast and the other half with Verdant and then dry hop at 50% attenuation (open the all rounder and dump in, nothing tricky or clever needed with that poundcake kräusen with Verdant). Makes two distinctly different brews and the Verdant batch is typically clear & on tap in 7 days with a heavy dose of clarity ferm at pitching.

Noice! I like the the Verdant yeast. I think I'll steal... err, borrow that.

 

[BrewerofBeers]

It's an awesome opportunity to taste the difference between changes. Different yeast, temperatures, dry hop, oak, fruit... You can compare anything and end up with two very different results!

 

[Sammy86]

I like doing German Pils/Kölsch. Can be fermented around the same temps (i only have one fermentation fridge) and taste completely different.

I also like doing my American Wheat beers with WY1010 and SO4.

I've done Alt and Vienna Lager and Lithuanian Farmhouse Ale and Lager Yeast split.

Each beer is unique and always tasty and worth making more beer.

 

[Bobby_M]

Split batching is about all I ever do now. Here are a few recently

Brit Golden fermented with Omega Brit VIII and S04 dry.

Helles and ferment with Omega's Bayern and White Labs Munich Helles (both the supposed same strain). Preferred Omega

Pale Ale and ferment with Chico (Omega West Coast 1) and Thiolized Chico (Omega Star Party). Wildly different beers directly out of the keg. Almost identical after sitting in the glass for 15 minutes.

American IPA and ferment WLP001 liquid, WLP001 Dry, and US05. Yet to be determined.

 

[day_trippr]

I did quite a few split batches over the years to try different yeast strains, or different dry hop combinations. But that was about the extent of the splits - they shared everything up through the end of the boil. Haven't done a split in some time now that I've settled on nearly all of my recipes - I'd rather have the ten gallons of the same brew available for continuity

Cheers!

 

[BrewerofBeers]

I did quite a few split batches over the years to try different yeast strains, or different dry hop combinations. But that was about the extent of the splits - they shared everything up through the end of the boil. Haven't done a split in some time now that I've settled on nearly all of my recipes - I'd rather have the ten gallons of the same brew available for continuity

Cheers!

Almost all of my split batches are yeast splits too. I did dozens of split batches in a row, first comparing what I thought were more similar yeasts, and then started doing more different yeasts. Not only does it add a new twist to brewing, it's surprisingly educational about what aspect you think the yeast (or whatever other factor) is contributing, or not. Sometimes you realize that some of your recipes shine with a particular yeast, and you may never go back. I later did a split batch with one half going to secondary and one staying in primary -- no difference in clarity or anything. It's definitely helped me settle on my favorite recipes.

Split batching is about all I ever do now. Here are a few recently

Brit Golden fermented with Omega Brit VIII and S04 dry.

Helles and ferment with Omega's Bayern and White Labs Munich Helles (both the supposed same strain). Preferred Omega

Pale Ale and ferment with Chico (Omega West Coast 1) and Thiolized Chico (Omega Star Party). Wildly different beers directly out of the keg. Almost identical after sitting in the glass for 15 minutes.

American IPA and ferment WLP001 liquid, WLP001 Dry, and US05. Yet to be determined.

Sounds great. I'm most surprised that your Omega Star Party ended up similar to the "mother" chico strain in the glass! The Omega Star Party and the Omega Lunar Crush (the other thiolized strain I own) are insanely unique strains in my cache. I compared Omega Star Party vs London Ale III (WY1318) -- I know, very different strains -- and you would never think they're the same beer. Even describing the Star Party version is difficult, but fruity and peachy seem to come up first. However, the beer was made with 100% medium dark malts and took on a mysterious burnt vanilla/aged fig flavor. Super interesting.

 

[Bobby_M]

Sounds great. I'm most surprised that your Omega Star Party ended up similar to the "mother" chico strain in the glass! The Omega Star Party and the Omega Lunar Crush (the other thiolized strain I own) are insanely unique strains in my cache. I compared Omega Star Party vs London Ale III (WY1318) -- I know, very different strains -- and you would never think they're the same beer. Even describing the Star Party version is difficult, but fruity and peachy seem to come up first. However, the beer was made with 100% medium dark malts and took on a mysterious burnt vanilla/aged fig flavor. Super interesting.

It's primarily due to the thiols being so volatile. Given enough time, most of them flash off. The particular hop choice was already quite tropical so the non star party retained a lot of that guava and passion fruit quality anyway.

 

[ba-brewer]

This is something I have done a few time to get 5gals of IPA and 5gal of pale ale-ish beer from the same brew session.

I brew 9gal of IPA base beer and separate out 5gal and 4gals after the boil. I add a gallon of water to the 4gal part to get 5gal of pale ale. I also add extra sugar to the IPA part in the primary to boost the ABV. Works well for me as I make my IPAs at the lower end of ABV and IBU ranges.

 

[hottpeper13]

I put together a recipe yesterday for a Wit beer. Will be splitting it between M21 and TYB Saison blend II. Should get 2 totally different beers.
I brew in my basement and do it mostly when the weather is nasty. We haven't had nasty weather in a few months,so don't know when this will get done.

 

[wdavis2003]

Whatever you brew I'm sure it will be good. Just save me a bottle of each

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Alright, you guys. Did my first split batch today. Thanks everyone here for the suggestions. I did one of my house lagers with 34/70 and the split was pitched with Verdant and I'll dry hop it with some Moasaic next weekend.

The brewing part went mostly as expected. Hit my expected gravity, expected volume, and It took twice the time to heat and twice he time to chill because, well...it's twice the volume.

The beer gods knew I was doing something new and had to poke the bear. I hooked up my hoses toward the end of the boil to start sanitizing them. I guess I didn't fully seat the one on the pump because about 5 seconds after I turned the pump back on from flushing the lines, the hose blew off the pump. Boiling wort and panic was everywhere. I hit the switch and the valve pretty quick and probably only lost a couple pints of wort, but it looks like a couple gallons when it's all over your floor using your grout lines like express lanes.

No injuries, no damage, and I feel fortunate that I was present for the malfunction. Nothing motivates you to do a top to bottom cleaning of your brew room much like sticky wort all over the place.

Next time I think I'll do a brown and flavor one side and put it on nitro. Hopefully without getting any on the floor.