Half Batch BIAB questions...

[Mudja]

Ok, the last few brews I've done were partial-mash kits from AHB & NB and they've turned out great. I have the typical beginner set-up: 5-gal stockpot, electric stove, small apartment.... I'm interested in doing some half-batch brew-in-a-bag beers and wanted to bounce a few questions around.

The partial-mash technique I've used via the kits I've bought is pretty simple: Steep the grain in one pot at 152ish for an hour, steep in a second at 170ish for 10 minutes, drain thoroughly in between each, combine, add extract, boil & eventually top off to 5-gal.

I'd like to apply the same technique, sorta, to a 2.5gal all-grain batch: Split recipes in half, figure out my evaporation rate & estimate some grain absorption numbers to end up with 2.5gal post boil, do everything in my 5-gal stockpot with a bag and pretty much just be fat, dumb & happy.

Questions:

Hows about doing it all in one vessel? After mashing just bring up the heat for boil and then lift the bag out & drain as it gets up to 170.

What about halving recipes? Could I just split, say, an IPA kit in two, brew each the same only using different hop schedules or even different hops, without taking much else into account concerning splitting the grain bill in half?

I've read a lot of the 'small batch' write ups over and over again but they all seem to involve using multiple brewpots, colanders, magic.... Makes it seem like I'm probably forgoing something obvious.

I guess you could say I wanna try a partial-mash without the extract or the other 2.5gal of water but that it seems too easy. This way, though, I could maybe pull-off some all-grain beers without buying any additional equipment and experiment a lot more with the smaller batches.

Thanks a ton if you've humored me this far and even more if you've got any words of wisdom!

 

[kapbrew13]

Get beersmith, which will allow you to shrink recipes. You can do all grain with the 5 gallon pot and a voile curtain. No other major equipment needed.