Small boil pot problem

[nickbrew]

I have a 50qt mashtun, however I still only have small pots for boiling (one 5gallon and 1 4gallon).

After doing some reading, I was told that the division of hops between the two will have an impact on their utilization.

The recipe I am following has the following hops:
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (55 min)
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (35 min)
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (20 min)
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (5 min)

And a boil size of about 6.5 gallons (Final batch volume of 5.5). Does anyone have any information on the most effective way to include my hops between the two? As well as any differences in evaporation rates using two pots instead of one?

 

[Spectre216]

I feel like the boil off rate might be closer to 1.5 gallons per hour instead of 1, but you'd need to test it to find out. Each system is going to be different. As for splitting the hops, I feel like it would just be simpler to use slightly more hops in one pot and then just dump them together into the fermenter. Though there may be a benefit to splitting the hops that more experienced members here may know.

 

[Yooper]

Hops utilization has more to do with boil size than wort gravity (the dilution part). Since you're not diluting the wort with water, then just divide the hops about as evenly as you can and don't worry about it at all. That is a very low hopped beer anyway, so there won't be much variation anyway.

 

[jgers]

I have done this split kettle trick before to create 7gal batches on what is basically a 5g system. For both I just put the hops in the bigger of the 2 boils. Neither are hop-forward beers but the hops were definitely present and coming through. Still too early to say how this would work to properly calibrate properly the bitterness level for an IPA.

Did you use one single fermenter where you merged both beers? Merge in your mash tun? Or basically brew 2 separate beers from kettle to fermenter?

 

[nickbrew]

I have done this split kettle trick before to create 7gal batches on what is basically a 5g system. For both I just put the hops in the bigger of the 2 boils. Neither are hop-forward beers but the hops were definitely present and coming through. Still too early to say how this would work to properly calibrate properly the bitterness level for an IPA.

Did you use one single fermenter where you merged both beers? Merge in your mash tun? Or basically brew 2 separate beers from kettle to fermenter?

I took the first runnings volume into one pot and the second runnings from sparge into the other pot. Boiled them both for an hour and combined in the fermenter bucket...Should this pose any problems?

 

[khawk95]

You did a partigyle batch and then un-partigyled (I'm sure that's not a word). I think you will be fine. I would assume hop utilization would be the same.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[nickbrew]

I will do! It fermented down very well and smells great. We'll see how the body and head turn out in the end, and if the hops come through properly.

 

[jgers]

I took the first runnings volume into one pot and the second runnings from sparge into the other pot. Boiled them both for an hour and combined in the fermenter bucket...Should this pose any problems?

It really gets tricky if your batch size is bigger than one fermenter -- then the question becomes how to do you merge the two to get one unified beer? (vs parti gyle / 2 different beers) You could sanitize your mash tun and merge them together there... I did it once or twice before getting my 10g kettle.

 

[nickbrew]

That's a good point. I will see if I have any unfavorable results from the batches i've done this week and determine if it's time to invest in a bigger kettle. For the moment I haven't had any batches larger than my 30L fermenter bucket, but I guess i'll cross that path when I get there.

 

[AkTom]

If you do go bigger, 15 gallons is a minimum in my opinion. My 15.5 keggle is sometimes too small for the 10 gallon batches I sm trying to do. Sometimes I can't brew for 2 or3 months and I'm out of beer. Then I get some time and 3 10 gallon batches later, oops I'm out of bottles😯 but I can easily over boil in my keggle. (Yes it time for a few kegs)