AG on a smaller "split" scale

[dcs]

I brewed steep/extract for a few years, then transitioned to partial mash for a few batches. It went fine.

My brew pot will hold 3.5 gallons filled to the rim, so 2.5 gallons is the max for boiling. My carboys are 6 gallon. I already own a 5 gallon water cooler.

I'm thinking AG on a smaller "split" scale.

On Saturday, mash and sparge a half recipe to yield a total of 2.5 gallons of wort. Boil with half the hops, chill, transfer to carboy, pitch all the yeast.

Sunday, repeat the process for another 2.5 gallon boil, chill, and dump it right on top of the fermenting primary.

If my mash is slightly "concentrated" (reduced water per lb of grains), I could top off the primary with bottled or boiled/chilled water.

Anyone else doing this?

Other than two brew nights to achieve a 5 gallon beer, what's the down side?

Thx!

 

[TopherM]

You are in desperate need of a bigger pot.

My first pot was a 7.5 gallon aluminum pot from Big Lots that cost $14.99. I personally would spend $14.99+ to avoid the trouble that you detail above. You might be able to find one on Ebay or Craigslist for even less with a little legwork.

You are in desperate need of a bigger pot.

 

[kingwood-kid]

End the 5 gallon tyranny! You can ferment 2.5G batches in any of your fermenters. The CO2 will quickly occupy all the headspace, so there's little risk of oxidation, and you'll never have to worry about a blowoff. For the same amount of ingredients, you can have double the beer variety, and never have to worry about fading hop aroma. Or you could buy a bigger pot; turkey fryers usually go on sale in the fall if you want the whole setup. Another option is to mash your second batch while the first one boils. You can still split your batch, but instead of having to start all over on day 2, you can do everything in one slightly longer brewday.

 

[Revvy]

Actually quite a few folks do what you're describing. I put a detailed explanation of how I do it in THIS THREAD.

I also do 2.5 gallon and even 1 gallon batches as well. But you can do 5 gallon top off type batches if you want. I do it in winter if I can't get outside to brew and want a full 5 gallon batch rather than a small one.