Batch split between multiple fermenters

[Langerz]

Getting ready to start my second batch and was thinking about something I haven't seen discussed anywhere. What if you end up with a batch that is bigger than your fermenter? Is there any thing to considered when splitting things up? The wort seems pretty straight forward. Dry hopping is a bit of a pain but doable. For some reason my mind says there is probably more to the yeast than I am thinking about, but I guess that is probably just dividing it as well. I'm sure you could get a bit of different flavor between the two fermenters for various reasons. Just checking to see if there is anything else I need to consider. (I'm actually thinking this is probably pretty common with batch sizes above 5 gallons and the biggest carboys I see at 6.5 gallons).

Background - The next recipe I am planning to do says 6 gallons. I originally thought I'd scale it but I have the ingredients and last time my volume was a little under what I expected so my thought now is why not just go for 6. If I end up with extra I have a couple options. 1) I originally bought a 5 gallon carboy thinking "5 gallon batch = 5 gallon carboy". I've since bought a 6.5 so I could split evenly between them. 2) I also have a couple 1 gallon glass jars with drilled lids that I would put a gallon or so in so make room in the larger carboy. I think I'm leaning toward option 2 since it keeps the majority of the batch all together and I can focus mainly on that and treat the small jar as a bonus.

Note somewhat this question was started thinking about it when I was just going to brew in the 5 gallon carboy, but then just decided to order the 6.5 and wait and brew next weekend instead of this weekend so it's not as big an issue, but now I'm also thinking "I have two carboys and I started with a larger kettle than I needed for 5 gallons. It wouldn't be hard to do bigger batches in the future"

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

You can dona couple things, personally I wouldn't tie up 2 of your larger fermenters with 1 batch if you're only gonna have an extra gallon or so. Use one of your smaller 1gallon bottles, put the extra in that, then experiment with it, use a different dry hop or something, it's a good way to learn what effects different ingredients will do for you and your likes and dislikes.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Others will chime in once the ball gets rolling but I'd figure out how much you think you're going to be over and split the batch evenly between two vessels. That way you can split the yeast and any hop additions. As far as yeast goes if you are using dry I'd just pitch a pack into each. Dry yeast is fairly cheap. Liquid yeast you could easily split and still have enough good yeast for the two fermenters.

I'm not a fan of glass for fermenting, or glass in general but I know lots of folks who use it without issue, just be careful. I've got a couple "brew buckets" and they are over 6.5 gallons which is well within a reasonable range for extra in a 5-6 gallon batch, but I could split a batch between them too.

To be honest I brew ten gallon batches into one fermenter. My Spike CF10 has a large capacity than just ten gallons, so if I'm a little over it's not a big deal.

I hope this helps you somewhat and others offer up more info to help you!

 

[mac_1103]

You've got 6 gallons or a little over? I don't think I'd put half of that in a 6.5 gallon fermenter. But maybe I'm the only person who worries about too much head space. I might do two fives.

But I like bailey mountain brewer's idea better. I have a bunch of old one gallon plastic juice jugs that make great small fermenters. I drill a 1/2" hole in the cap and stick a gromet and air lock in there, or just replace the cap with a drilled #10 stopper.

​

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

But maybe I'm the only person who worries about too much head space. I might do two fives.

Good point! I agree. I'm a little out of touch with this subject since I don't have an issue but I'm glad someone else was able to offer an idea.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I guess a good point here is to have some different size "fermenters" that could be used when I brew is larger than expected. Wasted wort is not a good thing!

 

[pvpeacock]

I like making 10 gallons of a base wort and then splitting it into 2 different fermenters. In lieu of a whirlpool addition of hops in the kettle, I will put an ounce of different hops into each fermenter and later dry hop using two different hops (a different hop in each fermenter). I also pitch different yeasts into each fermenter and/or ferment at different temperatures.

I currently have 5 gallons of wort in one fermenter with no additional hops which is fermenting with a saison yeast at 70 degrees. The other fermenter has the same wort, but I added 1 oz of Citra to the fermenter before I tranferred the wort and another 2 oz of Citra dry hops. I used Imperial POG yeast at 80 degrees for that fermenter.

I find it interesting to see how different the beers turn out even though they started with the same base wort.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I like your "base wort" idea but so far I just brew ten gallons of one beer. One thing I have been doing is fermenting a base beer then doing a secondary with a fruit addition or a bourbon barrel style with oak cubes soaked in bourbon. My last batch was a blonde doppelbock I split. One keg is straight up and the other is aging in oak, bourbon and tart cherries.

 

[dperrigan]

I do 7.5 gallon batches, which I split between three 3-gallon fermonsters. I just split the yeast starter evenly into 3 mason jars and pitch one into each fermenter. Dry hopping is similar. When I keg, two of them are "blended" into one 5-gallon keg. The other sits in a reserve 2.5 gallon keg until there is room to "blend" it into the main keg. Yes, there may be slight variances between each of the fermenters, but mixing them together at the end resolves that for me.

Dan