boil split between two pots

[3rdwdr]

been searching the forum and couldnt find an answer and it might even be a dumb question but after sparging i do not have a big enough pot to boil the entire volume of wort. ive got a 4g and 5g pot. i will end up with 6 gallons of wort and am going to boil between the two pots. should i divide the hops between the two pots as well or will it matter if i deprive one pot of hops for the boil.

 

[Brewenstein]

I did this once and it turned out fine. I split everything evenly. Don't know if you have to, but it made sense to me.

 

[Abadeon]

My first batches was split in 4 pots!
And they worked fine!

 

[3rdwdr]

thanks and dam that was quick, but thats what i was thinking just wasnt too sure if just boiling in one pot would affect the flavor or bitterness since half of the brew wasnt boiled with it..it wouldnt really be a problem to divide, i guess im just being lazy about it

 

[iijakii]

Definitely split hops between them. If you're lazy and don't want to measure just wing it and guesstimate when tossing them in.

 

[3rdwdr]

thanks all for replies..greatly appreciated..gotta kitchen scale so might as well do it right and divide em up real even like

 

[cactusgarrett]

Not saying you did this, because it doesn't say one way or the other, but one circumstance that the same amount of hop in two pots MIGHT matter would be if your two pots differed in gravities or volumes.

Collecting the first 5.5gal of runnings in one pot and the next 5.5gal in another pot would yield two different gravities, thus affecting hop utilization. I don't know the math, but it'd be worth looking into as to whether:

(utilization A for Xgal) + (utilization A for Xgal) = (utilization B for Ygal) + (utiliztion C for Zgal) or not.

where Xgal = Ygal+Zgal

 

[3rdwdr]

i do see what your saying..havnt brewed yet doing that tomorrow. i planned on combining the entire wort in my fermentor (only thing i have big enough to hold it all) before boiling so that the grav will be the same for both pots..gonna try to get the same amounts in both pots now that you said something tho

 

[jagg]

i do see what your saying..havnt brewed yet doing that tomorrow. i planned on combining the entire wort in my fermentor (only thing i have big enough to hold it all) before boiling so that the grav will be the same for both pots..gonna try to get the same amounts in both pots now that you said something tho

That would be the correct way to do it, good luck with your brew.:rockin:

 

[wilserbrewer]

thanks all for replies..greatly appreciated..gotta kitchen scale so might as well do it right and divide em up real even like

Splitting them in half "by eye" will get you close enough IMO. Good point above about mixing the wort a bit to have both pots of similiar wort. You could even have a bit more wort in the larger pot and just simply favor some of the hops in that pot in proportion to the amount of wort. Be warned that you will have a larger amount of boiloff using two pots...no big deal, just start w/ a bit more wort.