Dual Tun, All Base Malt RO Water Partigyle

[bhchrist]

I am partigyle brewing tomorrow for the first time. I intend to take the first runnings to produce a RIS based largely on marubozo's recipe, with a 3:1 mix of Maris Otter and Golden Promise as the base malt bill, and an ESB from the second runnings. Both will share a 3.5L starter of Wyeast 1968, with the RIS getting the bulk. The RIS will also go to two separate 6G Better Bottles for primary to minimize risk of fermentation blowoff loss.

Given the very different color and specialty grain profile of these beers, I will be mashing only the base malts, 32 pounds worth, ala Gordon Strong. The specialties with each be steeped separately and added to their respective boils.

My plan is to split my mash into two, 10G Igloo coolers in equal parts. As I am using 100% RO water due to extremely hard well water, all my mash pH and salt adjustments are being made with a 16# grain bill (2X). Depending on the calculator used, Bru'n Water/Brewer's Friend/EZ Water, 6 oz of Acid Malt along with 3g Calcium Chloride and 2g of Gypsum will get me in the proper pH range and calcium range, given 5.75G of infusion water per tun.

My questions ares:

1. Does anyone have experience using multiple mash tuns or advice on things to be concerned with?

2. If I were to add another pound of MO for the ESB, would it be better to mini mash that separately, or top off the mash prior to the second infusion, keeping in mind that top off would be split 1/2 lb to each tun.

3. Should I add any additional salts either to the tun or the kettle for the ESB from a taste profile standpoint? Conversion would have already occurred, so it is only the taste perception that would seem to be a factor.

4. Anything I have missed? The idea of a partigyle combined with an base malt mash really seemed to open the door for great flexibility in deciding on what style you want from a second running. Having a second igloo means that I can get full batch from each without buying a new cooler.

Thoughts?

 

[youreanimpulse]

When I did IIPA/Red ale partigyle, I capped the mash with 5 lbs Munich and a few specialties and did another 30 min rest at 156. This was the right solution for me, and both beers were highly regarded (and drunk fast). If you only have to add a lb and are already steeping grains to add to the boil, I'd just do a partial mash instead of steep (really the same thing but controlling water/grain ratio better, and maybe at a lower temp than I see people steep at). Sounds like a fun experiment, and a long brewday. Mine was 10 hrs. Good luck!

 

[youreanimpulse]

Oh and you might consider a cold steep addition on the RIS. Just use about double the grain and keep it in the fridge for a couple days before brewday. Strain and add to the BK. Less tannic, still roasty. You could still steep some warm for complexity.

 

[bhchrist]

Thanks for the feedback. I considered a cold steep and missed the boat with brew day being tomorrow. I did that last year with a Roggenbier I brewed. I am probably going to add the steeping liquid late in the boil, maybe even at flame out with the roast barley. I home roast coffee beans and brew with a manual pour and avoid anything over 208F, and usually 190F using my Aeropress. Boiling is the devil for good coffee.

10 hours. Not bad. Two to four hours less that the pork shoulder that will be going on my smoker Wednesday! Nice, relaxing, staycation.

 

[Stocktonbrew]

I just did a partigyle sunday and am now building a second mash tun for next time. Two mash tuns instead of mashing twice for the first runnings will save a lot of time. It was a long day.

 

[youreanimpulse]

Mmmmm... 14 hr smoked pork shoulder

 

[youreanimpulse]

Oops duplicate post

 

[bhchrist]

Oops duplicate post

You can be forgiven when it comes to pork shoulder. I omitted the fact that I will likely smoke a mushroom crusted beef tenderloin and rack of spare ribs, because, why not? The partigyle of BBQ.

 

[bhchrist]

So, I prepped a number of things yesterday to get rolling at 5:45 this morning. With that, the RIS is being held at 62 in the chest freezer, the yeast is warming up after being mostly decanted, and the ESB in on the burner nearing 190 for a 75 minute boil. My pH was spot on 5.3, so that was good.

The RIS came in at 1.090, so I undershot that by about about 15 points. Not shocked, there, but still a big beer. Next time I would stir the mash an extra time. The mash was between 148 and 151. The ESB had a pre-boil gravity of 1.047, so I am glad I did not add any more convertibles. I will be adding the specialties later after the steep. I should have thrown then on top of the mash for the second runnings sparge.

What have I learned or would do differently so far?

I would have used a grain bag for my RIS specialty grains steep. I tried the strainer with cheese cloth approach and that was a PITA and a mess with 3.75 lbs of specialty grains and 5 qts of water. I would also probably steep the roast barley apart from the rest.

Bumped up the grain bill. I thought 32 lbs double milled and split into two mash tuns would have gotten me to 1.1+ on my first runnings. I may look at tightening my mill a bit as well.

Made sure to eat something prior to getting at it. Time flies. One mug of strong, fresh brewed coffee wakes you up, but all of a sudden it is 12:30 and you realize you haven't eaten. Always something to do with the partigyle, especially clean up. Cripes, the clean up. Heading out into the 90+, high humidity to dump and clean two mash tuns after I finish lunch and this post.

If I get 10 gallons of great RIS and ESB it will have been worth it.

Who am I kidding, the experience is worth it regardless.