ferment in separate containers, combine in bottling bucket

[isseldor]

I have a couple 1 gallon glass carboys that I have been fermenting in, I'm doing 2 gallon batches. Would it cause any problems to mix in the bottling bucket when I'm ready to bottle?

I've been doing them separate, adding vanilla to 1 gallon, but my next one I don't have any additions planned so I'm curious if anyone has done this and experienced problems since they ferment differently.

 

[IslandLizard]

Sure, no problem. Just be very careful not to aerate the beer while transferring. No sloshing or pouring, rack gently and keep the end of the siphon tube under the beer. Let it stream in slowly. Add your priming sugar solution first, before racking, so it mixes while it racks. Give it a gentle stir to blend them all together.

 

[m00ps]

^yeah that's what I was gonna say. Especially with the 2nd one you add, make sure to siphon it so the end of the tube is as close to the bottom of the bucket as possible

 

[IslandLizard]

BTW, if you're doing 2 gallon batches, why not use small plastic, 3-4 gallon buckets to ferment in. Your local bakery may have them for free (icing buckets).

It takes the same amount of time to brew 2 gallon as 3 or 4 gallons, so why not double the batch size and end up with 2x the amount of beer?

 

[TonyKZ1]

There's a guy on another forum that does this. Only he does 5G recipes but in two 2.5G batches. He mixes them with the priming sugar into the bottling bucket, seems to work good for him. It's easier for him to carry the smaller amounts than a full 5G.

 

[isseldor]

Thanks for the replies. I was worried that mixing would produce off flavors. I like doing small batches of different styles, I'd rather have a bunch of different styles than 55 bottles of one style. Once I find that recipe that I really like, I'll probably do a bigger batch.