Helles and Schwarzbier 10 gal split

[TimBrewz]

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast Staro=Prague
Yeast Starter: 1 gal
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Slurry from last batch
Batch Size (Gallons): 5/10
Original Gravity: 1.049
Final Gravity: 1.011
IBU: 20
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90
Color: 6 and 25
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 days at 55f
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30 days at 36f
Tasting Notes: none yet

Two lagers from one wort:

I brewed a 10 gallon batch of Munich Helles, and made a 1 quart micro-mash of Schwarzbier roast/colorant using water, Carafa II special and Sinamar (Weyermann Carafa extract color-gives 16 SRM for 4 oz bottle in 5 gallons). The micro-mash is made with one quart of the Helles wort at 150f for 1 hour while the main batch is boiling, then it is chilled(pot in cold water sink).

To get the two different beers, I drained 5 gallons of the golden wort into one carboy= Helles. The rest of the wort went into another carboy that had the boiled and chilled inky black Carafa/Sinamar mixture= Schwarzbier.

Pitched big starter of Wyeast VSS Staro-Prague lager yeast at 55 f.

Recipe:

16 lbs Weyermann Pils Malt
3 lbs Weyermann Munich type 1 malt
1 lb Cara-Pils
.5 oz Magnum(14%) hops at 60 min
.5 oz Crystal(4.3%) hops at 15 min
.5 oz Tettnanger (5%) hops at 15 min
2 whirlfoc tabs
.5 oz Crystal(4.3%) hops at 5 min
.5 oz Tettnanger (5%) hops at 5 min

Having done a few parti-gyle batches, with one high and one low gravity beer, I felt that this would be another fun learning experience. I am curious to find out how this worked. I will post results in a few weeks.

 

[TimBrewz]

This was (is) awesome. The Helles is crystal clear, light and makes one want to drink mass quantities in a "boot". The Schwarzbier is great, you would never know that it is just the Helles with a quart of inky black carafa/simamar wort. The roast presence is there, but very mild-just right. I had a keg of this blow in about 3 hours with only 6 of us drinking it. I highly recommend this technique if you want two different beers from one batch, but do not want to boil 2 separate worts.

The Schwarzbier mini mash:

Remove 1 quart of the Helles wort just after sparge is done to a small pot, put 8 oz Carafa Special II (or 4 oz Carafa Special II in bag and add 4 oz Sinamar extract) in a grain bag and steep for an hour at about 150 f. Remove grain bag, boil for 15 minutes, chill to 58F. Add this solution to one of the carboys, fill with chilled Helles. Add yeast, aerate. There is your Schwarzbier!

 

[NTexBrewer]

Super old thread but through the power of google I found this thread and wanted to say this method works great.

I use 2.5 gallon kegs so I made a 5 gallon batch of Helles. Pulled one quart of wort and steeped 6 oz of Carafa Special II.

I have done other split batches before but this one by far is the easiest way to produce two distinct beers.

 

[TimBrewz]

I can’t believe you found this a brewed it!

 

[Transamguy77]

Well I'm glad NTexBrewer found it! I'm always looking for a way to make 2 beers from 1 mash, this is on the list to brew.

 

[NTexBrewer]

I can’t believe you found this a brewed it!

That’s the power of google. I had a 5 gallon recipe kit for a Munich Helles and just googled Munich Helles split batch.

Other successful splits I’ve done are a hoppy Belgian Ale/ Saison. Split the batch and did whirlpool hops for the Hoppy Belgian ale, Tripel Yeast and dry hopped. The split just was fermented with Saison yeast. This week I’m brewing a Amber/Rye Ale that I will split and ferment with neutral ale yeast and Saison yeast. I’ve also done a Hefeweizen grain bill and split steeping coriander and bitter orange peel in 1 quart of the hot wort at flame out to get a Belgian wit and a German Hef.

What was cool about the Helles/Swarzbier split was the only difference was the 1 quart of steeped Carafa Special II grains and you can see how this affected the head and foam color of the beer. If I’m on top of things this fall, I may brew the Helles/Swarz split and enter them into a Homebrew contest.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Thread Resurrection! I have done a lot of brewing like this in the past. See the links in my signature for more ideas. Planning to brew a pils tomorrow and split into a Belgian IPA with some sugar added.

 

[Soulshine2]

View attachment 558280 Super old thread but through the power of google I found this thread and wanted to say this method works great.

I use 2.5 gallon kegs so I made a 5 gallon batch of Helles. Pulled one quart of wort and steeped 6 oz of Carafa Special II.

I have done other split batches before but this one by far is the easiest way to produce two distinct beers.

"May the Schwartz be with you" love it !!