Newbie question - can I double a batch without issue?

[Easily_Distracted]

Newbie question here. I am about to brew an extract kit that calls for starting with 2.5gal of water ending with ~5gal. I was going to split the batch after bottling with a buddy who will be brewing with me. I was thinking that if I double the batch, I could have a corboy for each of us.
Can I just do two kits at once and double the water, etc...? If so, is there anything else I need to consider other than double the carboys and bottles? We already have 2x 6gal carboys and 2x 5gal carboys with stoppers and airlocks I also have a 10gal brewpot and the thermometer doesn't even get covered until about 4 gal.
can I?

 

[WhiteEagle1]

Yeah dude... Just double everything. As long as your brew pot can handle the water, and your stove is strong enough to bring it to a boil you should be good....

 

[Easily_Distracted]

Excellent. I did a test run with 8gal of just water the other day. It's a pretty big gas stove with a large center burner. It took a little while but I was able to get a good rolling boil. Thanks!

 

[Clonefan94]

This is probably a question for myself instead of an answer, but isn't hop utilization different the more wort you are boiling? If so, would you want to not just double the hops?

 

[tx_shooter]

This is probably a question for myself instead of an answer, but isn't hop utilization different the more wort you are boiling? If so, would you want to not just double the hops?

You are right; if you double the amount of wort and not the amount of hops then you are going to have half the hops flavor. Since beer recipes are able to be scaled up or down; you have to remember to scale each ingredient the same amount or you have a resulting recipe that is different than intended.

So short answer is yes - if you double the batch size you double the hops size. If you order two kits you will have the hops there so I hope you would remember to add both packets.

 

[Easily_Distracted]

It was two complete kits so we did double everything.

 

[Clonefan94]

You are right; if you double the amount of wort and not the amount of hops then you are going to have half the hops flavor. Since beer recipes are able to be scaled up or down; you have to remember to scale each ingredient the same amount or you have a resulting recipe that is different than intended.

So short answer is yes - if you double the batch size you double the hops size. If you order two kits you will have the hops there so I hope you would remember to add both packets.

Sorry, I didn't word that all that well. I'm a full boil brewer, even though I'm still doing mostly extract kits. I found on here that people have said to decrease the amount of hops a little on a full boil, compared to what the recipe calls for doing a 2.5 gallon boil. So, I was just wondering, if douibling the recipe and going up to 10 gallons, and you want to replicate the recipe as closely as possible, does this effect hop utilization in the same way? Should you cut back a little on the hops because from what I have read, the more wort you have, the more hop utilization you'll get.

Or will you not notice a difference just straight up doubling the hops?

 

[Easily_Distracted]

I wish I had a single batch to compare it to.

 

[jrodskreet]

2- 5 gallon kits= 10 gallons of wort.

If fermented in 2 seperate carboys there may be a slight taste difference between the 2. Depending on temps, yeasts, and other variables on how it all mixed. But it shouldnt be much difference if any at all. RDWHAHB.

 

[lumpher]

double everything, including hops. it's based on hop oil saturation in the water. 3 oz hops will saturate 5 gallons to the same level 6 oz will saturate 10 gallons (just throwing hop oz out there; works the same for 1.5 vs 3, or 5 vs 10 in doubled water)