Run-off for secondary batch

[jake-k]

Just curious if anyone here, after sparging and getting boil volume for primary batch tried sparging an extra 5-6 gallons through spent grain, adding some sort of extract, and produced a successful second batch from same grains? Just a thought I was having.

 

[jake-k]

For Example: I make a pale ale with
8# 2-row base malt
2# Vienna
.75# crystal 10L
and end up with pre-boil gravity of around 1.045 almost always.
For ****s and giggles If I ran another 6 gallons through same spent grains and lets say the SG was 1.020 or lower ??, would it be worth adding DME to bring the gravity up to 1.045 or similar for a secondary batch or would the grains be so spent the beer would be tasteless and not worth wasting money on extract, extra hops, yeast, time, etc.......

 

[zeekage]

It's called parti-gyle and yes it's a very traditional brewing method. However instead of using the same amount of grain as normal 5 gallon batch and running extra water through it, you usually increase the grain amounts and use the first runnings for a big beer and the second and third for a smaller beer. There are calculators out there that will estimate the gravitates you'll et from each runnings. Braukaiser has one on his site I used before.

If you sparge for 4th and 5th runnings I believe your pH at that point will case major tannin extraction on top of being fairly bland flavored wort at that point.

 

[Stauffbier]

You can do it. I've done it myself. I sparge out a couple extra gallons of wort and add DME. You likely won't get another 6 gallons of 1.020 wort out of a grainbill that small, though. What I do these days is sparge out about 2.5 gallons of extra wort from a big beer (1.075 or bigger) and boil it down to a 1.5 gallon batch without adding DME.

Look up "parti-gyle" here on the site for more info.

 

[SandstoneCityBrew]

This is known as parti-gyle. parti-gyle brewing

 

[jake-k]

Thanks for the info on parti-gyle brewing I will read up on that.

 

[RM-MN]

If you are going to run that much extra through the grain bed I'd be checking pH along the way to make sure you aren't bringing the pH too high. That can be the route to tanning extraction.

 

[Stauffbier]

Something else I've also done is add more base grain to the spent grist for a second mash. The original grist basically acts as "specialty grain" in that case. That actually worked out pretty well for me. On a spent stout grain bill I ended up with a nice 5 gallon batch of brown ale this way.