Second Runnings Beer (parti gyle)

[hanuswalrus]

So I did my first parti gyle over the weekend. First beer was an Imp Stout that came out at 1.094 OG. The second runnings came out to be 1.042 OG and is looking like a brown porter. From what I've been reading, these "second running" beers typically turn out with a lackluster malt profile. So, in order to get a bit more character into this beer, I was thinking of dry hopping it. A couple questions:

1.) Does anyone have experience with second runnings beer from a parti gyle? Did you find it didn't have much malt character?

2.) What dry hops has everyone had success with in a hoppy porter/stout? In the boil I used Columbus and Willamette.

 

[dcbw]

To get more character you should mix part of the first "gyle" with most of the second. So say you get 7 gallons of 1.080 wort and 7 gallons of 1.030 wort. You decide to mix 6 of each with one of the other. You'll get (6x80) + (1x30) = 510 gravity units for the stout which ends up at 1.092 @ 5.5gal. Then (6x30) + (1x80) = 1.047 @ 5.5gal.

The problem is that the second runnings are just thinner and waterier. And most of the good stuff has already been removed, so you add complexity back in by adding in some of the first runnings. This is one way to partigyle, the other is to actually blend hopped, boiled worts in different proportions after boiling. That's what Fullers does.

Back to your actual question, dry hopping might help, but I think only a little. The core problem is that there won't be a ton of body or malt character, and that's not setting dry hops can fix. Only malt/wort can fix that.

 

[Qhrumphf]

When I do partigyles, I typically plan on combining the grain bills of the two beers into one mash (assuming the percentages are the same) so that I get equivalent batch sizes. I'll then draw 3 batch sparges of runnings, first, 2nd, and 3rd. I'll then blend the three different runnings together in the right ratios to hit the volume and pre-boil gravities that I want. It often ends up splitting the first and second ~20/80%, and 80/20% between the small and big beer, and then the 3rd runnings often get split evenly. But exactly how much I use depends on the gravities that I want.

Like said above, you want some of the first runnings in even in the small beer to provide malt character, otherwise it can seem a little tannic and bland.

But as far as hops, it depends on what you want. I'd go with more Willamette personally.

 

[JKaranka]

These guys are talking about proper partigyles

As above, once you have two mashes or boils, nothing stops you producing two, three or as many different beers as you want. You still have the whole fermentation and dry hops to play with too.

 

[hanuswalrus]

Thanks guys. I'll have to plan on doing some blending the next time around. I wasn't even planning on doing a parti gyle until the day before so it's no tragedy if the beer turns out a bit lame. The first runnings beer is the one I'm really looking forward to.

There was a bit of wort left in the mash tun after pulling my entire pre boil volume for the first beer, so I'm hoping maybe some of that will contribute at least a little bit of malt presence to the second beer. Have to wait and see.

 

[MVKTR2]

FYI I think dcbw's post 'add a gallon of each wort to the other' gravity readings are off for the big beer. If you replace a gallon of high gravity wort with a gallon of low gravity wort it will reduce the gravity of the high gravity wort. He may however be talking pre vs post boil and I just didn't follow. Anyhoos cheers, I love a good parti gyle!