Splitting a batch before the boil??

[Don204]

Does this sound like a bad idea? I was thinking about splitting a 5 gallon batch after the mash is complete so I could possibly make two different brews with the same grains but different hops and yeast. 2 boils means more work but is that the only downside?

Anyone for or against? Please state your reasons.
Thanks

 

[photobru]

Don't see anything wrong with that, I would if I had two kettles. If you don't have two kettles I don't know that you're saving yourself a lot of time by splitting the mash since the wort's going to cool down while you're boiling the first half and you'll have to heat it all up again.

 

[flars]

Very often done. You wouldn't need to worry about infection since the half of the wort that cooled will be brought back to a boil for the different hop additions.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You could also boil with the same bittering addition, then split hot and use different finish hops and yeast. Also could make a smaller steep of specialty grain separately, boil and add that to a partial batch. I forget where I read it here, but someone did a nice write up on how to achieve many different beers from the same base wort. You can also vary gravity by topping up.