Can i brew an AG recipe in 2 to 3 stages?

[evil.soup]

I don't have large equipment for a 20ltr AG SMASH, so I will be doing maybe a 10ltr to start with on the stove.

The question is, if I want to ferment more than 10ltrs, can I stove prepare 10ltrs, transfer to the fermentor and stove brew a second 10ltrs and add that on top of the previous brew and then pitch the yeast to ferment the 20ltr batch?

I am aware this could take a few hours of course, but would adding 2 different batches batches together a coupe of hours apart affect anything?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yes, that'll work fine. A few hours in the fermenter before the yeast gets added will make no difference.

You could add the yeast with the first 10L and then just add the second 10L on top of it. It won't make much difference at all.

 

[Jim Brewster]

If possible I'd probably just do the whole batch in one with a thicker mash a higher gravity post boil and liquor back to volume/strength, but there's no reason why you can't do two mashes.

As above, getting the yeast going after the first batch is in the fermenter is a good idea as it'll have a head start once the second lot of wort goes in

 

[evil.soup]

Ok perfect thanks both! Not at the stage where I will try this yet, but it's on the cards and thought I would ask the question while I remembered.

 

[CJV8]

That's the way a lot of commercial breweries brew so no issues at all.

 

[clib]

You could do it a few days apart even. Add the second one into the fermented part. A way to make strong beers and not stress the yeast.

 

[evil.soup]

Really glad I asked now, cheers!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Maybe be extra-careful with 'cold side' hygiene for the first batch and keep it covered in the intervening time.
I'm sure you won't get any trouble but the time before the yeast goes in is when the wort is most susceptible to other things getting a foothold

 

[Caramel Ox]

Bigger problem is that it’s more than a few hours really? You can get smaller buckets that would suit a 10l fermentation as another option.

 

[SMP Brewery]

If I’m reading what you want to do and what @Buffers brewery does then check out his brew days.

 

[evil.soup]

Bigger problem is that it’s more than a few hours really? You can get smaller buckets that would suit a 10l fermentation as another option.

I guess the idea is to have a larger batch, I have a suitable fermentor for 10ltrs but if I'm making the effort and waiting for the end result, I would prefer to have 20ltrs at the end of the full process, hence the question about making double and mixing the batch.

 

[Sandimas]

You don't have to brew 20 or 23L, you can brew any size you like: like 10L. I'd be a bit worried doing 2 batches separately and mixing them later, especially this time of year with wild yeast in the air, which could get to the 1st batch before you get the 2nd bacth mixed in and yeast added.

Or you could do what I do: add 1kg DME to your 10L brew and top it up to 20L in the fermeter. It's a bit more expensive that pure AG but allows you to make bigger-volume brews with smaller equiment. You'll need to plug the figure into a recipe builder to get the right quantities. I should have moved on by now but I've been doing this for years. DME can still be found for around £6/kg if you shop around.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I guess the idea is to have a larger batch, I have a suitable fermentor for 10ltrs but if I'm making the effort and waiting for the end result, I would prefer to have 20ltrs at the end of the full process, hence the question about making double and mixing the batch.

What you're saying here has actually making me realise that I too could occasionally do with brewing a double batch, but of 2x23L rather than 2x10L.
With a 3 vessel setup I can boil, mash and sparge at the same time, so doing a double brew would take far less than double the time. And there'd only be one lot of cleaning...
Hmmm....

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

[...] wild yeast in the air, which could get to the 1st batch before you get the 2nd bacth mixed in and yeast added.

Hmmm surely one can always just pitch the yeast into the first batch as soon as it's ready - and that cuts down the lag time too...

 

[Sandimas]

Hmmm surely one can always just pitch the yeast into the first batch as soon as it's ready - and that cuts down the lag time too...

You can do, but then you need to make sure the 2nd batch is very close to the temp of the first batch before you tip it in, else you could cause too much of a temp change that would have an adverse affect on the fermenting yeast.

 

[clib]

Hmmm surely one can always just pitch the yeast into the first batch as soon as it's ready - and that cuts down the lag time too...

Yes, add batch two after fermentation has started.

 

[An Ankoù]

If you're brewing 10 litre batches, why not experiment and make the all different? Use a top-cropping yeast or one that produces a nice, thick head and just scrape the top off the first batch and into the second. Even if it's just changing the hops, it's worth doing.
My experience of chucking a second batch into an already fermenting first batch didn't work to well, Even diluting the batch after fermentation has got going seems to stress the yeast. But I only tried it once and that hardly establishes a rule.

 

[jof]

You don't have to brew 20 or 23L, you can brew any size you like: like 10L. I'd be a bit worried doing 2 batches separately and mixing them later, especially this time of year with wild yeast in the air, which could get to the 1st batch before you get the 2nd bacth mixed in and yeast added.

Or you could do what I do: add 1kg DME to your 10L brew and top it up to 20L in the fermeter. It's a bit more expensive that pure AG but allows you to make bigger-volume brews with smaller equiment. You'll need to plug the figure into a recipe builder to get the right quantities. I should have moved on by now but I've been doing this for years. DME can still be found for around £6/kg if you shop around.

I used to do this before shifting to AG.
It worked quite well for a couple of years and it's a good way to decide lif you want to invest in bigger kit.
But even then, you can brew good stuff in a peco boiler, you don't need a £500 all in one

 

[evil.soup]

Sounds like I have started something here lol!
The current situation is, I have one suitable pot to do a small mash in and one 25ltr fermentation vessel, so the idea of doing 2 slightly different 10ltr batches is actually quite a cool idea, but I don't have the equipment for that unfortunately.

Of course, the simple thing is to buy a second fermentor, but it's only this month I spent £80 or so on my current set up and would prefer it starts to pay me back before I spend more money on kit.

In some ways I may be trying to run before I can walk as I only last night bottled my first kit brew lol! I may try another kit but add an AG mash to it, possibly a stout?
Adding DME to an AG stove top sounds good, but where do you get it at £6 kg?

 

[Buffers brewery]

I'm guessing you're BIAB. Providing you can get all the grain for your 20 litre brew in your 10 litre mash tun, as @Jim Brewster suggests, I'd mash the whole lot in as much water as you can fit in. After an hour drain the wort and do a second mash with fresh water. If you can recirculate the mash all to the good. After about 30 minutes drain the second wort and repeat until you have sufficient wort for your boil. This is the method I use routinely but my mash tun will accommodate 3 gallons (15 litres) of strike water for the mash.