Splitting a kit at the end

[JDann]

Hello,

I've started to experiment with adding hops, extra malt and such like to kits.

I'm about to start a Coopers Canadian Blond kit for Xmas, for people that prefer the lighter brew; but I'd like to split it, and use the fairly gentle base as a launchpad for some Citra hops and maybe a little lemongrass. If my experiment goes wrong, I've not wasted a kit / 40 pints of terrible beer to pawn off.
So - my current plan is:

> Brew the full 23 l as per packet instructions.
> When I get a stable S.G, syphon off 10 l (so 20 bottles), cold crash and bottle.
> With the remaining 23 l + yeasty sludge, dry hop (and maybe hop tea, for the bitterness) etc, leave it a few days and bottle.

Am I likely to run into issues with oxidation if I'm taking 1/2 the liquid out of the FV?

Should I add some sugar (or malt extract perhaps?) to produce some CO2 to help protect the 13 l left behind? Although any bubbling might drive off the light flavours from the dry hopping. Could it cause issues with the secondary fermentation in the bottles? Or stress the yeast?

Thanks, I've already learnt a lot lurking around this forums, and plan to learn more!

 

[chthon]

First, you probably mean "remaining 13 l".

Second, I also do this regularly, racking into a second vessel, and adding extra sugar. I calculate 3,5 g of sugar per liter of the FV to be filled again. This fermentation will not be as vigorous and finishes faster, so no problem with removal of dry hopping flavor and aroma.

The best sugar to use would be dextrose (glucose) because it dissolves much easier than normal table sugar. This will make sure that before bottling this additional sugar has been fermented completely.

If you do not have dextrose, boil some water to dissolve your table sugar. This will of course give a little increase in your final volume.

So, if you have fermented in a 30 l FV, add 60 g of sugar to the 13 liter of remaining beer, to make sure that most oxygen gets expelled.

 

[JDann]

Hi chthon,

Thanks for your reply, I'll throw in 60 g of dextrose with the hops then!
I was intending to bottle both the batches at the same time, so I figure 3 days should be enough