Part boil part filter sterilise

[jaybie]

I'm finding that I don't get the chance to brew so often now, and I'm close to running out of beer

Normally I brew 23L but this doesn't seem to last until the next brewday, so I'd like to brew bigger volumes. I have a 60L conical tank available to me, but I have only capacity (at the moment) to mash & boil about 25 litres. I can filter sterilise water easily, so what I'm wondering is:

Can I boil the full hop bill in 1/2 of the brew volume and then add it to sterile water in the conical and still get a decent brew? Will I need to adjust the recipe to get the same tasting beer out?

Cheers,

JB

[Eric]

Of course, as you imply, you would need to increase your grain too in hope to get something similar, but that's easier said than done.
If you currently brew and enjoy a 1040 OG beer, you would instead need to produce your 25 litres with an OG of 1080, and that isn't easy.
If you are able to set aside a day for brewing, could you perhaps somehow do a double brew?

[jaybie]

I have done several double brew days, but they are always a bit frantic!

This may seem like a stupid question, if a given weight of malt will give an OG of say 1040 will double that give 1080 or does it require proportionally more malt to get to a higher OG?

[Eric]

This may seem like a stupid question, if a given weight of malt will give an OG of say 1040 will double that give 1080 or does it require proportionally more malt to get to a higher OG?

Obviously double the malt with a single quantity of water can theoretically produce twice the gravity of wort. Just a slight problem of not having enough water to thoroughly wet the grain for the sort of run-off you would like. Double the water with double the grain would give double the quantity at similar gravity.
To get a beer of gravity of, say, 1080, it is usual to keep only the rich first runnings and then boil for several hours to reduce the volume of wort which will in inverse proportion, increase its gravity. You don't get ought for nowt.

[jaybie]

I've got room in the mash tun to double the malt, usually I have very wet mash, so for this I can have a stiffer mash to fit it all in. I suppose if the wort has a bit of a low OG I could boil it a bit longer, add a bit more wort from a second smaller mash and simply replace the lost water with wort. So long as the last of the wort boils long enough to get its hot break before I add protafloc I should be fine, I reckon.

I'll give it a go when time allows and pass on the good (or bad) news.

Thanks for your help & advice.

[Eric]

Good luck with your scheme. There could be significant interest in your project, so hope you do keep notes, take pictures and post them, maybe, in the Brewdays section.
I, for one, would be be interested in how you deal with the logistics as well as the outcome. Having fashioned my equipment to my brewing requirements and technique, I'm overlooking those days of getting up to all sorts of tricks to overcome limitations. Go for it.