By: Keith Klemp

Parti-gyle and multi-batch brewing are two brewing strategies that I use to maximize my output from a brewing session. In roughly 7 hours, it is possible to make two 12 gallon batches of beer. But the real advantage of this is that you aren’t necessarily stuck with four fermenters of the same beer. By using some elbow grease and creativity, you can double your yield and make at least two very different beers. Of course, it will require some additional equipment but not too much more. I will outline in this text several ways to go about doing this. It’s a lot easier than you think, and in fact, if you know how to brew you already have all of the necessary skills.

First, let me explain a basic difference between parti-gyle and multi-batch brewing. Parti-gyle is the process by which one makes two or more beers utilizing successively run off worts. In other words, the first runnings make the first beer, the next runnings the second beer, and so on. Each batch of wort will be significantly lower in gravity than the preceding one. This was a common practice in Europe, from Scotland to Belgium, quite some time ago. What I refer to as multi-batching is similar except that I collect two separate kettles of wort and then mix them a little at a time to get my target gravities. This way you can get two beers of similar or even the same strength. It makes for great experimentation. The trickiest part is putting together recipes that will make two different beers. All righty then ....... away we go.

To do either parti-gyle or multi-batch brewing efficiently you will need at least a 36 quart mash tun (igloo-manifold setup or keg-kettle) and two boiling kettles. If you don’t have two kettles you can work out a system by staggering the boiling that will only add an hour and a half to your session. My system is rather large so that I can make two 12 gallon batches. Usually I brew with somebody and we split the fermenters, each taking two 6 gallon buckets with a different beer in each.

My mash tun is, of course, the infamous "coffin". An igloo cooler of epic proportions, 120 quarts, with a copper manifold false bottom. It will hold up to 80# of malt, but I usually use around 60 or so, often a sack of base malt and some specialty grains. You have to admit, using a sack of grain at a time is kinda groovy. It only cost me about 40 bucks, thank you, Mike Wallace. If you want to make two five gallon batches, I would get a 48 quart igloo, which would easily hold 30# of malt and be suitable for a strong and regular strength beer.

I also own two 15.5 gallon beer kegs for kettles. I simply run my wort into both kettles to the top and boil down from there giving me my 12 gallons of wort. If I am making a 1.050 beer, I try to start with a kettle full of 1.042 - 1.043 wort.

I always assume that I will need the same amount of sparge water as finished wort. About 24 gallons in my case. It will take about an hour per kettle to sparge/lauter. Also, I have two burners, but this is not necessary as you can stagger your boils.

Recipe Formulation and Wort Adjustment.

Again, much of this most of you probably know already but I’ll discuss it anyway.

If I want to make 12 gallons of a 1.075 beer like a maibock, and 12 gallons of a 1.050 beer like a Vienna, I would use 65# of malt. How did I arrive at this? I know that my system gets 25 gravity points per pound of malt without sparging to death. I need 24# for the Vienna and 36# for the maibock. That’s 60#, and then I add a little extra so I don’t over-sparge. It only adds a couple of extra bucks to the total cost and spread out over 24 gallons of beer is insignificant. Certainly you can sparge more for efficiency. I also take into account that a shallower grain bed like that in an igloo is not as efficient as a cylindrical mash tun. Do whatever works best for you.

Because these beers are different but not overwhelmingly so in gravity, I make the runoff a little stronger in the bock kettle. I achieve this by running the first 6 gallons into one kettle and then running then next 6 into the other kettle. Now check the gravity. One should be somewhat higher than the other. Run off the next few gallons into the strong (maibock) kettle then switch the runoff tube again. Check the gravities again. You will get the hang of it quite quickly.

For these two beers, I would like a full-kettle gravity of 1.060 - 1.065 for the maibock and 1.042 - 1.043 for the Vienna before boiling. Unless you are really good at this, I would recommend overshooting the bock and undershooting the Vienna. Using this approach you can exchange a gallon of wort at a time to get to your full-kettle gravities. Monitor your kettle gravities after each couple of gallons exchanged. But always remember, this is homebrewing, so if you are off by a few points, don’t worry, relax and have another beer. Seriously, it is fairly simple once you get the hang of it.

If you want to brew two different beers of the same strength and play around with hops and yeast, you simply fill up both kettles and exchange wort until you have the same gravities. This is a great strategy for making an English pale ale/American pale ale multi-batch. Just use East Kent Goldings in one kettle and Centennial or Cascades in the other. Then pitch the appropiate yeast.

For true parti-gyle brewing, you can expect to get about a 2:1 gravity ratio in the kettle if you fill one first and then the other. For a barley wine/ordinary bitter try to get a kettle gravity of 1.080 for the barley wine and 1.035 for the ordinary bitter.

These are some simple recipes for experimentation. The possibilities are quite numerous, and being homebrewing and whatnot, the end product very forgiveable.

Belgian Strong Golden Ale (Duvel clone) and Kolschbier

This brew will require just one malt, good German or Belgian pilsner malt.

Target original gravity: Kolsch 1.045, Duvel 1.070

Kettle gravity: Kolsch 1.039, Duvel 1.056

To make 12 gallons of each will require about 23# of malt for the Kolsch and about 28# for the Duvel. (About one sack of malt.)

Mash with a protein rest of about 122° F and a sacchrification rest at 150° F. Run wort into the kettles getting as close to 1.039 and 1.056 as possible. The kolsch will be an all-malt beer, but the Duvel will require the addition of dextrose (corn sugar). Add 2# of dextrose to the Duvel kettle and check the gravity again. It should be well over 1.060.

Hop the kolsch with 25 IBU of German noble hops such as Halletauer or Tetnanger. Add an ounce or less of the same hops 10 minutes before knockout. A kolsch should have minimal aroma hops. Ferment with a Kolsch yeast, a Dusseldorf yeast or a clean American yeast at about 57 to 60 degrees F. Lager for a month at 40 degrees when fermentation is finished.

Back to the Duvel. Add 30 IBU of Styrian Goldings or Saaz hops for bittering and flavor and aroma Saaz additions at 20 minutes and 5 minutes before knockout. Ferment with your favorite Belgian strain, I like the Wyeast 3944 (witbier) strain.

American Brown and English Brown

This brew will require 3 malts, English pale ale (90%), Crystal 40 to 60L (8%), and chocolate malt (2%)

Target original gravity: Both 1.052

Kettle gravity: Both 1.044

To make 12 gallons of each will require about 50# of malt, 45# pale ale, 4# crystal and 1# chocolate. Use your own favorite brown ale recipe.

This one is simple. Do a single step infusion mash at 152° F, fill up both kettles, check gravities, and exchange wort to even them out.

Add about 25 to 28 IBU of East Kent Goldings for the English brown with a light aroma addition of the same. Ferment with your favorite English ale yeast.

Add about 35 IBU of American hops for the American brown and flavor and aroma additions with cascade hops. Ferment with a nuetral American ale yeast.

The British brown should be malty, with some caramel and chocolate notes, have a soft bitterness and not too much hop aroma. The British yeast will give it a nice earthy character. The American brown should have the malty, caramel and chocolate notes with a decidedly American hop character from start to finish and a clean palate from the yeast.

Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy) and Scottish Ale (60 Shilling)

Target original gravity:Wee Heavy 1.085, 60 Shilling 1.043

Kettle gravity: Wee Heavy 1.072, 60 Shilling 1.036

To make 12 gallons of each will require about 45# of malt for the Wee Heavy and about 23# for the 60 Shilling for 68# total. Except for about 6 oz of roasted barley, all of the rest should be a top shelf English pale ale malt like Maris Otter. A couple of pounds of caramel malt is OK, but the full body of these beers comes from a very high mash temperature. The roast will give a little smokiness but if you like more throw in a pound or so of rauchmalz or peat-smoked malt.

Do a single-step infusion mash at 156 to 157 F if possible. Fill one kettle first and then the second. Check the gravities and adjust by exchanging wort if necessary. You can also concentrate the Wee Heavy with an extra boiling time if needed. These beers should get a two hour boil so save some wort to adjust volume and gravity. The caramelization in the kettle is an essential component of Scotch or Scottish ales.

Use East Kent Goldings or Fuggles as a bittering hop for both beers, 30 IBU for the Wee Heavy and 25 or less for the 60 Shilling. Neither beer should have much if any hop aroma as the emphasis is on the malt.

Ferment cool, around 55 to 60° F, with a Scottish yeast. If you can, cold-condition for a month or so before serving. This beer is almost lager-like in its clean character.

This is the fun part, coming up with recipes. Of course, these are just a few, many of which I have made, but there are many others. For water treatment, use your judgement. If extremes exist you can probably go half way. (Original Gravities are in parentheses.)

Classic American Pilsner (1.054) / Cream Ale (1.048)

Old Ale (1.065) / Brown Ale (1.050) / Dark Mild (1.038)

American Brown (1.052) / English Brown (1.052)

Traditional Bock (1.075) / Munich Dunkel (1.052)

Traditional Bock (1.075) / English or American Brown Ale (1.052)

American Pale Ale (1.055) English Pale Ale (1.055)

Pale Ale (1.052) / Bitter (1.036 - 1.055)

Scotch Ale (1.080) / Scottish Ale (1.038 - 1.052)

Barley Wine (1.100) / Pale Ale (1.050) / Bitter (1.036 - 1.055)

Belgian Strong Dark Ale (1.085) / Abbey Ale ( 1.055 )

Belgian Dubbel (1.065) / Munich Dunkel (1.052)

Helles Bock (1.075) / Pilsner (1.052) / Kolsch (1.045) / Dortmunder (1.056)

Maibock (1.075) / Marzen (1.060) / Vienna (1.053)

Imperial Stout (1.100) / Foreign Stout (1.060)

Porter (1.054) / Schwarzbier (1.054)

Weizenbock (1.075) / Dunkelweizen (1.054)

German Hefe-Weizen (1.054) / American Wheat (1.050)

Pale Ale (1.054) / Steam Beer (1.054)

PARTI-GYLE ON DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!