How To Make A Second Runnings Beer

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by treyrab, Oct 31, 2012.

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  1. treyrab

    treyrab Savant (1,204) Aug 26, 2007 California
    Trader

    Hi all - I am brewing a Belgian Quad soon (~12ABV). I'd like to use the leftovers for a mild. How does this work? Do I just take the leftover grains and start over as I would a regular batch?

    Thanks!
     
  2. JCTetreault

    JCTetreault Initiate (0) Mar 19, 2008 Massachusetts

  3. OldSock

    OldSock Maven (1,418) Apr 3, 2005 District of Columbia

    The starches from the grain are already converted, so all you need to do is continue the sparge and collect enough runnings for the smaller beer into a separate pot. For me this is easiest to do by batch sparging and collecting into the pot I used to heat the sparge water. You can add extra specialty malts, sugars, extract or whatever to enhance the smaller beer if need be.
     
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  4. treyrab

    treyrab Savant (1,204) Aug 26, 2007 California
    Trader

    If I add more grains, will I not have to mash then to convert the starches?

    Thanks guys! I love this group!
     
  5. jtmartino

    jtmartino Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2010 California

    You will definitely have to mash again if you add more grain. OldSock was referring to adding other fermentable sugars to your kettle.
     
  6. Bay01

    Bay01 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2008 Illinois

    You could do a partial boil with additional grains. I think the best method is just to collect the second runnings, take a gravity reading and add some DME if needed to get to target OG.
     
  7. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Not sure what you mean by this. You never want to boil grains. Some can be steeped, and this can add to the OG, but why would this need to be a "partial" boil (after the steep)?

    Edit: I should add that in a mash that includes a decoction, you do indeed boil grains. But that's a different thing.
     
  8. nathanjohnson

    nathanjohnson Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2007 Vermont

    Not if the malts added do not need to be mashed, for example, crystal malts.
     
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  9. Bay01

    Bay01 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2008 Illinois

    You are correct, should have said "steeped" rather than "boiled"
     
  10. bbarrows

    bbarrows Crusader (459) Sep 14, 2008 California

    I don't like how byo explains it. They make it seem like you have to mash the grains twice. Not the case. Like Old Sock said, you're continuing to sparge the grains, but collecting the 'second runnings' in a different pot. When I do a party guile, I mash thin ~2qts water/pound of grain, run that off into a pot. If I'm starting with 15+ pounds of grain, I can run off about 2.5 gallons for my first beer. Then sparge into another pot with enough water to get the desired volume or gravity for your second beer. Cheers!
     
  11. OldSock

    OldSock Maven (1,418) Apr 3, 2005 District of Columbia

    Exactly, usually crystal or roasted malts would be the most common for "capping" the mash. In that case you could add them along with the sparge water and let it sit for ~15 minutes at ~170 F before running off. I did this with Carafa Special II to make a Black IPA off the mash for an Imperial IPA for example.
     
  12. treyrab

    treyrab Savant (1,204) Aug 26, 2007 California
    Trader

    So basically it sounds like once I have collected enough for my 5 gallons of Quad, just continue sparging and collect another 5+ gallons in another brew kettle.

    Simple as that?
     
  13. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    Simple as that, yes. But, be mindful to your gravities, that second beer could easily come in at 1.020 or so. Something I like to do is collect my mash and third runnings for my big beer, and use the second running for the small beer. Based on my last Parti-Gyle, it looks like I got a 1.090 and a 1.056 worts.

    I have notes on assumed gravities from each running, but your system is likely to be different.
     
  14. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    Yeah, I did a big stout, around 1.100, and then grabbed an easy smaller batch of 1.050 for a small maple brown ale I wanted.
     
  15. nategibbon

    nategibbon Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2008 Illinois

    Never done a partigyle before, but currently reading 'Brewing Better Beer' by Gordon Strong. He mentions that the second runnings beer can have an overly grainy taste, so he either adds additional specialty malts or blends the second runnings with a portion of the first runnings.
     
  16. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    FYI if you're trying to get 5 gal of big beer and 5 gal of little beer you're looking at 30+# of grain. Greenbaybrewing has a calculator. I think if you google "can you mash it" it will pop up. Also Randy Mosier has an excellend spreadsheet on 1/2 to 1/2 and 2/3 to 1/3 running gravities. I'm at work or I'd try to link you to both.

    Also for what it's worth Gordon Strong (AHA pres?) recommends adding crystal malts to the second beer. They tast less grainy this way. I tend to agree. I've done a couple full batch partigyles and with around 30# of grain at 1.25#/qt grist/water ratio I get at least 6 gal of wort from the first runnings. All you need to do after this is add sparge water and some extra grain make your second batch.
     
  17. yinzer

    yinzer Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2006 Pennsylvania

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