Partigyle Possibility

Have you seen this before? http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Batch_Sparge_and_Party_Gyle_Simulator

here is an idea http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/anyone-try-belgian-partigyle-heres-my-plan-374240/

I have only done a partigyle a couple of times, I seem to come out a little low for the first gyle and high for the second gyle, but Kai's simulator is pretty accurate. From a process point of view, you are just boiling your sparge separate from your mash liquor, very easy if you are used to batch sparging.

 

I would say experiment with hops, spices, and/or yeast.

The suggestions linked to above look pretty good. But my experience is it makes a very busy brewday. I have morphed into making a 1-2 gallon second runnings and I tend to break a few guidelines. Your grain bill would be excellent to experiment on the second batch by adding spices/hops. Something like corriander or high aroma hops (Mosiac, Citra?). Call it a spiced Belgian pale ale or ipa or both. Also, it is not carved in stone that the second runnings must be last (can be in the middle).

If the only change is late additions it is possible to do a common boil, then separate the second batch from kettle and add a whirlpool addition. My last batch I experimented with yeast . . . used three different Belgians yeasts in four different fermenters, this is not a true partigyle but you get the idea of possibilities. When completed, I will know which of 3522, 3944, or DuPont gives the best results.

 

I do parti-gyle for every brew and can tell you the possibilities are nearly endless.

Generally, for a 12 gallon batch and a 50/50 split I enter the recipe for my main batch into Beer Smith, and then make a separate recipe calculating roughly 1/3 of the gain bill/gravity points for the parti-gyle batch. This will give you a ballpark estimate for your hop additions and an idea of what, if anything, you’d like to add.
Even just adding a different strain of yeast will give you a different tasting beer from the same mash.
Good luck, and let us know what happens!

 

I would also add that you’ll want to be careful to not over sparge, or sparge to hot. It will extract tannins from the grain and ruin your parti-gyle.

 

I really like to "cap" my second runnings by cold steeping some additional milled specialty grains overnight, straining them on brew day, and tossing the liquid into the 2nd runnings boil kettle (towards the end of the boil). Adds some additional color and flavor to your 2nd runnings beer. The cap also allows you to add other grain types that weren't required / desired in the first beer and change your second beer a bit if that appeals to you.

 

For the future, you don't need a 2nd pot. Just leave the 2nd runnings in the mash tun until you are done with the 1st runnings.