Split batch with specialty malt addition

The problem is that caramel malts still have carbohydrates in need of conversion from the mash (i.e., steeping them produces a wort less fermentable than when they are mashed with enzymatic grains). You could do separate mini-mashes, boil the wort from those separately, and then blend into the fermentors... but that seems like a lot of work. You could steep the specialty malts in the wort-post boil (30 min at 170 F or similar - should be hot enough to kill an bacteria on them if held there) but this won't be fully accurate to what the beer would taste like with the specialty malts in the main mash.

 

If you look for shortcuts where you know you can't really take them, you'll get the results to go with it. Splitting a batch's grains mean splitting the boil: you don't add specialty grains after the boil normally, right? Why start now, right when you need both batches to come out well?

 

i don't see why you can't add the specialty grains post-boil while the wort is still hot...so you drain off the first x gallons into a fermenter or separate vessel, then steep the grains for the y gallons for like 20 mins then chill both batches. You'll need to take into consideration that you would want to try to cool them simultaneously so two chillers would be ideal because holding the wort hot for different times is a variable that could effect the final product.
If you're using crystal malts, then you should be fine since they are mostly all soluble sugars and would provide the same points as if thrown in a mash...certain caramel malts as oldsock points out has a lot more starch then crystal malts so that would probably change most notably your fg.

 

True Crystal Malts yes, Caramel Malts not advised. Crystal malts are fully converted to sugar before kilning, cara malts are not. CaraMunich and CaraVienne for sure are still partially uncoverted and will add starch which is undesirable. Why not do a separate steeping of the grains in a sack, then drain and boil separately, put in a mason jar to cool naturally overnight, then add to the fermentor after the brewday is finished on the main batch. No split chills, no what temp works, no risk of not killing the bacteria from a no-boil, no risk of extracting tannins from husks due to steeping to hot, etc.

 

Certainly couldn't hurt, should at least get a more accurate reading on their flavor impact (even if the conversion is slightly more or less). I've found that not-boiling wort (how I brew my Berliners) leaves a rawer-doughy flavor that is usually chased away by boiling. Not sure if you'll have similar flavor differences from a short boil of the specialty malts. It may be that some of their aromatics are usually chased away.

 

Fair enough then, you seem to have a non-unrealistic grasp of the situation. Worth a try tho, eh?