Any have a dual setup, i.e. two burners, two mashtuns and two boil kettles so you can do simultaneous batches?
I suppose I could upgrade to 20 gallon batches instead of 10, but I wouldn’t care for 20 gallons of the same beer all at once.
Aside from the initial cost, I can only see a few problems… would splitting my garden hose into a Y to run two chillers be effective enough?
And I’d probably have to keep good notes on what goes in which batch at what time… (I can see it now- Oh s**t! I just dumped 2 ounces of centennial in my german pils at flameout instead of the IPA!)
A guy in our club has 3 large systems and often does 3 batches at once. I’ve heard stories of “Oh, crap, what goes into which batch when?” Me, I’m not brave enough to try it.
I’ve done two in one day but only one burner so never two at a time.
ha ha I’d have to plan carefully. I think I could pull it off. Hell, sometimes at work I’m designing, programming and running jobs on 4+ CNCs at the same time when we’re short handed, so I should be able to handle 2 brew days. And they don’t even let me drink at work! A beer would make it all the easier… 
Why? It seems like a lot of work. Would be kinda hard to relax not worry and have a home brew while you were doing that much WORK. I takes me a month or two to drink up one 5 gallon batch. Leaves me more than enough time to brew more batches some time in that period. Maybe if you were planning a big party or had to use up a lot of grains fast.
The extra work doesn’t scare me. The way I look at it, I bust my ass all week long for someone else, so when it comes to working for me (i.e. my hobby) I have no problem working just as hard. Not that I consider brewing work anyway
Plus my wife and I like to hit the kegs pretty hard, so its nice to have a variety on hand (in large quanities!)
I normally do overlapping 10 gal batches (20 gal total). I use 2 burners and and extra pot, but only 1 mash tun. I’ve found that overnight mashing the second mash is the most time efficient method for me. Like you, my wife and I like to hit the kegs. We also have younger children so I try to get as much beer for my brewing time so we can have family time.
I’m currently assembling a 20 gal setup while keeping the 10 gal system in tact. That way I can brew 30 gal at once if I want to.
I’ve also done overlapping batches, which is hairy enough - but manageable. 1 mash, lauter into the first BK, then another mash while the first is coming to a boil, lauter into the second pot, chill the first while boiling the second. I don’t think I could manage 2 simultaneous mashes. Hops can be measured out and marked ahead of time, so mixing up which hops in which batch shouldn’t be a problem if you’re organized. If you’re comfortable with your process, go for it man! More beer in less time = better.
yeah - overlapping batches is hectic on its own, but you can certainly do it. just don’t plan on relaxing any until the cleanup is over and the wort is in the fermenters.
I just did a 12g wit and 12gal schwartzbier on Oct 30th, started at 7:30am and finished at ~4pm and it was hectic.
That said, around Christmas time I’ll be subjecting myself to it again, with an additional batch - partigyle BW/ESB and then a RIS.
It’s pretty common for me to do a 10gallon batch, and then split it into two 5 gallon fermentors at the end.
Sometimes I have done that back to back, brewing 2 10gallon batches one after the other. That makes for a long day.
I’ll do overlapping 5 gallon batches. I keep them a step apart.
I agree with you and that’s why I’ll likely never do it. But some people have a different idea of “fun” than you and I.
Denny- I’m guessing your wife doesn’t drink anything like my wife does
I used to do it a lot (in fact I have done 3 back to back 10 gallon batches in a day a few time before.) But now one batch is plenty, though I will brew 2 days in a row often.
I usually get the “green light” to brew for one day, so I’ll at least do two batches. I’ve done three a couple of times, but that was a brutally long day. When doing two, I’ll overlap so I’m mashed in with sparge water ready on the second batch while I’m boiling and chilling the first batch. The key for me is timing the chilling of wort, transfer to fermenters and cleaning of the boil kettle while I’m raising the mash to 168 prior to the sparge. It’s such a great moment when I just finish up cleaning the boil kettle when the timer goes off to begin the sparge. Talk about being in the zone. Of course, this perfect timing has only happened once.
I’ll sometimes brew a big beer (long mash and long boil) and a starter at the same time. I’ve already got the time I’m putting in on the big beer, so no problem. It is a long day with or without the second beer.
Fred
you CAN make good BIG beers without boiling for 8 hours, you know ;) ;D
If I were trying to up production, I’d go with a bigger wort-production system, but then split up the ferment. Different yeast, ferm. temps, dry hopppng, dry herbing, oaking, etc. You’ll get different beers (and probably some fascinating comparisons), without stressing on brew day.
I did this once with two 5 gallon extract recipes. One of the batches was more complicated because I started with 8 gallons of sweetwater (maple sap) and boiled it down to about 4 gallons. I had a helper (a newbie) and STILL I screwed up the DME addition schedule for the other batch. Both beers turned out fine, but I thought this two-at-once process was just too much to keep track of at one time. I don’t think I’d try it again.
However I know somebody who boils an extract batch while he’s mashing his AG batch. Maybe there’s some logic to that.
-MTB
Never 2 at once, but I have done 2 batches in one day. Once the first one is boiling, I mash in for the second batch and go from there. Only done it a few times.