Split Batch - Ale

Looking at doing a split batch 10 gallon ale (American Pale and Brittish Stong). Trying to come up with the right ratio for the base profile and looking at US05 and London Ale III. Anyone had success with split batches?

It’s a great way to tell the difference that the yeast can make in a beer.

I split a batch between US-05 and W-34/70 once. Interesting experiment and a fun way to maximize the output from one brew day.

When you ask the “right ratio”, can you clarify what you mean? The sense I get is you want to find the right mix of malts that allow you to make both beers from a single mash?

If you want a Pale Ale ala SNPA (with that big caramel note) then I think you’d be fine making a single mash that was basically Maris Otter and a medium Crystal like C60. It will have a bit more malt character than normal for a pale ale, but not enough to make you get grumpy. A number of bitter recipes incorporate sugar or maize into the grain bill as well.

Water chemistries also tend to be a bit different. American brewers don’t seem to mineralize as hard as British brewers do, but even then I think you’d be ok to have Sulfate leaning water and go.

Hops are going to be your real problem as that’s the real dividing line. Can’t really make a Cascade dominant beer and expect it to read “British”! :slight_smile:

You could also bitter with something neutral (like Magnum or Warrior) and then split the beer for whirlpools with different hop choices for your two styles. They won’t be traditional, but you’re a homebrewer!

Another thing you could do is when kegging dry hop one with Brit hops, personally I like Fuggles and the 2nd keg dry hop with US hops Citra,Mosaic Cascade, Amarillo any one or combination thereof.

Thanks all.

To answer the question about right ratio im trying to balance pale ale 2 row with marris otter with a few adjuncts.

Thoughts on hops:
Magnum for bitter (considering some northern brewer / fuggles at 5 mins, which i think will help the brittish ale but dry hop on the pale ale should over power it)

Dry hop brittish with northern brewer or fuggles

Dry hop pale ale with mosaic and Amarillo.

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Sounds like a nice compromise and a good plan

For anyone that’s interested I’ll be brewing tomorrow and settled on the following recipe:
10.5 Gallons (Split to 2 5 gallon batches)
Pale Ale - 8lbs
Maris Otter - 8lbs
Golden Promise - 5lbs
American Honey - 1lb
Crystal 40 - 1lb

Hops
30 Minute Boil - Magnum 2.5oz

Dry Hop English
2oz EKG

Dry Hop American
1.5oz Mosaic
1.5oz Amarillo

Yeast
English - London Ale III
American - US 05

Mash 152 - 60min

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