Anyone tried drauflassen?

[Bribie G]

Whilst moving from the Blighted Lands to the Sunny realm of NSW I got rid of a lot of stuff I really shouldn't have, and ended up with only a single batch no-chill cube set of two 10L cubes which work really well (recommended as opposed to a single cube)

Then I bought a 60L fermenter from guy next door and it's a cracker for double-keg brews, fits perfectly into my kegmate for temp controlled fermenting and lagering.

Rather than buy yet extra vessels I'm trying Drauflassen (see below) - not because of a lack of yeast, just a lack of cubez.

So tomorrow I'll do a normal sized BIAB batch of APA wort, cool overnight and pitch.
Then the next day I'll do an identical batch, no chill and pitch the following day. So 24 hrs between the two.

End up with 2 kegs and I take the point that it extends the yeast multiplication period and theoretically end up with a good healthy ferm. Sort of like a twist on double dropping.

Anyone done similar?




Drauflassen (German for letting something flow onto) is a common
practice in large and small breweries. Especially when the fermenter
capacity greatly exceeds the brew house capacity or when fresh yeast is
introduced into the brewery. It allows pitching at a proper pitching
rate with a reduced amount of yeast. Cooled and aerated wort is added to
fill only 1/3 – ½ of the fermenter capacity. Then the yeast is pitched.
After 24 hrs, when first signs of fermentation are visible and the
first batch is at low Kraeusen the 2nd batch, which has been fully
aerated, is added. Hence this technique is known as Double Batch in
American brewing. Depending on how small the initial batch was, this
process can be repeated a number of times. Narziss reports that this
technique is beneficial to the attenuation and the ester levels of the
final beer. The latter are reduced because the yeast is kept longer in
its growth phase during which it consumes the ester precursor acetyl CoA
[Narziss, 2005]

 

[Yob]

Interesting.. Wouldnt that be switching from aerobic to anaerobic and then back again?

 

[Bribie G]

Not if you catch it in the first 24 hours I'd guess. Yeast book says there's a lot of overlap in the stages anyway as the yeasties aren't completely in step with each other.

 

[Beerbuoy]

Whoa! I asked this question some time ago in regards to a pilsner as I couldn't make a big enough starter........... I got a thorough flaming h34r:

I did it anyway and was quite happy with the results. I still do it occasionly when I'm too unorganised to have a starter prepared. One of the benefits of no chill.

 

[Screwtop]

Visited a micro in Northern NSW years ago where they used to do something similar, as their fermenter capacity outweighed mash tun/kettle volume. Kevin Rowlands Northern Rivers Brewing Co at Alstonville used a Combitank (MLT/Whirlpool/Kettle). From memory I think the capacity was about 300L. First batch would be run to the fermenter and pitched, a second batch would then be made and added to the same fermenter.

Screwy

 

[NewtownClown]

Have done that for the last 3 20 litre batches, didn't know it had a name. In fact, as soon as the cleaner leaves I will be starting another.
I brew 10 litres BIAB, cool, pitch. The next day brew the remaining 10 lts normally, cool and pitch when the first brew is at low krausen.

The way I have been looking at it is I have been creating a 10 litre starter.

I have been brewing wheat beers lately with high % of oats, flaked wheat, torrified wheat, etc. and figured if I mashed a proportion of my malt grain with a majority of the unmalted grain in a bag, I could avoid stuck sparges, do a protein rest (easier in my pot than by infusion in my 22 litre mash tun) and have a quicker ferment.

So I haven't really been making equal batches, but utilising the same technique. All beers have fermented faster and cleaner, which is what I want in a quick turnaround beer. From mash to glass in 7-10 days.

 

[bradsbrew]

Bribie, how are you finding the results? Man I had a hard time finding this thread, I knew it was here somewhere. :unsure:

I gave it a go, I pitched one pack of S-23 into 15L of aussie old at 18deg then 24hrs later tipped in another 26L of the aussie old into the fermenter and it seems to be cracking along fine. Should get enough to fill two kegs from the one pack of yeast. Wasn't a cost cutting exercise more an experiment.

Cheers