Half-batch fermentation

[Kartoff]

Would it be possible to put a half-batch brew (7bbl) into a 15bbl fermenter and see successful results?

Anyone have some tips to make it work?

[John Dean]

half batch

I do it from time to time. Great results. Just make sure your wort reaches the cooling jackets and temp probe.

Cheers,
John Dean
Blind Tiger Brewery

[GlacierBrewing]

Funny you should ask.....
We usually brew a 1/2 batch of specialty beers but I wanted to know how low I could go on my 10bbl system. Yesterday, we brewed approx 3 bbls. The big details do seem to be make sure the probes are covered (FV) and the steam and glycol jackets are covered, at least partly. My concern about going too small is will the grain bed still have enough weight to maintain it's dynamics. So far, so good.
prost!
dave

[rudge75]

I've found that if the fermenting beer doesn't reach the cooling jackets, you can just set your vessel temp a couple of degrees lower than usual and it will maintain at your regular ferment temp.

If you're boiling and forget to check if the wort is over the side jackets, the kettle is a bitch to clean afterwards.

[dick murton]

Funny you should ask.....
We usually brew a 1/2 batch of specialty beers but I wanted to know how low I could go on my 10bbl system. Yesterday, we brewed approx 3 bbls. The big details do seem to be make sure the probes are covered (FV) and the steam and glycol jackets are covered, at least partly. My concern about going too small is will the grain bed still have enough weight to maintain it's dynamics. So far, so good.
prost!
dave

I realise it is a totally different scale, but I used to do an 80 barrel brew out of a 240 barrel mash tun without any problems. We had to raise the mash in temp by about 1 deg C to compensate for the lack of grist mass to heat the MT metalwork. The extracts were generally about the same as the full mash. Other than that the biggest problem was ensuring we had a suitable FV to ferment it in. I don't think we even bothered cutting down on the steam to the kettle - simply had a rather vigorous boil. But at least there was plenty of room for any extra foam

So no, providing these points are looked after there should not be a problem

Cheers