Increasing Batch Size

[OntheLoose]

I would like to increase the batch size that I brew. If I want to make triple the amount that I do now, (5 gallons) do I just triple all the ingredients, mash gallons and sparge gallons? This seems too easy, am I missing something?

[danno]

the short answer is yes, just scale up your recipe. the long answer is that directly scaling on a large level (from homebrew to commercial size) is problematic because hop bitterness efficiency is a factor. something to do with a total volume vs. surface area equation. but, on a homebrew scale, the difference is too small to matter...

btw, I'm moving this to the homebrew section, not that it doesn't get read here, but it'll help others in the future...

[barleyburps]

very difficult question to answer. . . a lot of people calculate IBU's for hops and use accordingly. . . .i don't fall into that catagory. . .when I scaled my batches from ~6 gallon to ~15 gallon, I scaled the malts proportionately (i.e. 3x), but only scaled my hops ~2x and adjusted from there with subsequent batches.
Then again, I'm not trying to follow any beer style guidelines. . . .i suggest you experiment with your hopping.

[S.F.B.]

I went from 5-10 gallons a while back. When I did I started using some software to do the calculations of how much to increase what. I used the Recipator and plugged in the old recipe and figured IBU's and such. Then I started adjusting the various ingredient to achieve the same numbers.

[OntheLoose]

I boil 8 gallons to get 6 gallons in the fermenter. If I multiplied by 4 my ingredients Would this equal 32 gallons boiled to get 24 or 26 gallons boiled to get 24??

[beerking]

Originally posted by OntheLoose
I boil 8 gallons to get 6 gallons in the fermenter. If I multiplied by 4 my ingredients Would this equal 32 gallons boiled to get 24 or 26 gallons boiled to get 24??

Your boil off should be a percentage, not a volume (that is, given the same boil time and kettle geometry). The problem is that I'm willing to be your new brewpot geometry is different from the old one, and that has a BIG affect on boil off.

For instance, if you used to brew in a polarware pot, and are ramping up to a adapted Sankey keg, you have 3 times the volume, but more or less that same surface area of wort during the boil. This will reduce the boil off percentage.

I would assume you are going to have somewhere between 15 and 20% boil off (as opposed to the 25% you used to have) and adjust from there after the first batch. You can always lengthen the boil or add pre-boiled water to the first batch (don't lengthen the boil for light colored or bodied beers like helles or heffe-weizen).

[OntheLoose]

Well I doubled my batch size today. Ow my back. If I'm going to quadruple my normal batch size I'm gonna need a pump, and a good plan.

I did use a converted keg, like what you were saying, as a brew kettle. 15 gallons boiled to 12 in 1 1/4 hours. So it was almost the same as my 10 gallon enamel pot. The enamel pot has a bigger diameter so I'm sure you must be right about the surface area. I guess just do your boil and figure it out as you go just like everything else...