timduncan200021

Recipes 

So I just got into this addiction...urghhh I mean.... Hobby and I have my first batch bottle conditioning right now ready to be opened on Super Bowl Sunday. Well SWMBO have in and agreed that when we get out taxes back in 2-3 weeks that I can go purchase whatever equipment I wanted. I usually am allowed to spend 5-600 around tax time for whatever I choose and I am going to move up to BIAB for awhile. So my giddy self went on my LHBS website and made a wish list of everything I was going to purchase and I am happy with all my equipment but then it hit me, how many primaries is too many? I would like to have a solid pipeline going and was thinking three but thought I would come on here and see what you guys thought/had. So what is it how many primaries do you have for your pipeline?

gelatin

Recipes 

I can't imagine having more than four. Even with three, once you get it going you are brewing or bottling once or twice a week with an occasional week off and some weeks you could be doing 3 sessions.

SVB

Recipes 

I have 2 9 gallon primaries (mostly for wine/mead) 4 6 gallon primaries, 4 5 gallon secondaries (I usually use them for wine/mead), its more than enough to keep 5 taps full all the time.

gelatin

Recipes 

I didn't think about wine/mead, the turnaround time is so much longer than beer that it makes sense.

Glynn

Recipes 

3 - 6 gal primaries
3 - 5 gal secondaries

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson
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Naughty Kitty Brewing EST 1993
Primary 1 - Bobtail Pale Ale
Primary 2 -
Primary 3 -
Secondary 1 -
Secondary 2 -
Bottled - Alley Cat Amber, Fat Cat Imperial IPA, Bobtail Pale Ale, Citridian Wheat IPA

timduncan200021

Recipes 

I haven't even put any secondaries on my wish list. I know that this is opening a can of worms but is it worth having one secondary just in case?

SVB

Recipes 

Sometimes I will use secondaries for beer if the pipeline is full and i just feel like brewing. Its a good way to free up fermentor space.

gelatin

Recipes 

Definitely get at least one secondary, lots of styles can benefit from it, whether it's dry-hopping, "dry-hopping" spices or fruit, or just extended conditioning. Remember you want a secondary the size of the batch with little to no head room.

NivekD

Recipes 

Think about the time you have to brew and then go from there. If I could brew all day, every day...I'd have way too many goin' at one time...do as many as you can manage.

Leadgolem

Recipes 

I have 3 1 gallon primaries, and 3 5 gallon primaries.

I usually leave 1 primary of each size open and secondary in that, if I'm going to secondary. Either that, or secondary in my bottling buckets. I have one for each size.

I don't usually do much aging in the fermentor. I age in the bottle. If you're going to age in bulk then I'd pick up another 2 secondaries for each size you want to do.

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