Looking to do 3 1/2 gal extract batch

I'm looking at doing a 3 1/2 gallon or so extract batch to make use of my 5 gallon better bottle, and was just wondering what the logistics of this would be. Would it simply be that I could take any 5 gallon recipe and use 3.5/5 of the ingredients in my boil? Also, I take it I couldn't really brew a beer that would require and kind of secondary/aging unless I have an even smaller vessel to transfer into from there? Thanks.

Yes on both accounts. It might be good to use software or an online program to confirm everything, but for he most part, just scale it down. I have a 3 gallon glass carboy I use to secondary smaller batches, but you don't need a secondary even for a lot of big beers.

McGarnigle said:

Yes on both accounts. It might be good to use software or an online program to confirm everything, but for he most part, just scale it down. I have a 3 gallon glass carboy I use to secondary smaller batches, but you don't need a secondary even for a lot of big beers.

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Excellent, thank you. Now I just need to find a raging recipe to make a small batch of!

if you have a 5 gallon carboy, why not make a 4 or 4.25 batch and use a blowoff tube through active ferment. not sure why you would want the 1.5 gallons of extra space in there. (maybe i am missing something here)

ashmgee said:

if you have a 5 gallon carboy, why not make a 4 or 4.25 batch and use a blowoff tube through active ferment. not sure why you would want the 1.5 gallons of extra space in there. (maybe i am missing something here)

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Nope not missing anything, I was just figuring the head space for fermentation. I could rig up a blow off, I've just never really looked into it before.

I've got a 3 gallon carboy and have done two 2-1/2 gallon batches in it. The last one did work it's way up into the fermentation lock over the first night as evidenced by a bit of brown crap in the snap cap of the lock, but otherwise worked out well. I'd be likely to use a blowoff next time, but you can squeeze quite a bit of beer out of a carboy.

Why not blow about $15 and get yourself a plastic bucket fermenter with a lid and airlock and do your 5 gallon kit, reserving the 5 gallon better bottle for a secondary if you feel the need. No further scaling of recipes needed, less chance of mistakes cropping up during the process.

RM-MN said:

Why not blow about $15 and get yourself a plastic bucket fermenter with a lid and airlock and do your 5 gallon kit, reserving the 5 gallon better bottle for a secondary if you feel the need. No further scaling of recipes needed, less chance of mistakes cropping up during the process.

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Probably would be the reasonable thing to do. I just don't see any use for the secondary as of now. I suppose I really could just use it to free up the primary I do have as well.

I say if you have a 5 gal carboy brew 5 gallons. All you need for a blow off tube is a piece of hose. Use a milk jug with water and iodaphor < spelling.

I wouldn't worry about secondary. I have two five gallon carboys and I brew 4.5 gallon batches, but the temp here is in the low 60s. I wouldn't bother secondarying beer unless adding fruit or some special process