1 gallon batches?

I want to start brewing smaller batches so I can do a wider variety of styles, and save some space and money. I have a few questions about downsizing the whole process. Is it ok to ferment in gowlers, provided I have an airlock and stopper that is the proper size for the opening? Do you need to lessen the amount of yeast used, or will a vial of White Labs do the same thing to 1 gallon that it does to 5? Do homebrew shops sell hops in smaller quantities than 1 oz packages?

About the smallest I'd try is 1 gallon, a growler would be a bit small for a ferm I'd think. As for the yeast, the vials and packs are targeted at 5 gallons usually so a smaller amount should be used. Thing is that if you use too much it can go haywire and get too active/hot plus just a lot of yeast flavor on top of it all. As for the hops, I've never seen less than 1 oz, but if you keep it in the fridge and in a sealed, dry container it'll be good for a while.

All together if your looking at money and varity two things to consider, 1 economics of scale larger amounts usually = lower cost per batch to some extent, and 2 the time to make a batch is going to be relativly constant regardless of the batch size aside from the time to heat and cool in some small amount. So makeing several small batches is going to take up a lot more time in cooking/cleaning and the fuel costs in doing it too. Best of luck whichever way you go.

Drink a jug of Carlo Rossi wine. They're 4 litres in size and make good 1 gallon fermenters. I like doing 1 gallon wines and I can primary in 4 litre jugs then secondary in 1 gallon jugs and not need to top off.

More variety,same amout of time almost but less beer.You can still buy some bulk, if your consistant about brewing weekly,which is what i generally do.Currently im doing every 2 wks. because of lagers and strong ales.Small batches make stove top easy and you dont need much equipment. I third or half dry yeast packs by vaccue sealing back to the fridge being cautious of cleanliness same with hops. I probalby wouldnt pitch more than half a vial and you have no choice what to do with the rest but harvest it for your next batch or something.You could do two consecutive different batches then pitch half in each.I would recommend doing 2-2.5 gallon batches. I have a 2 gallon vessell which i get almost exactly 1/3 of a 5 gallon batch. If you had a 3 gallon carboy you could get half batches.I probably would just pitch the whole vile of yeast in a 2.5 higer gravity batch.
No reason to worry about buying hops in oz, just seal back up tightly what you dont use. YOu may not want bulk since you like varity, there are alot of base grains to use.You only need a few pounds of grain to do all-grain also.

Do not ferment in a growler. They explode. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/exploding-growlers-89246/

dstegelman said:

Do not ferment in a growler. They explode. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/exploding-growlers-89246/

Click to expand...

They only explode if you try to carb in them. I wouldn't ferment in them because they're too damn small.

You could just get a 2 gallon bucket.You want some headspace not alot but thats why i upped my batch size starting out with a 2 gallon bucket.16-17 beers seems more ideal than 8 unless your blindly experimenting.I still use my 2 gallon bucket to rack and bottle after i found some 2 galllon glass jars that i got super cheap, that i actually seen peanuts sold in them at a Farm and Fleet store.

I did a 2.5G batch yesterday, and it was strange how little time everything seemed to take...I am fermenting in a 3G Better bottle..I was thinking I could use my 8G boil pot to do a brew in a bag, but I didn't have the stupid bag !

I ferment my 1 gallon batches in growlers, be advised that you WILL want a blow off tube - not a lot of head room. I would recommend getting a decent kitchen scale in order to use accurately weigh hops and dry yeast. For yeast, I either use half a pack of dry if I am straight pitching into the wort, or 1/4 pack if I am rehydrating. For liquid yeast, I use 1/4 cup of Wyeast. Dunno the amount for White labs, haven't measured/used for 1 gallon batches.

I got a bunch of 1 gallon glass jugs and some stoppers from my LBHS for 4 bucks a pop. I fill the jug up to right before it starts to curve up to the top. I had plenty of head space that way. When all is said and done I get about 7 bottles per carboy.

This is my preferred method for small batch experimentation to figure out what I like better (I've done a bunch of single hop pale ales and a bunch of different yeast on the same wort). Works out great IMO.

You will most likely barely net 8 or 9 beers? I would drink that before my beer got past the "green" stage. I usually do 3 or 4 gallons batches and net at least 1 case of 22ozers.

I would not pitch a whole vial or packet of dry yeast. It is far more yeast then required. A correct pitching rate for 1 vial for a average OG is 30 - 40 % of 1 vial and 20% of a 11gram packet of dry yeast. Good Luck!

My last 4 brews are 1 or 1.5 gallons each. I have 3 two gallon "paint" buckets from Home Depot. Lots of head space. I have one 2 gal. bucket for bottling as well. I have 3 fermenting right now each a week apart and the next batch has been planned, supplies purchesed and waiting for an empty fermenter.

I've been using dry yeast and just dumping the whole pack in. No blow off tube used and I love this BIAB stove top brewing.

I do 2.5 gallon batches and turn them over quickly. Ferment in 3 x 1.2 gallon carbuoys and get a case of 24. That's plenty for most types but some styles like esb's I'd prefer more of as I bottle in pint bottles and they run out far too quickly. I'll probably upgrade when I have more space and a load of tried and tested recipes under my belt.