A lot of good arguments here for smaller batches; but I'm going to make what I think is a pretty convincing one for 5 gallon batches: kits.
And all anyone needs to do to brew a 2.5 gallon batch using one of the kits is.....
Are you ready for it?
Ready?
USE HALF THE INGREDIENTS, and store the rest.
Just seal that half ounce of hops, seal the half packet of dry yeast, freeze the LME, and stick the dme in a jar to keep it dry, and you're golden.
OR....Experiment with the other half of the ingredients, add some fruit, or honey, or spices, or interesting sugars,
and you get two batches for the price of one!!!
Besides, how many folks stay doing kits for a long time? Most folks do 1 or 2 and move on. AND as I have shown in my 2.5 gallon AB primer on a stove with a mr beer kit. You can "make the leap to ALL Grain" really easy on the stove with a 2-3 gallon unmodified water cooler......Makes for a really easy start to brewing recipes with a minimum investment in gear, or need for fancy techniques. And splitting any recipe is easy.
People can brew any damn sized batches they damn well please these days....and we fellow brewers, should just
support them. It's the brotherhood of the brew, NOT the small batch vs big batch, or ag vs extract or Coopers vs everyone else, or mr beer vs "real" beer, or whatever small minded arguments folks wanna make. It's ALL beer.......