1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

Doing a SMaSH tonight with Maris Otter and Cascade

dadshomebrewing said:

One more thing... For doing one gallon batches, you will help yourself by converting to grams instead of trying to eyeball fractions of ounces and pounds.

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Abosolutely...especially for hops. I don't mind measuring out 4 oz of grain but I've really honed in my IBUs and additions of hops by using grams.

Jbird said:

Hey guys how much grain do you use for this one gallon batch?
How much hops on average do you need?
I'm trying to build a beer and only do it in a one gallon batch. Just trying to feel I out on what I need to do this. I have done kit after kit so I know how to do that all grain and extract alike. I just want to make my own beer now.

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My grain bills range from 2-3 pounds. I like big beers so I'm usually close to 3 pounds on most brews. As for hops, it really depends. I'm a hop head and I usually only do late additions so I tend to use 2 ounces total (usually of 2 hops). It tends to go .4 oz during the boil of each hop and then I'll dry hop around 1.2 ounces. I really have gotten some potent IPAs and IIPAs with this.

Almost everything will scale linearly so you can take a 5 gallon recipe and divide it. I build my own recipes in beersmith, even if its loosely based on some recipe, I build it myself from scratch. I have found that spices and zest don't scale well. I mean if a 5 gallon recipe uses 2 oranges for their zest, I'm not going to try and figure out what % of an orange I should use. In fact, I usually use the same amount as the 5. And for spices, I tend to go slightly lower, I don't know if its my palette but the "divide by 5" rule has gotten me some rather potent brews that I needed to age to mellow.

I have been using 1.5 - 2 pounds for about 1.050 - 1.060. And I might be alone in this, but tiny amounts of hops. 3-5 grams at the start and 30 min. Mostly UK styles like brown, red, pale.

I know it's been discussed previously in this thread, but given the sheer number of pages we've progressed through I hope y'all will forgive me for asking again rather than searching it out.

In general, how many bottles are you folks who run 1.75 gallon batches ending up with?

BattleGoat said:

In general, how many bottles are you folks who run 1.75 gallon batches ending up with?

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*snip*

BattleGoat said:

I know it's been discussed previously in this thread, but given the sheer number of pages we've progressed through I hope y'all will forgive me for asking again rather than searching it out.

In general, how many bottles are you folks who run 1.75 gallon batches ending up with?

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Since Beersmith accounts for trub loss, boiloff and all of the other losses for me, I end up with 1.75 gallons in bottles which means I get about 18 bottles per 1.75 gallon. I really like this size batch because 2-3 six packs of a beer for me works out great.

BattleGoat said:

I know it's been discussed previously in this thread, but given the sheer number of pages we've progressed through I hope y'all will forgive me for asking again rather than searching it out.

In general, how many bottles are you folks who run 1.75 gallon batches ending up with?

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1.5 gal is ~14-15 so I am guessing 17 or so.

mb82 said:

1.5 gal is ~14-15 so I am guessing 17 or so.

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While we are on this: just wondering how much actual useable beer (volume in fermenter and eventually bottled) when using 1-gallon carboys.

Seems like the output suggested in the BBS recipe book is a bit optimistic.

I'm a new AG small-batch homebrewer and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has posted all the great info in this thread. So far, I've read about a third of the posts, but hope to make my way through all of them.

Yesterday, my LHBS helped me put together a Pale Ale recipe from the "Beer Craft" small-batch book, which is based on BIAB. I'm looking forward to a brew day some time this week. The sooner the better!

My only homebrew experience so far has been with Mr. Beer, which was a less-than-overwhelming success. So, that makes me a complete beginner at AG brewing. This thread has been a real help with many of the questions I've had about small-batch and AG.

Thanks again to everyone. I'm excited to get going with my first brew session. Hopefully, it'll be a successful one.


Jack

unkyjack said:

I'm a new AG small-batch homebrewer and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has posted all the great info in this thread. So far, I've read about a third of the posts, but hope to make my way through all of them.

Yesterday, my LHBS helped me put together a Pale Ale recipe from the "Beer Craft" small-batch book, which is based on BIAB. I'm looking forward to a brew day some time this week. The sooner the better!

My only homebrew experience so far has been with Mr. Beer, which was a less-than-overwhelming success. So, that makes me a complete beginner at AG brewing. This thread has been a real help with many of the questions I've had about small-batch and AG.

Thanks again to everyone. I'm excited to get going with my first brew session. Hopefully, it'll be a successful one.

Jack

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Hey Jack, welcome!

Nothing wrong with a Mr Beer kit. You can make some good beers with some of their ingredients and even better beers with your own ingredients purchased at your LHBS. The fermenter is a great size and it works well.

Good luck on your first AG brew. You'll most likely love it and will be a lot happier when you taste it! Cheers!

Helped a friend brew the Chocolate Maple Porter from Brooklyn Brew Shop yesterday. The wort tasted delicious -- he is going to buy a hydrometer so we can determine when its completed.

We also finally tried his bottled Everyday IPA from Brooklyn Brew Shop as well and it wasn't half bad for his first shot.

He seems really excited about this so going to scale some 5 gallon recipes down for him so he can make some different styles himself. Glad to have someone to brew with now.

BattleGoat said:

I know it's been discussed previously in this thread, but given the sheer number of pages we've progressed through I hope y'all will forgive me for asking again rather than searching it out.

In general, how many bottles are you folks who run 1.75 gallon batches ending up with?

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my one gallon batches typically yield about 8 (sometimes 9) 12oz bottles.

when i'm using 16oz, grolsch style bottles i have to be careful to make sure i get every drop i can out of a batch.

PsyDanny said:

While we are on this: just wondering how much actual useable beer (volume in fermenter and eventually bottled) when using 1-gallon carboys.

Seems like the output suggested in the BBS recipe book is a bit optimistic.

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8 bottles, sometimes 9, never 10

dadshomebrewing said:

8 bottles, sometimes 9, never 10

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7-8.

ericbw said:

7-8.

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now i feel better... we've done whole threads in here on how to squeeze an extra bottle out of a one gallon batch

dadshomebrewing said:

now i feel better... we've done whole threads in here on how to squeeze an extra bottle out of a one gallon batch

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The MOST you could ever get is 10 and a half. But with sediment, you can't get that. I think I got 8+ from a batch from extract with whirlfloc.

i know... i actually switched from 16oz grolsch style bottles to 12oz'ers, so i could get more servings.

and one of the reasons i use secondary fermentation is to give things a chance to settle out a little more, and not lose so much beer to the trub.

and, i learned to time my fermenation, rather than testing it all the time, to avoid losing even a drop to the hyrdometer.

and i use a refractometer, instead of a hydrometer, as often as possible.

i'm pretty obsessive about bottle yield, since my batches are EXACTLY one gallon (i ferment in a glass carboy).

i've learned how to squeeze and save every single drop out of a batch of beer.

dadshomebrewing said:

and one of the reasons i use secondary fermentation is to give things a chance to settle out a little more, and not lose so much beer to the trub.

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Dad's, you secondary your 1 gallons? Don't you lose any beer during the transfer?

I figured by letting the beer sit for 3-4 weeks the cake would be tight enough that sediment wouldn't be a problem.

I flip flop around a lot, but here is the logic, and it seems to be working in terms of yield.

When I rack straight off the primary into the bottling bucket I have a tendency to leave a little too much behind, in order to keep the beer cleaner.

When I rack to secondary, I tend to squeeze every single drop out of the fermenter, because I know it's going to settle out

Then when I bottle, say a week or two later, it just works better.

I'm willing to admit its more about technique, or perhaps the lack thereof, than science, but it works.

So I bought one of these 2 Gallon Mash Tuns

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/2-gallon-mash-tun.html



Was thinking of brewing 2 x 1 gallon batches at a time, basically make 2 of the same beer and then dividing into 2 fermentors and pitching the correct amount of yeast for each. At this point I may play around with things like fermentation time, temperature, cold crashing vs not, dry hopping one and not the other.

What do you think? If I move past 1 gallon brewing this will work for partial mashing too.

Any suggestions for my strategy?

It's a great strategy... The best possible way I can think of to learn about differing treatments, like different hops, or fruit additions, or even different yeasts for the same wort.

If I had a brew pot big enough I would consider it myself.

dadshomebrewing said:

I flip flop around a lot, but here is the logic, and it seems to be working in terms of yield.

When I rack straight off the primary into the bottling bucket I have a tendency to leave a little too much behind, in order to keep the beer cleaner.

When I rack to secondary, I tend to squeeze every single drop out of the fermenter, because I know it's going to settle out

Then when I bottle, say a week or two later, it just works better.

I'm willing to admit its more about technique, or perhaps the lack thereof, than science, but it works.

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Hey, if it works, it works!

dadshomebrewing said:

I flip flop around a lot, but here is the logic, and it seems to be working in terms of yield.

When I rack straight off the primary into the bottling bucket I have a tendency to leave a little too much behind, in order to keep the beer cleaner.

When I rack to secondary, I tend to squeeze every single drop out of the fermenter, because I know it's going to settle out

Then when I bottle, say a week or two later, it just works better.

I'm willing to admit its more about technique, or perhaps the lack thereof, than science, but it works.

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Exactly...when I rack from the primary to the secondary, I get almost every drop of beer out along with some trub. If you pretty good at racking you can keep it crystal clear anyway up until the last few ounces. If you give your beer a few weeks and cold crash, the trub in the primary is pretty compact. At the every end, I end up putting the black stopper of the auto-siphon into the trub and tilting it. There is literally almost no beer in it. Another week in the secondary along with another cold crash, you get a tiny ring of trub at the bottom and crystal clear beer.

I've been doing this for about a year now.

divrguy said:

Hey Jack, welcome!

Nothing wrong with a Mr Beer kit. You can make some good beers with some of their ingredients and even better beers with your own ingredients purchased at your LHBS. The fermenter is a great size and it works well.

Good luck on your first AG brew. You'll most likely love it and will be a lot happier when you taste it! Cheers!

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Thanks divrguy. I have everything I need to do my first brew session, so it looks like a go for tomorrow. As long as I end up with a gallon of something that resembles wort, I'll be happy.


I scored a free 3-gallon plastic bucket at the local IGA bakery this morning. In fact, the guy I talked with said if I want more to let him know and he'll set some aside for me. The label on the bucket indicates it held 26 pounds of icing. ("Mmmmmm . . . icing.") Gotta clean it up and see about adding a spigot.


Jack

How do you guys handle blow off in your 1 gallon fermentation vessels?
I'd love to brew a big IIPA or RIS but I'm afraid I would see massive blow off if I pitched a healthy amount of yeast with the limited headspace.

A big freaking blowoff tube, and a jug of sanitizer, for at least the first four or five days of fermentation.


Either that, or a bucket and a sponge to clean up the mess.

Ok so can Ferment right in a growler? I mean I won't do it in a carboy for a five gallon batch. Just asking.

Jbird said:

Ok so can Ferment right in a growler? I mean I won't do it in a carboy for a five gallon batch. Just asking.

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Yep, that's perfect.

ericbw said:

Yep, that's perfect.

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So your saying you can?

dadshomebrewing said:

...Either that, or a bucket and a sponge to clean up the mess.

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This.

Jbird said:

So your saying you can?

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Sure, you just need a food grade vessel the right size you can stick an airlock on. I use an old 1 gallon juice jug all the time.

Leadgolem said:

This.

Sure, you just need a food grade vessel the right size you can stick an airlock on. I use an old 1 gallon juice jug all the time.

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Yea sounds good. I'll use my growler. I just don't see a need to use my 2gallon pale if i don't have too and let it clear In the growler.

Jbird said:

Yea sounds good. I'll use my growler. I just don't see a need to use my 2gallon pale if i don't have too and let it clear In the growler.

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Just watch out for the blowoff.

Leadgolem said:

Just watch out for the blowoff.

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Oh yea true.

brevity said:

How do you guys handle blow off in your 1 gallon fermentation vessels?
I'd love to brew a big IIPA or RIS but I'm afraid I would see massive blow off if I pitched a healthy amount of yeast with the limited headspace.

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You'd be suprised...I just did a DIPA close to 9% and the krausen never reached the top. Temp control is important. I did my at 59 degrees. Also, the yeast type is another one to consider. Notty blows like a volcano, and while I love notty, 05 is far less violent and does just as good a job

I also did a Barleywine that week, at 10% I knew I would get some blowoff, so I simply planned for it by putting in about 1.15 gallons (halfway up the curve of the carboy). Surprisingly the blowoff wasn't that bad and the beer level is still above the 1 gallon mark. I realize I will have a ton of krausen in the neck but I can live with that

I fermented in my growler. It was ok, except I wanted to refill it at the local brewery more than once in the couple months it was tied up!

Jbird said:

So your saying you can?

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I meant yes. A growler with a stopper and airlock or tube. I use 1-gallon glass jugs that had cider in them. I think a half-gallon would be too small to be worth it.

jongrill said:

Does that help?

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That is bigger than the ones I used. I split them lengthwise and scraped the seeds out, then chopped the shell into pieces and put it in a 1/2 cup of vodka for a week. Then dumped it all in the primary. I left it for a week, and it seemed pretty strong at bottling. Haven't tried it yet - next week.

This is the second batch of stout with vanilla because the first one got infected. I think it is because I put the vanilla bean in without vodka - just split it and scraped it and threw it all in secondary. Maybe the bean had bacteria, maybe the secondary or hose did... who knows. But the first batch tasted really strong after 2 weeks, that's why I only did it a week.

So for 1 gallon, that bean might be too much or it might be what you want. Mine was stout, and I don't know how well that masks the flavor compared to something lighter, or if it accentuates it.

Does anyone use the 1 Gallon jugs of Apple Cider from Whole Foods to do brewing? It looks very similar to the jug you get from the Brooklyn Brew Shop kit.

Stigy said:

Does anyone use the 1 Gallon jugs of Apple Cider from Whole Foods to do brewing? It looks very similar to the jug you get from the Brooklyn Brew Shop kit.

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I use them as my primarys and secondarys and have a ton since they are one of the only juices not from concentrate readily available out there that's not super expensive (wife is on a diet that restricts not from concentrate). The juice in them makes pretty decent cider as well, just seems to take forever to clear.

raining_turtles said:

I use them as my primarys and secondarys and have a ton since they are one of the only juices not from concentrate readily available out there that's not super expensive (wife is on a diet that restricts not from concentrate). The juice in them makes pretty decent cider as well, just seems to take forever to clear.

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Looks like a WF trip is in order then this weekend.