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There is limited headspace in a 1 gallon jug so you will want a blowoff tube for the most vigorous early days of fermentation but unless your volume is high you usually won't lose beer through it.
 
We use 2 gallon buckets, which gives about 1.5 gallons of fermenting beer plenty of head space and my finished volume is always about a 12 pack. We tried many different fermenting vessels and sizes...this way seemed to give us exactly what we were looking for. Cheers!
 
I've been fermenting in a 1 1/3 gallon Heinz vinegar jug with a wine cork as a stopper. It's really not a smart setup, so today I was in Walmart and found something similar to this, but it holds about 5 1/2-6 quarts, so I'll be doing 1.25 gallon batches. It'll fit into my fridge so it lets me lager and has a spigot for bottling. Cost me 5 bucks. Any 1 gallon brewers should pick one or four of these up!
 
One other alternative for a fermenter while not as cheap are wine bottles. If you go to a nicer liqour store, ask them to order you an Imperial of a table wine. These bottles are very strong and they are about 1.6 gallons. While more expensive, what I like about them is they usually have punted bottoms (the center comes up like a mountain) which means the trub will settle down in the valley and its very easy to siphon.

PS- There are other sizes as well. Mordechai or Salmanazar sizes come out to 2.3 gallons. Heavy duty. You are probably better off searching them by their liter sizes...6 or 9 liters and getting them that way if you want.
 
What about those who are still extract brewing? How would you split the extract if it's based on a 5 gallon recipe. That stuff's pretty thick.

When I was brewing small batches, I was basically weighing what I poured out. In the end, the storage was the inconvenient part.

That's why I made the transition to all-grain pretty quickly. If I want to make recipes out of Brewing Basic Styles with extract, I'd end up with all kinds of leftover extract, which is sticky too. With all-grain I can go to my LHBS and buy exactly the amount of grain I need for a small batch recipe.

I don't get real exact with the sparging temperature, though. I just follow the Brooklyn Brew technique of just trying to keep the temperature close, but under 170, and stirring frequently, so it's not a typical all-grain technique.
 
What about those who are still extract brewing? How would you split the extract if it's based on a 5 gallon recipe. That stuff's pretty thick.

If you use DME then you don't have the problem of dealing with the wet sticky mess of LME. To scale down a 5 gallon batch, which is typically formulated for 6 gallons post boil, then you can scale it down by 1/4 to get you a 12 pack...which is about 1.25 gallons of finished beer (or 1/4 of a 5 gallon batch!). So to scale down a recipe if it calls for 1 oz of hops at 60 min, then you would just use 1/4 ounce or 7 grams. For yeast, you want to rehydrate about 1 teaspoon for anything around 1.060 OG in 1/4 cup sterilized water. This is a great way to experiment with ingredients or hone in recipes before you scale them up. Cheers and happy brewing!
 
Are there any places besides Brooklyn Brew Shop that sell 1 gallon ingredient kits?

I don't know of any place that does 1-gallon kits in the same way as BBS, but Brewmaster's Warehouse has a "recipe builder" that will probably let you put together a grain bill for a 1-gallon recipe.
 
When I first saw this thread my first thought was 'does anyone actually have anything against gallon batches?', then sure enough I quickly came across some good-intentioned bloke saying 'maybe It's time you upgraded to bigger batches' on a different thread.
It's a shame, because to me this attitude seems to deviate away from a hobby and towards a business!
I don't actually get through much booze at all in an average week (odd choice of hobby, I know) and for me 1 gallon batches are ideal for giving me something to do without needing to limit my brewing to three times a year just to stay on top of it !
 
We do! Well...actually they are 12 pack kits, which is a little over 1 gallon, but it's the same concept. Check us out: www.smallbatchhomebrew.com.

They look like really cool kits but why can't anyone release some lager kits? AHS, Brooklyn, or you guys don't make a single one. I'd love to try a lager kit for once instead of building one for myself. :)
 
bellmtbbq said:
They look like really cool kits but why can't anyone release some lager kits? AHS, Brooklyn, or you guys don't make a single one. I'd love to try a lager kit for once instead of building one for myself. :)

Their reason for doing ales only is stated in the mission statement on their homepage:

We have designed our 12-pack easy brew process to keep time, space, and cost to a minimum.

Lagers require both more time (lagering) and cost (dedicated refrigerator). Everyone has their own comfort zone...
 
Peppers16 said:
When I first saw this thread my first thought was 'does anyone actually have anything against gallon batches?', then sure enough I quickly came across some good-intentioned bloke saying 'maybe It's time you upgraded to bigger batches' on a different thread.
It's a shame, because to me this attitude seems to deviate away from a hobby and towards a business!
I don't actually get through much booze at all in an average week (odd choice of hobby, I know) and for me 1 gallon batches are ideal for giving me something to do without needing to limit my brewing to three times a year just to stay on top of it !

I switched to 5 gallon batches because my brew days are limited and 1 gallon at a time was leaving me frustrated.
 
When I first saw this thread my first thought was 'does anyone actually have anything against gallon batches?', then sure enough I quickly came across some good-intentioned bloke saying 'maybe It's time you upgraded to bigger batches' on a different thread.
It's a shame, because to me this attitude seems to deviate away from a hobby and towards a business!
I don't actually get through much booze at all in an average week (odd choice of hobby, I know) and for me 1 gallon batches are ideal for giving me something to do without needing to limit my brewing to three times a year just to stay on top of it !

Yeah, and other people say, "It's just as much work to do 1 gallon or 2.5 gallon batches as it is to make 5, so why don't you...." :rolleyes:

My answer is "If you think brewing is 'work" then maybe you shouldn't be brewing....Homebrewing is my HOBBY, it's one of the ways I RELAX....It is FUN....It doesn't matter if it's a 1 gallon batch, a 2.5 gallon batch, a 5 gallon, 10 or a 25 gallon, which I've done all of....I do it for fun....If it were work I wouldn't be doing it...."

Just ignore them....Small batch brewing has gotten more and more popular on this forum over the last few year. To the point where (an I disagree with it) that some even think it should have it's own subforum....
 
Its probably how someone could master a style as well, I mean if your were troubleshooting or tweaking a batch you wouldnt want to make large batches? Right? Its a good reason to make small batches, I would love to split a 5 gallon batch doing 5 differnet yeasts and 5 differnt dry hopps. Its also a quicker way to learn everything also,if you brew frequently. Temps,time,grains,water,hops, there are too many variables that make a beer what it is. Its going to take longer to brew 5 gallons and tweak or use variety with that same batch to brew it over and over freqently not to mention the expense it will cost. Only because I dont think that much beer is generally brewed that frequently on average.
 
I was looking at this thread earlier and it got me looking around at the different recipes. Right now i am not up to do an all grain brew. I am looking to see if any one has a good extract for a one gallon batch of stout. If anyone has any good ideas let me know thanks.
 
I don't actually get through much booze at all in an average week (odd choice of hobby, I know)

I just wanted to comment on this and say I don't drink a lot of alcohol either but I really enjoy the taste of beer, so smaller batches works really well for me for those reasons, too.
 
Yeah, and other people say, "It's just as much work to do 1 gallon or 2.5 gallon batches as it is to make 5, so why don't you...." :rolleyes:

My answer is "If you think brewing is 'work" then maybe you shouldn't be brewing....Homebrewing is my HOBBY, it's one of the ways I RELAX....It is FUN....It doesn't matter if it's a 1 gallon batch, a 2.5 gallon batch, a 5 gallon, 10 or a 25 gallon, which I've done all of....I do it for fun....If it were work I wouldn't be doing it...."

Just ignore them....Small batch brewing has gotten more and more popular on this forum over the last few year. To the point where (an I disagree with it) that some even think it should have it's own subforum....

A friend of mine who has a LOT more time to devote to this hobby and is sticking with small batches has also pointed out that if he screws up a batch, that's just 7 grolsch bottles, and he can drink it and console himself that at least it's not coors.

But 5 gallons of sub-par beer is a tragedy.

Oh, and i agree that sequestering small batches into their own little free speech zone is silly.
 
Their reason for doing ales only is stated in the mission statement on their homepage:

We have designed our 12-pack easy brew process to keep time, space, and cost to a minimum.

Lagers require both more time (lagering) and cost (dedicated refrigerator). Everyone has their own comfort zone...


I have to somewhat disagree about cost. There may be other reasons for cost, but I don't think a fridge would be one of them. A one gallon fermenting jug should take up no more room than a one gallon growler. If anything, I would think a cheap mini fridge big enough to hold a 6.5 gallon carboy would have more appeal to the small batch brewer as he can lager more than one style of beer at the same time.


It's kind of a shame there's no 1 gallon cornies out there, along with one gallon extract kits, etc. Since I'm the lone drinker in my house, I would rather have 5 taps of one gallon brews available as opposed to a single tap for a favorite 5 gallon batch.

A compromise I've thought about is going the "half & half" route. Splitting a 5 gallon batch to a 2.5 gallon keg and bottle the rest. I don't have to worry about so much beer on tap going stale since the kegs would be smaller and the extra beer would be just aging in bottles. The downside is the cost of 2.5 gallon cornies and since I took advantage of buying up some used 5 gallon cornies, well that thought is moot.
 
I've been brewing with a close friend for a little under a year now. We usually do 5 gallon batches and split them but this past weekend he was out of town. We hadn't brewed since April and I was itchin' to brew. We always borrow a pot from his restaurant to do the 5 gallon batches so I couldn't get it. I went over to my Aunt's place and saw she had a 3 gallon pot that she never uses. I borrowed it from her and did a 2.5 gallon batch of some pumpkin honey porter. I am amazed at how much easier it is to do 2.5 gallon batches. I was able to do everything I needed to in my house, on my stove, and ice bathed in the sink. Getting the boil was quick on my halogen stove and clean up was a breeze. I can still use all my current equipment and the ingredients are obviously half the price. As stated on here previously I also dig the fact I can have a wide selection of brews to choose from once I get my pipeline going again. I'm half tempted to brew 1 2.5 gallon batch when my friend isn't around and do 2 2.5 batches when he is around. If something comes out really well we can always brew it up with a 5 gallon batch.
I was intending on doing a 1 gallon batch this past weekend but decided to do a 2.5 gallon brew instead. I'm still thinking about doing something really special in a 1 gallon batch though. Maybe a barely wine that I age for a year. The sky is the limit! All I know is I'm really into this small batch idea atm!
 
They look like really cool kits but why can't anyone release some lager kits? AHS, Brooklyn, or you guys don't make a single one. I'd love to try a lager kit for once instead of building one for myself. :)

The only reason we have not done any lagers is most people would not have a dedicated mini fridge to maintain proper lagering temperatures. Standard fridge temperatures are a little too cold (at around 40 deg F) to maintain healthy fermentation. That being said, it has become apparent that there are several folks that have been requesting lagers, so we intend to release some within the next several months and see how they sell. Let us know your favorite styles or something you would like to see. Cheers!
 
gwdraper4 said:
The only reason we have not done any lagers is most people would not have a dedicated mini fridge to maintain proper lagering temperatures. Standard fridge temperatures are a little too cold (at around 40 deg F) to maintain healthy fermentation. That being said, it has become apparent that there are several folks that have been requesting lagers, so we intend to release some within the next several months and see how they sell. Let us know your favorite styles or something you would like to see. Cheers!

Sounds awesome! I would be a buyer. People could always just use a cooler, I can maintain 51 F easy with frozen water bottles. I think a Lite American, cheap to produce on your end, would be popular, and quick to lager. I'd personally love to see a Bohemian pilsner. Buy a lot of w-34/70 and split the packets in half for each gallon kit, IMO.
 
How do you guys measure out your hops for a one gallon batch? Divide the hops amount by 5 when scaling down a 5 gallon recipe? Can you find scales that measure that small?

I'm super curious since I'm thinking of doing some gallon brews myself.
 
How do you guys measure out your hops for a one gallon batch? Divide the hops amount by 5 when scaling down a 5 gallon recipe? Can you find scales that measure that small?

I'm super curious since I'm thinking of doing some gallon brews myself.

Dividing by 5 will get you close enough. My scale measures a tenth of a gram and was pretty cheap - $11 shipped if I remember right.
 
Do you use beersmith? I use that to figure out hop weights by changing the AA of the hop I am using in beersmith to match the pack I have on hand. Then I look at what IBU I want at a certain boil time and adjust the amount till I get the right IBU for that addition. Also changed my hop weight units to grams in beersmith. I mainly use pellets so I can readily use my reloading scale. I convert grams to grains (measurement unit for weighing smokeless propellant) and press on with business. I am sure some folks have made recipes by just cutting the hop additions in fifths but what if your current batch of hops has a different AA than last time you purchased the same hop? Won't be the same if you just cut the amount in fifths. But like mentioned above it could be close enough...
 
Yeah, you need a gram scale to measure hops for most 1 gallon recipes. And you'll find that you keep a lot of extra hops in the freezer.

The scale need not be expensive. Ironically the problem is finding a 1/10th gram scale that doesn't look like drug paraphernalia. I spent $25 getting one that looks like lab equipment. Just because.

I recommend learning about hop substitutions and aau/ibu math. Also using brewing software - brewtarget will do all the math for you, just plug in the 5 gallon recipe and ask it to scale it for you.

It'll also do the hop math, but what you need to look out for is most recipes tell you how much of some hop at a given AAU, but they don't tell you how many IBUs they are adding with that addition. If you plug the hops into brewtarget and add the AAU from the recipe it will tell you how many IBUs are being added at each step, and you can then figure out how much hops to use based on the IBU target rather than an arbitrary quantity and time.

Oh, and you can use any hop as a 60 minute bittering hop. the flavor and aroma boils off anyway.
 
How do you guys measure out your hops for a one gallon batch? Divide the hops amount by 5 when scaling down a 5 gallon recipe? Can you find scales that measure that small?

I'm super curious since I'm thinking of doing some gallon brews myself.

gram scales off ebay or amazon
its always good to be precise
 
How do you guys measure out your hops for a one gallon batch? Divide the hops amount by 5 when scaling down a 5 gallon recipe? Can you find scales that measure that small?

I'm super curious since I'm thinking of doing some gallon brews myself.

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-pocket-scale-93543.html

this is the scale I use. we have a store nearby so was easy to get. is close in accuracy. if you check the reviews it is +/- 0.1gm so a variance of .2gm
 
Man, I wished I had seen this before I bought my starter kit.

Northern Brewer 1 Gallon Small Batch Starter Kit


The only downer is the limited supply of 1 gallon recipe kits compared to 5 gallon extract/allgrain kits. If one wanted to move on to bigger batches, it looks like you wouldn't have to add much (ferment buckets, etc.). Looks like a good starter for the compete noob as they wouldn't have to sink a lot of upfront cost in brewing equipment.
 
Man, I wished I had seen this before I bought my starter kit.

Northern Brewer 1 Gallon Small Batch Starter Kit


The only downer is the limited supply of 1 gallon recipe kits compared to 5 gallon extract/allgrain kits. If one wanted to move on to bigger batches, it looks like you wouldn't have to add much (ferment buckets, etc.). Looks like a good starter for the compete noob as they wouldn't have to sink a lot of upfront cost in brewing equipment.

We've got a wider selection of small batch kits and we plan on adding a few more over the next couple weeks. Check us out: www.smallbatchhomebrew.com
 
What's everyone using for there carboy, fermentor/secondary?
I'm thinking I'll use the same 1 gallon water bottles I do for mead (with a blow off tube)
 
What's everyone using for there carboy, fermentor/secondary?
I'm thinking I'll use the same 1 gallon water bottles I do for mead (with a blow off tube)

The one gallon carbons are great, I use the 38mm screw tops which fit amazing and I prefer them to bungs
 
I learned to brew with this beautiful book:

http://beercraftbook.com/book/

Look at this! The hops/malt guides alone are worth the price of the book.
insidespread9.jpg


It has great info, and great illustrations. It's also oriented around 1 gallon all grain. The thing that's interesting about 1 gallon all grain is that it removes pretty much every process complication that good all grain brewing typically introduces. It's more like a casual cooking experience than a macho brew day operation.

- zero need for yeast starters
- BIAB mashing is basically equivalent to steeping grains (you can even hold temp in an oven)
- Getting a rolling boil on a stovetop is trivial
- Ice bath chilling is actually effective
- Whirlpooling and aerating can be replaced by pouring through a strainer on the way to the fermenter
- Ferment in any old 1 gallon jug
- Temperature controling your fermenter is easier
- Bottling day goes fast!

Equipment costs go way down, ingredient costs go way down, and you still get great beer.

I do 5 gallon batches because I don't get to brew often and want enough beer, but I totally see the appeal of 1 gallon batches.
 
So all that time for one night of drinking?

We do "pints and there would only be eight beers.

I mean last night I had two friends over. we had 6 pints of beer and only because one guy had a BUSH when we started.

I upgraded to 11 gallon batches because 5 was not enough..

I have even tied doing two batches at the same time (All-Grain)... the time difference is not that great you are just busy.

I mean I don't look down on you I just think it would be a waste of time and effort. Of course you explaned yourself well so if it works for you fine, it just would not work for me...
 
So all that time for one night of drinking?

We do "pints and there would only be eight beers.

I mean last night I had two friends over. we had 6 pints of beer and only because one guy had a BUSH when we started.

I upgraded to 11 gallon batches because 5 was not enough..

I have even tied doing two batches at the same time (All-Grain)... the time difference is not that great you are just busy.

I mean I don't look down on you I just think it would be a waste of time and effort. Of course you explaned yourself well so if it works for you fine, it just would not work for me...


So you just HAVE to share your wisdom or opinion about this in a thread where people clearly are ENJOYING brewing one gallon batches, and talking about it?

Does the thread title say "What's your OPINION about one gallon batches?" Or is the theme of the tread, people who are INTERESTED in and non-judgmental about it to get together?

How would you like it if one of us came in and peed in your living room....Does pissing in a thread like this make you feel somehow SPECIAL?

Do you think anyone really CARES whether or not you want to make 1 gallon batches or not? Are we suddenly going to bow down to your whims and wishes and make bigger batches?

What if anything constructive is you posting here contributing to this discussion? I dunno but it sounds pretty judgmental to me....
 
I just recently purchased a few 1 gallon jugs along with a 3 gallon carboy. I was going to use those for secondarying (is that a word?) a 5 gallon batch and experimenting with dry hops and oaking and all that. But now I may just start using those 1 gallon carboys for some small batches during the winter when I really dont feel like sitting outside here in Chicago come January. I already BIAB so I could see this being a lot of fun. I love brew days, so I wouldn't consider making a small batch to be a waste. But rather a safe way of experimenting and if the beer does come out undrinkable then you are only dumping a gallon and not 5.
 
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