3/4 gallon experiments?

I just got a 3 liter (3/4 gallon) glass jug and want to ferment some experimental batches in it, any ideas? Also how much yeast should I use for something that size? I might start using it to formulate some of my own recipes without blowing too much money if its a dud. Do smaller batches ferment faster?

I brewed some apfelwein in a 1 gallon and a 3/4 gallon jug. I just split a yeast packet between them... worked fine. Mine took a #7 bung.

But really.. look at ciders and meads, alot of people do 1 gallon batches of those.

Smaller batches do not seem to ferment any faster, though they may clear out faster.

how long would a cider take?

So I think I have something I want to experiment with, it sounds ridiculous, but how about a chocolate wheat?!?

1 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 80.00 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.13 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 16.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Manchester (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Rhymenoceros said:

So I think I have something I want to experiment with, it sounds ridiculous, but how about a chocolate wheat?!?

1 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 80.00 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.13 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 16.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Manchester (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Click to expand...

That sounds like it would be good, go for it.

I plan on doing several of these, as have the guys at basic brewing. IDK how much yeast to use first hand, but I have been advised to make a starter and use like half of it and save the rest. The fun part is you can try lot's of recipes with little cost and little consequence if it goes bad.

I going to go for it, but I wonder if I should have the caramel malt or not. Also I don't know much about hops, would those be good, or any suggestions? Same with yeast, I think I'm going to get some yeast make a starter and use like a fourth of it.

I actually just made up a recipe for a choco-wheat because it sounds interesting, I won't post it yet because I'd like to do a little more research before I go suggesting things but I figure this would best fit in to the Dunkleweizen (15B) category based on the BJCP description. I figure make a regular dunkle with a little chocolate malt, though it would be out of place for the style the beauty of such a small batch is that if it tastes bad no biggy plus not every brew has to fit neat and clean into the guidelines.

So I settled on a final recipe, the guy at the store said it sounded like a chocolate covered banana:

1 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 80.00 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.10 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 13.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Hefeweizen IV Ale (White Labs #WLP380) Yeast-Wheat

I made a 2 quart starter and am only going to pitch 1/5 to 1/4 of it. Should I add some coco powder?

I am in the same boat as you are.

Lots of different ideas, not lots of money.

The only thing I worry about, is that with such a small batch,
it seems there would be a lot of head space in an ale pale.
Do you plan on just leaving it in your small jug until bottling?

Yeah, thats the plan let it do its thing in the jug and in a few weeks bottle. Should be a tasty 6 pack.

While this idea is intriguing, once you found something you wanted to make in bulk wouldn't it be sorta difficult to step up the size?
I'm assuming it wouldn't be a case of simply multiplying all the ingredients by N since don't you get different efficiency rates due to quantities? Seems like you'd be back to square one trying to determine the exact correct amounts of hops-to-malts-to-grains-to-yeast.

I'm still learning the trade though.... am I just uninformed?

Its an extract, so I'm not worrying about efficiency.

zippyslug31 said:

While this idea is intriguing, once you found something you wanted to make in bulk wouldn't it be sorta difficult to step up the size?
I'm assuming it wouldn't be a case of simply multiplying all the ingredients by N since don't you get different efficiency rates due to quantities? Seems like you'd be back to square one trying to determine the exact correct amounts of hops-to-malts-to-grains-to-yeast.

I'm still learning the trade though.... am I just uninformed?

Click to expand...

Mash efficiency shouldn't be effected too much if at all by the amount of grains your using. If you mean hops utilization, again it will be very close. Programs like beersmith will scale your recipes for you. In some cases it's not just a matter of multiplying by N but usually the adjustments are minor.

I just brewed it up. No coco powder, maybe next batch, I'll let you know how it turns out.

So I just tasted this bad boy... the best way I can think of describing it is a clovey banana shake... "beer". The reason I put beer in quotations is it really didn't taste like beer. The clove and banana flavors were very prominent with this yeast. I would double the hops next time, or use something with more aa. Still, it was satisfying.

I was thinking about doing the same sort of thing for my next batch, and I ran across a couple places that had this.

Chocolate Wheat Malt 1 lb

Also, I saw another chocolate wheat malt in the Norther Brewer catalog.

Good luck!

I figured bumping this thread would be better than starting a new one.......

What are people's experiences with Chocolate Wheat malt?

I want to make a Dunkelweizen, but with a pronounced chocolate flavor.

I've never used it, so I couldn't tell you, but based on the experience with this beer, careful with the yeast.

I just got a bunch of 1 gallon jugs from Carlo Rossi bottles.

I just use beersmith to cut the ingredients down from 5.00 to 0.75 gallons. I just use 1/4 of the yeast. If you do a 16oz yeast starter use a measuring cup and do 4 oz at a time. Now you risk contamination, but who cares.. its only 1 gallon.

Rhymenoceros said:

So I think I have something I want to experiment with, it sounds ridiculous, but how about a chocolate wheat?!?

1 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 80.00 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.13 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 16.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Manchester (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Click to expand...

btw, I think that would just be a very strong Dunkel. Ive done one before.. pretty strong. The Chocolate malt will over power everything.