Small Batches-- Advice?

Hey Folks --

I am an extract brewer and for now will be staying that way due to space and time issues with all-grain. I hope to learn some grain brewing eventually but for the time being I am hoping to improve the quality of my extract brews. I am planning on switching from the generic bulk LME I have been using to DME for better freshness, and using only pale to control flavors and help me to learn about using specialty grains.

One of my thoughts was to go down to 3 gallon batches, for two reasons:
- brewing more often gives me more opportunities to improve my process, try new recipes, and experiment.
- a smaller batch would let me have a smaller boil which is easier to heat up and easier to cool down.

I have three questions --
1) Is there anything wrong with using the plastic primary fermenter I have been doing 5 gal batches in for my 3 gal primary? I am hoping to avoid accumulating extra stuff as I know I will be moving once I get my degree and there is no room in the car.
2) Any tips on getting strong fermentations? I typically use dry yeasts -- I have had good results with S-04 and mediocre results with US-05. Is it worth making a starter with dry yeast? I started rehydrating but noticed no change in results, I am thinking of going back to direct-pitch.
3) Can I just scale all my ingredients (hops and malts) down from 5 to 3 gallons proportionally, or is there some other way I should be doing that?

Never tried a three gallon batch, but I don't see why you couldn't do it. The headspace shouldn't be an issue in your bucket, and as long as you scale down all the ingredients I would say go for it.
I scaled down Ed Worts Apfelwein from five gallons to three to see if I would like it before I did a bigger batch. It seems to be going along nicely.

1. It'll be fine.

2. Your recipe, pitching rate, pitching temp, and/or yeast health (old/poorly stored vs new/properly stored) are probably to blame for the mixed results. Rehydrate - it's better. Don't make a starter with dry yeast - it's counterproductive.

3. Scale them proportionally.

use ur algebra skills to proportion them correct...and +1 on everything yuri said

You can double-check your recipe with an online recipe caluclator. Remember that a slight error in, say, your hop usage is magnified with a smaller batch.

Also, Austin Homebrew sells grains by the ounce, and I believe Midwest sells by the half pound and is cheaper. This can be helpful in avoiding leftovers. I have downscaled and used a recipe calculator to fine tune. You might brew, say, 3.5 gallons just to get the OG you want without having to waste half a bag of DME (or something like that).

TBH, rehydrating dry yeast is a bit of a sticky subject. If I recall correctly, Notty says, right on the package, to rehydrate. The Fermentis strains (US-05, S-04) actually say NOT to rehydrate. (I could have those reversed.) As to whether it makes a difference... um... ???

I pitch my US-05 dry, and have had pleasant results. I doubt rehydrating could HURT it. I pitch my Notty rehydrated, though, since the package sez to.

i've done half batches for my last three. as you said, it allows you to refine your techniques. it also allows for full boils, which i believes improves the final product. just keep in mind, you won't be able to do secondaries unless you have a 3 gallon carboy. in the primary, the CO2 layer will protect the beer from oxidation, but once you transfer to secondary the head space will be an issue.

I am going to start doing 2.5 - 3 gallon batches on the regular to refine technique more rapidly and to try more recipes. I plan on using my 5- gallon fermenter. Also I plan on doing small all grain batches in the future just so I am not working with 10lbs of grain all at once-not too mention the equipment issues/money for full all grain batches.

I do 2.5 gallon batches and I am enjoying it. Like you said, I can try more things, refine my skills, and it takes less space. I use a 3 gal carboy and an awesome plastic bucket that I got from a local donut bakery. It is a 3 gal bucket that held vanilla icing and it is perfect for a primary and I got another one to use as a bottling bucket.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks to all -- my 5 gal of red will be bottled as soon as I return to Montana from Cape Cod, and I plan to start a 3 gal batch of anchor porter clone ASAP. Maybe I will just avoid the whole dry pitch/rehydration question (as well as some cleaning time) by dropping the new wort directly onto the old yeast.

Good to know that working in smaller batches just requires some algebra skills. One of the things thats put me off is the amount of space required for bottling a couple brews at a time.

The best part of a small batch...you can cool 3 gallons of wort in NO TIME FLAT! The worst part...you'll undoubtedly make the best beer you've ever had, and only have 3 gallons of it.

If you are going to three gallon batches you can easily do all grain on the stovetop using a nylon bag. It's basically (at that point) just a big partial mash without any extract.

I'm going to do a 3 gal IPA (Broken Halo clone) as soon as my hops get here. I'm going to ferment it in a corny keg.

If you buy kits, you can just split them. Make half by the instructions & experiment with the other half.

david_42 said:

If you buy kits, you can just split them. Make half by the instructions & experiment with the other half.

Click to expand...

+1! Great way to experiment with different yeasts, or fermentation temps, or whatever variables you want to see how they actually effect your beer. Experimenting with 5gal leads to

elowe said:

If you are going to three gallon batches you can easily do all grain on the stovetop using a nylon bag. It's basically (at that point) just a big partial mash without any extract.

I'm going to do a 3 gal IPA (Broken Halo clone) as soon as my hops get here. I'm going to ferment it in a corny keg.

Click to expand...

so to sparge do just yank the bag out and set it in a strainer over the pot and run the water over it?

Right, but you don't even have to run water over it. It's "no-sparge" brewing.

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4650&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0/fa
Here is the original BIAB thread.

Basically, you heat the water to steeping temp, put your bag in, put your grains in, "mash" for your regular time, then lift the bag and let it drain for a little bit.

Well I went and brewed an anchor Porter clone that appears to be coming along nicely. The smaller boil volume (1.5 gal for the 3 gal batch) is very easy to control and takes a lot of the PITA out of brewing on my electric stovetop. From tasting my hydrometer sample I think I am in for a treat, though there was a bit of a harsh hop bite at the end of the taste. I will bottle tonight, confident that age will blend my flavors and result in excellent beer!

I strongly encourage any novice homebrewers wanting to simplify their brew days and experiment with recipes to consider the 1.5 gal boil / 3 gal batch method. I will brew another batch of the same porter, this time using a late extract addition to save money on hops and eventually using extra light DME as a base to make my beer easier to replicate and avoid the "twang" my LME beers sometimes display.

It may be wrong, but I put grains in the bag in "cold" water and just heat until I get to temp, hold temp, and yank bag before heating further to boil. I also use a 10-gallon pot and a "canning" element on an electric stove, but have stuck to specialty grains up to this point, with DME in the boil. Seems like I get more out of the grain with the longer soak, but could be imagination.

Uhhhh, as long as you like your beer I think you got it right. I noticed Wmstn has few vowels but otherwise is similar to a little town in western MA where I spent four years feeling guilty about not studying... if so, do me a favor and enjoy your fall (MT fall cannot compare, I don't care what these crazy people say). Go for a hike in the woods when the colors are out

I'll enjoy the fall colors for you, though I may not get too far into the woods - I suggest enjoying the under-appreciated time when all of your body parts work right, because when they stop working right, it's annoying, and it may not be so far in the future as you'd hope. Not to mention the simple joy of waking up without parts hurting - even longer ago than things actually not working.

Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative.

+1 to small batches letting yo do a full or near-full boil!

I did this and used all DME including a late extract addition. What a difference!

Saccharomyces said:

I'm going to do a 3 gal IPA (Broken Halo clone) as soon as my hops get here.

Click to expand...

Can you post that recipe? How did it turn out?

BH is my favorite gas station beer.

For the yeast, DO NOT FORGET TO AIRATE THE WORT BEFORE PRIMARY!

Once I started using this, I needed to switch to blow-off tubes because my 3 piece airlock kept clogging.


-May the Yeast be With You