Small Batch/Experimental Brewing Equipment

At the outset let me just state that I have done more searches than I care to recall looking for this information, but I haven't found everthing I am looking for.

I currently brew 10 gallon batches, which are then kegged in cornies. It has been along time since I brewed on my stove, but I would like to be able to do small batches of experimental brews. I am thinking of 2.5 gallons, and probably splitting the wort in order to try different yeast and hop combinations.

My main questions revolve around fermenting and serving/storing these little concoctions. I have plenty of pots the right size for boiling, and will use a converted 5 gallon cooler as a MLT. I am just not sure what I want to use for fermenting. The smallest carboy I can find is 3 gallons, which is a little big. I thought about using 1/2 gallon growlers but these are probably a bit small. I know that there are plenty of people on this site that do small batches, what are they/you using as a primary and secondary.

When it comes to storing/serving I don't want to bottle. Bottling sucks and even bottling just 2 1/2 gallons is more than I want to do. I was thinking of using 1.25 gallon mini kegs. While not ideal they seem like they might be perfect for this situation. A 2.5 gallon batch splits perfectly between the two mini kegs and they are nice and portable to take over to a friends house for tastings. I am not to worried about the cost or longevity of the mini kegs (which are the usual draw backs), since I will still primarily brew 10 gallon batches sent into 5 gallon corny kegs.

Any thoughts or inputs on your experiences brewing at this scale would be appreciated.


Matt

Carlo Rossi wine jugs for primary/secondary. They hold a little over 1 gallon to the neck. This is what I use to ferment.

For serving... I think the 5l mini kegs are your best bet if you do not want to bottle.

Its goofy but i make test batches and store them in 1 & 2 Liter pop bottles. Works Great. Just get some gourmets and drill out the cap, and plug your air lock on there. 2.5 gal would get you 5 - 2 liters to play with. just be careful and dont squeeze the bottles too hard, else you'll have a mess.

I have a used Mr. Beer kit that I use for doing this kind of thing. It's the perfect size for experimental batches IMO.

cyberbackpacker said:

Carlo Rossi wine jugs for primary/secondary. They hold a little over 1 gallon to the neck. This is what I use to ferment.

For serving... I think the 5l mini kegs are your best bet if you do not want to bottle.

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SWMBO asked me to stop and pick her up a bottle of wine when I took the dog for a walk so I was able to check out the Carlo Rossi wine jugs. Not bad at $12 a pop, just wish they where a bit bigger.

meschaefer said:

SWMBO asked me to stop and pick her up a bottle of wine when I took the dog for a walk so I was able to check out the Carlo Rossi wine jugs. Not bad at $12 a pop, just wish they where a bit bigger.

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If you like (or for that matter can even tolerate drinking) rossi wine, 12 bucks might be "not bad"... my money is on glass gallons of apple juice instead. Between $6 and $8, good plain, and quite tasty fermented.

MacBruver said:

If you like (or for that matter can even tolerate drinking) rossi wine, 12 bucks might be "not bad"... my money is on glass gallons of apple juice instead. Between $6 and $8, good plain, and quite tasty fermented.

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D@mnit. Genius, I wish I had saw that before torturing myself with 4 gallons of Rossi......

1.25 gal mini kegs would work for serving although I would use the Tecate quart bottles. You could bottle five quarts of each experiment and try drinking at different points in time to test aging.
(Bottling ten bottles doesn't suck that bad)

I've recently done a couple of experimental batches, and I'm currently fermenting them in 5 litre water bottles from the supermarket - according to google, that's about 1 and a third US gallons, and is just right for me. Dave Line suggests polypins if you want to avoid bottling, but I'm not sure you'll find one small enough. Personally I'm going to be bottling mine, but maybe that's just so that I have an excuse to collect some bottles

I've done a few 1-gallon batches when I had extra ingredients sitting about, wanted to experiment or just didn't have the time for a full 5-gallon batch. I use these 1-gallon glass jugs: 1 Gallon Glass Jug - Midwest Supply.

A #6 drilled bung fits it perfectly. Only $4.25 a pop.

MacBruver said:

If you like (or for that matter can even tolerate drinking) rossi wine, 12 bucks might be "not bad"... my money is on glass gallons of apple juice instead. Between $6 and $8, good plain, and quite tasty fermented.

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I have taken a walk through a supermarket as well as a farmers market and haven't been able to find anything else in the gallon or better size, the largest glass container I can find with juice in it is 1/2 gallon. I have also searched online and in various 99 cent and overstock type stores for anything that might be converted for my use, but no luck.

I am thinking that I might just need to pick up some 3 gallon carboys. While probably the most expensive solution, I am really aiming to be able to have 1.25 gallons of finished product. The problem with 1 gallon size carboys is that after you leave head space and have loss due to trub, how much are you really left with at the end.

I am going to give the mini kegs a try. I have arranged to pick up some second hand that will cut down on the start up cost, and any potential loss if they don't work out. At the very least they will be convenient to take with me to a camp site at the end of the summer, were a 5 gallon corny would be impracticable and i wouldn't want to take up the space in my car with bottles.

I would like to do some very heavy beers that will need to sit (i.e barley wines). Those I figure can be split up between a few champagne bottles and be stored with the ability to take one out for a try periodically to track the development of the flavor characteristics.

meschaefer said:

While probably the most expensive solution, I am really aiming to be able to have 1.25 gallons of finished product. The problem with 1 gallon size carboys is that after you leave head space and have loss due to trub, how much are you really left with at the end.

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Very true. I do a 1.25 gallon boil, end up with a gallon in the jug and definitely lose some along the way. I finish with about .75 gallon by the time I bottle.

Midwest sells 2gal fermenter buckets.

novafire said:

Midwest sells 2gal fermenter buckets.

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You can probably find something similar at a hardware store too. I know they carry the 3gal ones around here at all of them.

novafire said:

Midwest sells 2gal fermenter buckets.

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I don't know how I missed those, I probably skipped over them looking for glass without thinking about it. At $5 a piece they might just be the way to go. For the price of one three gallon glass carboy, I can pick up 4 of them to use as 2 primaries and 2 secondaries.

smellysell said:

You can probably find something similar at a hardware store too. I know they carry the 3gal ones around here at all of them.

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I looked at the buckets at HomeDepot. Found them in the paint department. Perfect size. However, there was no indication that they were "food safe plastic". I found some older threads online that they were food safe and it was noted on the manufacturers website. I couldn't verify that, so they may have changed. Some people don't care if they are FDA approved. I decided that I do. That was a deal breaker for me.

Uline.com sells FDA approved buckets in various sizes (1-7 gallons). I compared prices to Midwest Supplies and it turns out to be about the same after you add lids and grommets.

+1 on apple juice jugs. I found mine at Fresh Market. You could also try Trader Joes or Whole Foods if you live near either of those. Otherwise, any organic/health food store is a good place to check.

The Carlo Rossi bottles are nice since they are 4L. That will give you some extra head room for a 1G batch.

I just made the 6 Pack IPA from Basic Brewing. After the boil, I ended up with a bit more than 3/4 a gallon. The remaining head room was not enough and I woke up to a little mess

I see a 3 gallon carboy in your future. For what... I don't know, but you'll find a use for it in your experiments.

kevin9167 said:

I see a 3 gallon carboy in your future. For what... I don't know, but you'll find a use for it in your experiments.

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I see a 3 gallon carboy (or two or three or four) in my future too, and like you I am not sure for what. The 2 gallon buckets sound like a good place to start. It will allow me to get started for fairly inexpensively untill I figure out what it is I really need, or untill I find something better.

Actually, my 5 litre bottles are plastic, not glass. Just make sure the plastic's food safe, and you should be good to go (mine are type 1, I believe (but am not certain) that type 2 is fine as well).

novafire said:

Midwest sells 2gal fermenter buckets.

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The 2.5 gallon buckets are great for experimenting. good for makin 2 gal test batches. Primary in the bucket and secondary in half gallon growlers with #6 bung cheap easy and perfect for tests.