What are the Volume Increments in Homebrewing

Meaning batch size increments and the needed tools, concepts and understandings of each discipline if and when it changes. ie 5 gal - 10 gal extract vs 5-10 gal AG batches whats next 25 - 50 gal? whats needed and what is the most prudent way to produce a bit greater than 5 gal batches. My family members are enjoying my brew thouroughly and are now asking what the next step is to brewing more volume consistantly. Elders? Big brew masters?

I have not made any larger batches than 5 gallon.
But I have been thinking about 15 gallon batches using a demijohn. They are pretty cheap too... Like $45 for a glass one with the basket.

What I have been doing is I made 2 batches at a time. I like to experiment so if a batch comes out kinda bleh I'd rather only have to drink 5 gallons then 15

Very few homebrewers go past 15 gallons. The ones I know that do 10 or 15 gallon batches generally use multiple 6.5 gallon carboys. Anything bigger than that and you can't move them around easily. Personally, I stick with 5 gallon batches because I like making different ales.

Once you cross the 20 gallon line, you are talking dedicated brewery space and lots of cash. A 27 gallon conical fermenter is $900. Full (20 gal.) we are talking 210 pounds. This large a batch will cook itself unless you have a cooling system, which is not part of the base price.

I am capable of brewing 100 gal but seldom do as you are talking $ in the grain bill alone. I typicaly brew 40-60 gal I have a 55 gal and 2- 30 gal Conicals I can boil 110 gal watching for the dreded boilover. The mash tun will hold 4 bags of grain 55 lbs per bag. I use a counter flow wort chillers and pumps. Most of the Brew system A friend and I built. We welding and colecting stuf from the junk yards and milk dairys. We have put it togather over the las couple years and are still inproving things our next project is a better mash tun. We have to cool the fermenting wort with a cooler in the summer time due to the heat it generates. Cleaning stuf becomes a pain in the rear and expensive. It is has been a fun project and i think we have spent $2000 that includes the Tig welder. We have about 50 5gal kegs that seam to disapear.
Our rule is no new beer without the returnrd keg. I is amazing how your family will come up with new/found/bought kegs just to get a refill.

This is one of those issues that can be talked black or white. I like equipment as much as brewing and so the system is half the fun. In my case the system is never finished and has been growing and evolving over the years. It has been bigger then it is now and smaller. My largest home kettle was 150 gallons. My smallest was 5 gallons. Currently I do 20 gallon batches which is based on my fermenter size). I think Keggles are the best bet at 15.5.

I like larger sized equipment for a couple reasons. I don't get to brew as often as I would like and so bigger is nice. I figure my time is more valuable then the beer, so if I make too much I just pass it along to others. My kettle is 40 gallons and that is great for brewing with friends which is also nice. It also allows me to brew strong beers, decoct and other fun things like that.

Personally, I like my 20 gallon batch size and the ability to brew as strong a beer as I want at that quantity.