Smaller Batch Size When Going To All Grain

I did my first partial mash on my last batch and I want to convert to an all grain setup.

My equipment is as follows: 5 Gallon Brew Pot, 3 Gallon Brew pot, 2 6 Gallon Glass Carboys, 1 Keg Fridge with temperature controller used to ferment and keg.

I usually only make one 5 gallon batch at a time since I ferment in my fridge, and then keg. I don't have any way to control temps if I a beer on tap at 40 degrees in my keg fridge. Thus I just stick to one at a time with long lag times in between.

Going all grain I want to experiment a bit and I'd like to make smaller batches more often and overlap them

For instance--I want to brew a 2.5 gallon Pale Ale, let it ferment for two weeks, then brew a 2.5 Gallon Hef. Let the Hef ferment for 10 days then keg it. Meanwhile, the Pale Ale has been in the primary for 24 days and can then be bulk aged at 40 degrees while I drink my Hefeweizen. I figure I can get through 2.5 gallons in about 3-4 weeks. So when I'm done with the Hef I'll have a nice aged Pale I can drink! Make sense?

I also feel like doing 2.5 gallon batches will allow me to experiment more (brew more beers more quickly) with all grain, perfect recipes, and save money on learning to do all grain.

I should note that I plan on buying a 10 gallon Igloo cooler and converting it to an MLT.

So I have a few questions here.

1) Does anyone do 2.5 gallon all grain batches? Is it a pain in the ass? Do I do anything different?

2) Since I'm only doing 2.5 gallon batches, will one package of Wyeast 125ml liquid yeast be sufficient without a starter for most beers? Even bigger beers?

3) My LHBS only sells hops in 2 oz packages. Obviously I'm not going to need 2 oz. of hops in a 2.5 gallon batch for most beers. How long can I store hops and what're the proper procedures for doing so?

4) Is a 10 Gallon MLT too big to do a 2.5 gallon batch? If so, will a 5 gallon cooler be big enough to mash/lauter 5 gallon batches later?

5) Can I ferment or secondary my 2.5 gallon batches in my 6 gallon carboys or will the headspace be bad for them?

Thank you all!
6) Does anyoned k

There is a ton of small batch threads on here, including those in the similar thread box below.

You can brew any sized batch you want. I do a lot of 2.5 gallon recipe test batches. You can even do 1 gallon AG brews. The basic brewing guys call that the six pack brew.

A recipe is scalable, so a 1 gallon recipe is 1/5th of a 5 gallon one....a 2.5 gallon one is half the ingredients.

2.5 gallons is one case of beer.

I use my normal 5 gallon mash tun for most of them, but I do a lot of Experiments, test recipes, or beers that I know I won't need/want more than a case of.

I sometimes use an unmodified 2 gallon cooler for a lot of my small btaches it holds up to 4 pounds of grain.

I just us a folding steamer in the bottom along with a grain bag. Just break off or unscrew the center post.



One of these, it helps to lift the grain bag above the spigot to keep the drainig from getting stuck.







I posted a lot of info in the mr beer thread that you may find helpful.

I posted some all grain small batchrecipes here, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/785533-post702.html

ANd a bit of a primer on AG with pics here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/738927-post659.html

But I mostly use my regular 5 gallon cooler mash tun which holds 14 pounds of grains...and 14 pounds of grain for a 2.5 gallon batch can be a mighty big beer.....


One of our memebers chubbykid had plans for a minikeg mashtun http://sites.google.com/site/chubbykidhomebrew/Home/equipment/mini-keg-lauter-tun



THe basic brewing radio guys are big fans of tiny batch brewing...3/4 gallon (1 6pack) in a 1 gallon winejug fermenter.

They demo the 6-pack IPA here

[ame]http://en.sevenload.com/shows/Basic-Brewing/episodes/PERGFAJ-01-12-06-Basic-Brewing-Video-A-Six-Pack-of-IPA[/ame]

and they also have done barleywines as well.

I ferment my 2.5 gallon batches in all manner of things, I have a 3 gallon better bottle, I also use 3 gallon water jugs, AND my old Mr Beer keg (it's perfect because you can even lager in your own fridge with it when you are starting out.)

You can even ferment a 2.5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy if you want, though I would say a 6.5 gallon carboy is a little too much headspace for my confort.

Hope this helps....any more questions feel free to ask...

Oh, and you don't have to do anything with hops in terms of hop utilization, except scale it in the same proportion, as you do your grain. Nothing else.

Answers to the rest below.

Ben_Persitz said:

So I have a few questions here.

1) Does anyone do 2.5 gallon all grain batches? Is it a pain in the ass? Do I do anything different? See Previous post of mine.

2) Since I'm only doing 2.5 gallon batches, will one package of Wyeast 125ml liquid yeast be sufficient without a starter for most beers? Even bigger beers?For the most part, yes one tube will be more than enough for most beers.

3) My LHBS only sells hops in 2 oz packages. Obviously I'm not going to need 2 oz. of hops in a 2.5 gallon batch for most beers. How long can I store hops and what're the proper procedures for doing so? You can seal them up and store them in your freezer. I use a tupperwear container to store mine. You can get away with storing them for a couple months. Longer if you had a seal a meal.

4) Is a 10 Gallon MLT too big to do a 2.5 gallon batch? If so, will a 5 gallon cooler be big enough to mash/lauter 5 gallon batches later?My 5 gallon has worked for me for both 2.5 and 5 gallon batches. For a 5 gallon that is 14 pounds of grain, which is an average grav beer, and for a 2.5 gallon it's a huge beer.

5) Can I ferment or secondary my 2.5 gallon batches in my 6 gallon carboys or will the headspace be bad for them? I wouldn't feel comfortabel with using anything larger than a 5 gallon for my small batch fermentations. I use a bunch of 3 gallon water jugs, a three gallon better bottle, and even my old mr beer fermenter which is perfect even to lager in.

Click to expand...

Revvy, you kick ass man. Thanks! So you just store your hops in a tupperware container? I could get a food processor but that seems like overkill for storing hops.

I'm considering putting them in a ziploc baggy, getting the air out as much as possible, then storing the bags in the freezer in a mason jar to keep out smells.

I'm thinking about buying this: http://baderbrewing.com/store/product.php?productid=23122&cat=341&page=1

It's only 70 dollars. A 10 gallon cooler is gonna cost me about 50 bucks, all the parts to convert it probably at least 15-25 bucks. But that time it's the same cost with way less work!

Edit: Then again I could just buy a 5 gallon cooler instead of a 10 gallon ;-)

+1 to revvy
here is my small test batch AG set up 2 gallon cooler MLT with a 14 dollar SS 2 gallon pot from king soopers

Ben_Persitz said:

So I have a few questions here.

1) Does anyone do 2.5 gallon all grain batches? Is it a pain in the ass? Do I do anything different?

2) Since I'm only doing 2.5 gallon batches, will one package of Wyeast 125ml liquid yeast be sufficient without a starter for most beers? Even bigger beers?

3) My LHBS only sells hops in 2 oz packages. Obviously I'm not going to need 2 oz. of hops in a 2.5 gallon batch for most beers. How long can I store hops and what're the proper procedures for doing so?

4) Is a 10 Gallon MLT too big to do a 2.5 gallon batch? If so, will a 5 gallon cooler be big enough to mash/lauter 5 gallon batches later?

5) Can I ferment or secondary my 2.5 gallon batches in my 6 gallon carboys or will the headspace be bad for them?

Click to expand...

1. I do 3 gallon batches I make from scratch. 2.5 gallons would be an easy way to break a 5 gallon batch in half...

2. I always make a starter for anything over 1 gallon. My one gallon batches get yeast direct from a mason jar of washed yeast (which overpitches) but I usually make a .5-1L starter for 3 gallons, depending on how big the beer is.

3. I actually buy in bulk and keep them in ziploc bags in the freezer. Ideally freezing them in vacuum sealed bags would be best but I don't have a vacuum sealer.

4. 5 gallon MLT should be enough even for most 5 gallon batches. I have a 10 gallon MLT, which can be a problem because you have a lot of deadspace and it's hard to keep temperatures consistent over long periods of time.

5. It will be undesirable for long term storage but ok for primary fermentation.

you could also just mash in your 5 gal. kettle.

check out this thread

always better to try before you buy. I can attest, this method works great.

happy brewing.

ReverseApacheMaster said:

3. I actually buy in bulk and keep them in ziploc bags in the freezer. Ideally freezing them in vacuum sealed bags would be best but I don't have a vacuum sealer.

Click to expand...

ziploc hand pump on amazon (or still available in some stores)-- buy the starter kit and a bunch of gallon vacuum bags. Then, just put your hops (in 1 or 2 oz increments) into small sandwich bags, put the sandwich bags in the big gallon vacuum bag, suck out the air.. place in freezer.

works like a charm.

HItransplant said:

ziploc hand pump on amazon (or still available in some stores)-- buy the starter kit and a bunch of gallon vacuum bags. Then, just put your hops (in 1 or 2 oz increments) into small sandwich bags, put the sandwich bags in the big gallon vacuum bag, suck out the air.. place in freezer.

works like a charm.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this. $14.99 is a great deal for this starter kit:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XY8PDW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Great stuff Revvy, I've been wanting to look into doing these mini batches for some time now and this seems like a perfect way to do some far out experiments!

Cheers!