Does this exist?

I would like to have a compact, easily stored beer making kit that allows me to brew in 2 to 3 gallon batches. Bottling won't be a problem, but I would rather put the beer in a mini keg similar to the small kegs that are becoming popular. (Like Heineken) I've seen some small corny kegs....is this my only kegging option?

Thanks for any info!

Cb

Try "tap a draft".

do a quick search...someone a while back asked the same q and I cant remember the answer. They also wanted to keg into the small heiny things. But they do make 3 gallons cornys I know of that. There are also those 2gal better bottles that you bottle into and have a little activator thing for carbonation

Depends on how much money you want to spend and how much room. If you're looking at the small corny due to small size in your apartment space, you might want to remember that there are hoses, tap lines, and a co2 bottle w/ regulator in addition to having one or two little mini kegs.

If you have the fridge room, but not the space to put a small mini-fridge with kegs - the tap-a-draft is probably one of your better options.

You will find plenty of mixed opinions, but I liked my Party Pig until I got cornies.

I have two 3 gallon cornys that fit PERFECT in my apartment refrigerator. I took out the crisper and they, along with the 5 lb co2 tank, fit like a glove. Who needs vegetables anyway, right?

What I'm having trouble finding is a quality brewing system that brews 2 to 3 gallons. I liked the systems for "kegging" listed above, but I'm still searching for a good way to brew a small batch.

Thanks a ton!

Minimizing head space isn't terribly important in beer brewing. Any 5 gallon bucket, carboy, or Better Bottle will serve you well in brewing small batches. You don't need a kit, you just need a few key components.

Mr Beer.

a 5g brew kit will fit into a kitchen base cabinet w/drawer for misc.









but you will outgrow it

etp777 said:

Mr Beer.

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That was my first thought when I read his post. Hehe

you could get a 5gal bottling bucket as a primary and a 3gal carboy for secondary. It won't save all that much space, but if you outgrow it and get larger equipment, you'll still have a use for them and it won't be money wasted.

Better bottle makes a 3 gallon carboy. I don't know what else you mean by "system" unless you're planning to brew all grain.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to get one of the 3 gallon carboys mentioned and possibly a pig. As to the Mr. Beer jokes.....sigh...right now that's what I DO have....hence my wanting to move on. I'm going to do a few Mr. Beer brews just to get a tiny bit of experience, then get some better stuff.

I was only half joking. I recently got a friend started on that, looking forward to see how it turns out. Got one for my cousin a couple years back for a present too. She certainly enjoyed it, though she didn't get hooked on the bug of homebrewing.

For around $10, you can invest in a Carlo Rossi 4L jug...and it comes with bonus wine! It's not great wine, but it'll do until the jug is emptied and ready for your small batch beer.

I just bought my first one today so I can start some apfelwein, mead, or wine. Only a homebrewer would get so excited about cheap wine!

I brew 3 gallon batches all the time. I have a couple 3 gallon buckets that I got from an online homebrew shop. That and a 3 gallon carboy is all I use and bottle mine in a Tap a Draft plus a couple bottles. Works well for me, don't know if it's anymore compact except for the bottling part.

Yuri_Rage said:

For around $10, you can invest in a Carlo Rossi 4L jug...and it comes with bonus wine! It's not great wine, but it'll do until the jug is emptied and ready for your small batch beer.

I just bought my first one today so I can start some apfelwein, mead, or wine. Only a homebrewer would get so excited about cheap wine!

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Oh, the irony. That's what I started with!! A friend gave me one and I bought two more. Made a small batch of wine with one, and apfelwein with the other.

Yuri_Rage said:

For around $10, you can invest in a Carlo Rossi 4L jug...and it comes with bonus wine! It's not great wine, but it'll do until the jug is emptied and ready for your small batch beer.

I just bought my first one today so I can start some apfelwein, mead, or wine. Only a homebrewer would get so excited about cheap wine!

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This was our college cheap party drink. 50/50 Carlos Rossi (I believe it was the red wine) and Orange Slice soda made a VERY potent drink that had no hint of alcohol. Only problem was the KILLER (and I mean horrible) hangover the next day. In fact, to this day, my worst hangover came from an all Carlos party. I was hung over the next day until 8pm. Never threw up (probably should have), but was bed-ridden with a vice-like squeeze on my brain. Haven't had a sip of that since.

But in moderation it was very effective on the college budget.

I wasn't really joking about the Mr. Beer. It really was the first thing I thought of when I read your original post. If you already have it I don't see why you can't continue to use the fermenter in making your beers. You don't have to use the Mr. Beer recipe kits. You could just use the fermenter.

pintocb said:

What I'm having trouble finding is a quality brewing system that brews 2 to 3 gallons. I liked the systems for "kegging" listed above, but I'm still searching for a good way to brew a small batch.

Thanks a ton!

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If you stick to extract. All you need for this is a good stockpot and a supply of muslin bags. Perfectly good beer can be made on the small scale with extract and specialty grains. Chill it all is the sink. Keg it in a tap-a-draft.

Done. It doesn't get much more compact than that unless, B3 does start to sell powdered beer.

Of course, once you start, that alter ego on your left shoulder is always gonna jab at your about brewing your beer with only grains and you'll quickly fond that small scale doesn't work very good for that. But, it could still be done. You'll just need to clear out that back room to make room for all the gear.