Why not more interest in 10 gallon batches?

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kombat

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I've done about 40 all-grain 5 gallon batches so far. Recently, I've done a couple 10 gallon batches, and I have to say, I'm strongly considering moving to 10 gallon batches exclusively. It seems to me that for a slightly increased time investment (the additional heating/cooling adds a total of about an hour for me), I end up with twice as much beer.

Why don't more people do 10 gallon batches? Is it the issue of moving that much hot wort around? I confess I have a Chugger pump that I use for chilling, and for transferring the wort to the first carboy (I use gravity and an autosiphon to fill the second carboy). But my boil kettle (15g), mash tun (70 qt), mill (Barley Crusher w/ power drill), and all my other equipment can easily handle 10 gallon batches, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Is there an army of dedicated 10 gallon brewers out there I'm just not aware of, or is there some other reason people stick with 5 gallon batches?
 
I'm a 10 gallon brewer and love it, for the most part. For the same reasons as you mentioned, it's a no brainer. An additional option for the 10 gallon batch is to get creative using different yeast strains and secondary additions in each fermenter. More beer to play around with (and drink of course).

I'm not sure how much you drink/give away, but I've found that beers that should be drank fresh, such as IPAs and hefeweizens, are getting a bit long in the tooth toward the second half of my second keg. I've recently decided to limit those beers to 5-6 gallon batches.
 
I brew some 10 gallon batches, but stick to mostly 5 gallon.

I like variety, recipe tweaking, and fresh hop forward beers(what I mainly brew). I keg, so having 5 gallons of beer waiting around for me to kick another 5 gallon keg would lead to a lot of beer that is not as fresh as I would like. Obviously some styles wouldn't be affected as much as others.
 
I like variety, and can only drink so much beer. 5 gallons is about 40 pints, so is a nice compromise in that regard.

Dave

This. I've been debating moving up to 10 gallon batches, which requires an investment too, but I would still do a lot of 5 gallon batches. I like variety. I generally don't drink two bottles of any single beer back to back, whether I'm at a bar, drinking craft, or my own home brew. At any given time, I usually have at least 7 choices of homebrew to drink. Also, I like brewing as much as I like drinking. If I were doing 10 gal batches, I would probably end up giving it away by the case so I could brew more.
 
I am also in it for the fun and variety. At one time I had 12 different beers bottled.

If I did 10 gallon batches I could not brew as often or try as many different things. In the winter when it is too cold (for me) to brew outside I do 3 gallon BIAB on the stove. Again - more variety.
 
I prefer 10 gallon batches as well. My equipment can handle it and I can drink it (with my friends help). Since I have to split the batch into 5 gal primary fermenters anyway, I take the opportunity to do some trials. Using different yeasts, clarity-ferm (glutenase enzyme), or temperatures in side by side comparisons is quite useful.
 
I've done about 40 all-grain 5 gallon batches so far. Recently, I've done a couple 10 gallon batches, and I have to say, I'm strongly considering moving to 10 gallon batches exclusively. It seems to me that for a slightly increased time investment (the additional heating/cooling adds a total of about an hour for me), I end up with twice as much beer.

Why don't more people do 10 gallon batches? Is it the issue of moving that much hot wort around? I confess I have a Chugger pump that I use for chilling, and for transferring the wort to the first carboy (I use gravity and an autosiphon to fill the second carboy). But my boil kettle (15g), mash tun (70 qt), mill (Barley Crusher w/ power drill), and all my other equipment can easily handle 10 gallon batches, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Is there an army of dedicated 10 gallon brewers out there I'm just not aware of, or is there some other reason people stick with 5 gallon batches?

Hello, I do 10 gal batches all the time and have been for about 8 months now.

I have the same equipment as you are using, but no pump and my mill is a Monster Mill 2.2.0 I also run it with a drill (at least for now), I also have a 9 gal kettle for heating my strike water.

In-fact anymore I only make a 5 gal batch for trying out a new recipe.

I remember how surprised I was after brewing my first 10 gal batch, and thinking this isn't any harder than brewing a 5 gal batch, Even my wife said (she cleans/washes everything when we brew) we should always make 10 gal batches on house recipes and doing the cleanup was the same as a 5 gal batch.

And yes I know, Im a lucky man that has a wife that likes to help me brew and clean up.

10 gallon is the way to go for us, I also really like having 2 fermenters bubbling away at the same time, makes our brew room smell so good.

To anyone thinking about trying a 10 gal batch, I say go for it, its easy.

Great thread kombat.

Cheers :mug:
 
I brew solely 10+ now. Even up to 25. I find my brew days hard to come by, so if I can end up with double, or more, than a typical 5 gal batch, I find it worthwhile. Getting the kegs emptied never seems to be an issue with my group of friends that love craft beer.
 
My standard size batch is 5 gallons but I do have the capability to scale any recipe to 10 gallons (and lower GU ones to 15 gal). The only reason I don't use 10 gallons as my standard is that I don't have a lot of friends to share my beer with and I like variety. I save the 10 gallon batches for proven recipes for special events.
 
I've been doing 10 gallons at a time since I started brewing all grain. It's not hard for me to get a buddy to take a case of bottles home after I get done kegging the first 5 gallons. Plus, that way I can give some away without having to piss and moan "because neighbors/BIL/dad/brew buddies drank all my beer". Not to mention, when I build my single tier HERMS last year I designed it to be a half barrel. 10 gallons is a very comfortable easy brew day for me now compared to the 62qt bayou classic that was my HLT, MT, and BK.
 
I just moved up to 10 gallon batches. I've got a baby on the way, so I suspect my brew days will be few and far between. Getting more volume is nice. I also try different yeasts out to test differences.
 
Like others, I make a lot of IPAs and can't drink 10gal before it starts fading. But for parties and such I tend to go 10gal. As you mentioned, it's not much more effort (what's an extra 30min when brewday takes 5 hours?). Plus I use about the same propane for the boil (more to get to boil) so it helps to make the beer even cheaper.

I think a lot of people stick to 5gal batches simply because that's all a Corny will hold and they homebrew for variety, not economy of scale.
 
I just moved up to 10 gallon batches. I've got a baby on the way, so I suspect my brew days will be few and far between. Getting more volume is nice. I also try different yeasts out to test differences.

If/when I have a baby, that is when I will probably step up to 10 gal batches.
 
I like variety, and can only drink so much beer.

another + here.

I'm the only one in my house that drinks beer. My visiting relatives drink wine and liquor. My friends enjoy the beer but we're all too busy with real life to get together and drink often. I do 3 gallon batches into 2.5 g corneys, and have zero interest in going bigger.
 
reverendj1 said:
If/when I have a baby, that is when I will probably step up to 10 gal batches.

The real trick is going to be getting my assistant brewers (e.g., brother-in-law) to take a more active role so that I just have to supervise. Of course, that means I have to get them to stay semi-sober for the brew day.
 
When I rebuilt my AG system, I intentionally set it up so I could brew 5-10 gallon batches.

I love the economy of scale regarding time that 10 gallon batches get me, I love splitting batches and pitching different yeast strains to taste the difference between 2 beers of the same wort, I love have a system capable of two 5 gallon parti-gyle batches, and I love being able to split a batch with another brewer.

I love making 5 gallon batches so I can have more variety - I'm limited in storage, can only drink so much since my job requires me to maintain a healthy weight, and while I have a lot of friends who like craft beer, most of them stick to one style or another, and don't value variety the way I do, so I don't give as much away.
 
I like the variety of 5 gallon batches. Plus I think brewing is fun and it keeps me out of trouble so I dont mind doing it as often as storage space allows.
 
I am the only one drinking beer at my place, so 5 gallon batches for me. If I brewed 10 gallon batches, I'd get tired of the same beer all the time. I have a system more than capable, and I have brewed 10 gallons before and probably will again. Probably when I have someone come over and brew with me. Then they can take their fermenter home with them and I can ferment my portion.

Otherwise, I just can't drink 10 gallons fast enough to make it worth it for me. I will admit, it's totally worth the small extra time it takes, if I had hep drinking it all!
 
My job allows me to work from home and sometimes my workload is nowhere near enough to fill an 8-hour day. Often I will brew during the week and I love the process, so for me the more often I get to brew the better. I thought about going to 10-gallon batches but I'm not planning on doing it until I really feel like I would benefit from it. For now, 5 gallon batches are fine and it gives me the variety that I like. However, if I make a batch I really like, it seems like 5 gallons isn't enough.
 
another + here.

I'm the only one in my house that drinks beer. My visiting relatives drink wine and liquor. My friends enjoy the beer but we're all too busy with real life to get together and drink often. I do 3 gallon batches into 2.5 g corneys, and have zero interest in going bigger.

+1000

There are three major reasons why long-term amateur brewers quit brewing; namely, excessive weight gain, health problems, and alcohol dependency. Drinking ten gallons or more of beer each month is not sustainable.
 
My job allows me to work from home and sometimes my workload is nowhere near enough to fill an 8-hour day. Often I will brew during the week and I love the process, so for me the more often I get to brew the better. I thought about going to 10-gallon batches but I'm not planning on doing it until I really feel like I would benefit from it. For now, 5 gallon batches are fine and it gives me the variety that I like. However, if I make a batch I really like, it seems like 5 gallons isn't enough.


I do 10 gallon batches and work from home two days a week (Network Engineer)

there is nothing as good as getting paid to brew beer :)

all the best

S_M
 
I brew on an electric stove. Not sure the stove could handle the weight, or bring that much water to a boil....

Having said that, I almost always brew 2 batches at a time.. back to back. So I end up with 10 gallons on any given brew day. It adds maybe 2 hours or so to my brew day.

Having said that.... I would prefer to brew 10 gallon batches. I will some day, but I'm just not set up for it yet.
 
When I converted over to electric, I also took the opportunity to "upscale"... I am just about set up for 10 gallon batches.. my beer cooler will easily hold 8 cornies (possibly 10.. haven't measured it yet), I got a larger kettle (although I may have to go even larger.. still working on those logistics), I have two 15 gallon conicals that need a place to sit in my ferment closet (and some hardware), and I got a fairly substantial plate chiller from Duda Diesel.

While my SWMBO and I like a wide range of beers, we stick to probably half a dozen different styles... so that is what I'm going to brew.
 
I do 10 gallon and 5 depending on what I am brewing. Everything gets heavier but it can be more benficial on time. I bottle mostly and store a lot of beer which may become a problem because I am not sure how long home brew will last in a basement.
 
+1000

There are three major reasons why long-term amateur brewers quit brewing; namely, excessive weight gain, health problems, and alcohol dependency. Drinking ten gallons or more of beer each month is not sustainable.

+2000

I drink one beer a day maximum...because of all those reasons you mentioned. I can't understand people drinking 10g of beer by themselves !

I only brew 5g and i'm thinking about downscaling to 2.5-3 g
 
I predominantly do 10 gallons at a time for some of the same reasons listed previously:

1. People like my beer and I give away a lot.
2. I like variety...so I make 10 gallons. How so? Make each batch unique! Unique yeasts for each fermenter. Unique dry hops. Unique aging (oak aged, bourbon aged). Unique herbs (basil, rosemary, lemongrass, lavender, etc...). Unique flavor additions (chocolate, coffee, fruits, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, etc..)
3. Same amount of time for brewing 5 gallons vs. 10 gallons. I've even done a handful of 15 gallon batches when I brew with my neighbor and we are both wanting the same starting wort.
4. For really big beers you should make 10 gallons! So you can enjoy it and age it for years! Jamil said so, so it has to be true ....right?
 
Another reason I do not brew 10 gallons is that it would take a lot of $$ to get the gear to do 10 gallons. Again, 5 gallon, or even smaller gives variety. 10 gallons is too much even if you ferment 1/2 one way and the other half another way - too similar.
 
I've been doing 5 gallon batches for a couple years , and thought I still would, but just had a baby 3 months ago . Still no brew day , but most of my equipment will do for a 10 gal batch. So here I come !!!! Sound like it doesn't add much time sounds like. A no brainer now. Never thought I'd would move up to 10 gal. But dumb question would the pre boil volume be the same boil off rate from 5 to 10 gal batch??
 
Same here. I have a small handful of beers that I know are very popular and it's just easier to brew 10-gallon batches. Otherwise I am usually making 5-gallon batches. As of recent, I find myself getting bored with 5-gallon batches and am considering making more 2.5-3 gallon batches to have ore room for experimentation.

Xpertskir said:
I brew some 10 gallon batches, but stick to mostly 5 gallon. I like variety, recipe tweaking, and fresh hop forward beers(what I mainly brew). I keg, so having 5 gallons of beer waiting around for me to kick another 5 gallon keg would lead to a lot of beer that is not as fresh as I would like. Obviously some styles wouldn't be affected as much as others.
 
I've been doing 5 gallon batches for a couple years , and thought I still would, but just had a baby 3 months ago . Still no brew day , but most of my equipment will do for a 10 gal batch. So here I come !!!! Sound like it doesn't add much time sounds like. A no brainer now. Never thought I'd would move up to 10 gal. But dumb question would the pre boil volume be the same boil off rate from 5 to 10 gal batch??

The boil off rate is the same if you use the same boil appearance. It can take more flame to maintain the same boil appearance/rate, especially if the ambient air is cold. I have my system & software set up for 5, 8, & 10 gallon batches, but all in the same kettle, and have to watch both the boil appearance and keep an eye on the sight glass to ser how much I'm boiling off.
 
I'm doing 15 gallons at a time. Soon I will be purchasing another set of equipment so I can do 30 gallon batches.
 
I'm for the other end...1 gallon to 2.5. I "got healthy" again and dropped some serious weight, changed my diet, and cut back on the beer. I still drink 2 beers a night, maybe 3. But I don't like drinking the same beer, often even more than twice. I love craft beer and buy a lot, but usually only bombers. I could never see myself drinking a 12-pack of nearly anything so I would never brew 2+ cases of beer...regardless of the ability to split a batch and try different yeast, etc.
 
But dumb question would the pre boil volume be the same boil off rate from 5 to 10 gal batch??
Like DWhitwell said. If the intensity of the boil is the same the boil off rate will be same. That's in gallons per hour, not percent of volume like Beersmith uses. But in reality it will probably change, because it is dependant on kettle geometry and when you move from 5 to 10 gallons you may need a new pot. Also if you're running your burner on full for 5 gallon batches, you won't get the same intensity with more volume, so the rate will be less.
 
I only brew session beers and I brew 10 gal batches. I may brew a 6.5% IPA but maybe once a year. I am the only beer drinker in my house and with 2 young kids, brew time is rare. In the summer, when I have a 4.5% Cream Ale on tap, I may go through 10 gal in 4 weeks but now that we spend our evenings and weekends running between school events, soccer practice, homework, games and birthday parties, my consumption rate is much lower so a 10 gal batch may last 8 weeks or longer (I currently have a 5.6% Munich Helles that has been on tap for 6 weeks and I still have around half a keg left).

I primarily brew Cream Ales, Blonde Ales and APA's, if I was brewing anything else, 10 gal would be too much and in that case, I would prefer to brew smaller batches more often but at this point in my life, I don't have the time to do that.
 
I usually brew 10 gallon batches. We both drink a lot of beer, though, and we like the same styles (hoppy APAs, IPAs, etc). For styles that we don't love as much, I will occasionally make a 5 gallon batch.

For me, it's no more work to make 10 gallons and takes just a few minutes more in chilling, so it works out great for me.
 
I have been brewing 10 gals for a while now. Main thing is I have help drinking it and I like most of the beer I make. Also I hate running out of beer. ;)
 
I am still doing 5g batches, though I have the equipment and would love to start doing 10g batches. Like many others here I give a lot of beer away to friends who enjoy my "homemade" brews as they like to call them. I'm also still doing extract brewing and haven't found an easy way to do 10g extract brews, short of buying 2 of the same kit which can get a bit spendy with some of the beers I like to drink.

On the other side of that I'm in the same boat with Calichusetts in that I'm currently not drinking beer period as I'm going through quite a lifestyle change and trying to lose weight(down 27lbs so far, only 60 more to go) and haven't had a beer in over a month. This hasn't stopped me from brewing however, as I have 2 in the Ferm fridge as we speak and am planning another brewday for next weekend.
 
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