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MadHomebrewer said:
I actually made one and found it to be a waist of money. With a batch his small it is hard to keep the temperature stable. I have gone back to using paint strainer bags for biab. Found it easier to maintain temperature on the stove top.
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How full is the mash tun for a 1 gallon? Even 2 gallons is pretty big I guess. Has anyone tried mashing in 64 oz insulated travel mug? (That's a joke.)
 
Hello all! first time posting, long time lurking (I'm almost done reading all 550+ pages in this thread!). I'm a beginner AG 1 gallon brewer, with a few 5 gallon partial mash and K&K kits under my belt.

I made a 1 gallon AG stout last night and ran into an issue. I didn't have the correct hops on hand to properly bitter it, and it seems like I've made a sugary syrup versus delicious wort. I found a quick sub (put in Tettnanger at 2.4%(ish, can't remember the exact number right now) and didn't realize the original bittering hops called for 5.5%). I pitched in 1/2 a pack of US-04, and am hoping it won't be completely terrible... have I screwed it up? how do you all think it'll turn out? This is honestly the first time that anything has gone screwy in 12+ batches, so I guess I was due for a screw up!
 
Toastiebeads said:
Hello all! first time posting, long time lurking (I'm almost done reading all 550+ pages in this thread!). I'm a beginner AG 1 gallon brewer, with a few 5 gallon partial mash and K&K kits under my belt.

I made a 1 gallon AG stout last night and ran into an issue. I didn't have the correct hops on hand to properly bitter it, and it seems like I've made a sugary syrup versus delicious wort. I found a quick sub (put in Tettnanger at 2.4%(ish, can't remember the exact number right now) and didn't realize the original bittering hops called for 5.5%). I pitched in 1/2 a pack of US-04, and am hoping it won't be completely terrible... have I screwed it up? how do you all think it'll turn out? This is honestly the first time that anything has gone screwy in 12+ batches, so I guess I was due for a screw up!
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Should be fine. Stouts in the English style aren't going to be heavily hopped. In the future you can use Brewsmith to figure out how to adjust with a milder hop. The yeast should take care of the sweetness by turning 80% of the sugar into alcohol.
 
Just make a 'hop tea' - boil some hops for abt 15-30 min in half pint of water or so. Strain and add 'the good stuff' to the fermentor.
It could be done after few days or by the end of fermentation, tho. Brewing is like a cooking. Just let your taste be a guide :)
 
thanks all for the reassurance that I haven't screwed it up! I'm just going to let this one ride - what is the saying after all.... RDWHAHB?

I have big plans for this weekend - I have an English Pale Ale kit from my local shop that I'm going to brew up, then bottling begins... Pecan Pie Brown Ale, the Great Pumpkin Ale (both from Brew Better Beer by Emma Christensen - if you haven't seen it, go get it. the 1 gallon brews are amazing) then I may bottle up 5 gallons of whatever K&K monstrosity is sitting in my carboy. pretty sure that one is going to be what we drink after drinking a few of the better beers... lol

Has anyone had any luck doing a 1 gallon OktoberFAST without any sort of lagering capabilities? I live in a small condo, and temps are usually pretty steady at 68-70F for most of my brews. The DH loves Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, and I was hoping that I could have something similar made up for him.
 
Toastiebeads said:
thanks all for the reassurance that I haven't screwed it up! I'm just going to let this one ride - what is the saying after all.... RDWHAHB?

I have big plans for this weekend - I have an English Pale Ale kit from my local shop that I'm going to brew up, then bottling begins... Pecan Pie Brown Ale, the Great Pumpkin Ale (both from Brew Better Beer by Emma Christensen - if you haven't seen it, go get it. the 1 gallon brews are amazing) then I may bottle up 5 gallons of whatever K&K monstrosity is sitting in my carboy. pretty sure that one is going to be what we drink after drinking a few of the better beers... lol

Has anyone had any luck doing a 1 gallon OktoberFAST without any sort of lagering capabilities? I live in a small condo, and temps are usually pretty steady at 68-70F for most of my brews. The DH loves Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, and I was hoping that I could have something similar made up for him.
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With 1 gallon batch, hopefully you could find a way to sort of lager it. Swamp cooler, ice bath, especially outside (covered from light).
 
Toastiebeads said:
thanks all for the reassurance that I haven't screwed it up! I'm just going to let this one ride - what is the saying after all.... RDWHAHB?

I have big plans for this weekend - I have an English Pale Ale kit from my local shop that I'm going to brew up, then bottling begins... Pecan Pie Brown Ale, the Great Pumpkin Ale (both from Brew Better Beer by Emma Christensen - if you haven't seen it, go get it. the 1 gallon brews are amazing) then I may bottle up 5 gallons of whatever K&K monstrosity is sitting in my carboy. pretty sure that one is going to be what we drink after drinking a few of the better beers... lol

Has anyone had any luck doing a 1 gallon OktoberFAST without any sort of lagering capabilities? I live in a small condo, and temps are usually pretty steady at 68-70F for most of my brews. The DH loves Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, and I was hoping that I could have something similar made up for him.
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Also note that OktoberFAST is an ale with S-04 yeast. That one needs to be kept under 68 or so, otherwise it does give some strong aromas/flavors (that I don't like). You could switch to US-05, which (I think) is more tolerant if the temp goes over 68-70. I think that recipe uses S-04 because it clears hard and fast. US-05 might be a little slower to clear.
 
ericbw said:
Has anyone tried mashing in 64 oz insulated travel mug? (That's a joke.)
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Are you sure?

Now I want to try that. Any excuse to buy a big ass Bubba mug. :mug:

Big question of the day: I've only ever used a 3 piece airlock on my carboys, anyone use the S-type and have a preference? I don't own an S-type so have no idea what different it makes if any.
 
Opiate42 said:
Are you sure?

Now I want to try that. Any excuse to buy a big ass Bubba mug. :mug:

Big question of the day: I've only ever used a 3 piece airlock on my carboys, anyone use the S-type and have a preference? I don't own an S-type so have no idea what different it makes if any.
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Since I brew small batches primarily due to space constraints, I prefer the 3-piece, since they're shorter and more narrow.
 
S-types don't suck the liquid in when you cold crash, which is a problem I get sometimes with the 3-piece.
 
s-types tend to be way more difficult to clean versus the 3-piece. If you have an accidental blow-up situation with vigorous fermentation and an s-type, they're a royal pain to get all the crud out.
 
Hey guys, been doing small batches lately, .75-1.5G batches, after I moved to chicago and left the majority of my equipment back home.

Putting together a list of pros, cons, tips, and tricks for small batch brewing. Before finalizing and posting the completed list I'd like to get your feedback.

Google Doc link
 
Thanks for the thoughts on the airlocks guys, might just stick with the 3piece for now as I don't yet have a system to cold crash and we put the jugs in a closet shelving unit. The lower headroom wins out.

I generally use a larger 3/8 tube blowoff for initial fermentation so getting muck in an airlock hasn't happened to me since my first few batches :)

pricelessbrewing said:
Putting together a list of pros, cons, tips, and tricks for small batch brewing. Before finalizing and posting the completed list I'd like to get your feedback.

*skims google doc*:::
Don’t forget your towel. ~
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:D :rockin:

Don't ask me how but wherever however and whenever a Guide reference happens, I will find it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for reading @Opiate42 , @phug, @chunkwagon and @fuzzy2133

Anything else to add, if not I'll be posting the article over at brewunited, and on my blog tomorrow with some images and links.
 
@pricelessbrewing
This caught my eyes reading through the second time "Hop additions become tricky; you’ll want a high precision scale for measuring it out. Recommended precision being 0.01g, ~$10."
Optional item, not really a requirement for 1 gal brewing.

Example; our kitchen scale (used for the first 2 years of brewing both 5 and 1 gallon) had "0.01g accuracy" but it would read at 0.05g increments! Some batches the bittering addition was at 47 min, other batches were a 65min addition and boil time. Simple fix once you break out of using the generic brewing instructions and do a little math.
 
pricelessbrewing said:
Hey guys, been doing small batches lately, .75-1.5G batches, after I moved to chicago and left the majority of my equipment back home.

Putting together a list of pros, cons, tips, and tricks for small batch brewing. Before finalizing and posting the completed list I'd like to get your feedback.

Google Doc link
Click to expand...

It's a good conversation topic, makes you look cool at parties, more chances to buy cool equipment.
 
fuzzy2133 said:
@pricelessbrewing
This caught my eyes reading through the second time "Hop additions become tricky; you’ll want a high precision scale for measuring it out. Recommended precision being 0.01g, ~$10."
Optional item, not really a requirement for 1 gal brewing.

Example; our kitchen scale (used for the first 2 years of brewing both 5 and 1 gallon) had "0.01g accuracy" but it would read at 0.05g increments! Some batches the bittering addition was at 47 min, other batches were a 65min addition and boil time. Simple fix once you break out of using the generic brewing instructions and do a little math.
Click to expand...

That would mean it has 0.01g precision, but 0.05g accuracy. Mine has 0.01g both, and I feel it's invaluable for consistency. My other scale is 0.1g for both precision, and accuracy and it was all but worthless. I was usually better off "counting pellets" which has a huge variation in it as well.

I understand your point though, but if you adjust the boil time you kinda have to need to know the original weight of hops, and the new weight of hops, if you only know the weight of the hops to +- 30%, then adjusting the boil time won't really help your consistency. Either way, it's still going to be to style and will likely result in tasty beer in any case as long as the hop bill is decent, but I like more consistency than that would provide.

Appreciate the input!
 
I bottled a batch of McSwiggin's Irish Ale, a 1G recipe from Jaspers. I also tried something different, or at least different for me, I batch primed this with 2 Tbsp of priming sugar in 1 1/2 cup of water putting that in a 6qt SS pot and then siphoning the beer from the jug into that.

One reason is that the lower amount of beer with the 1G recipes and that this recipe's fermentation was very active so I lost some of the beer out the overflow tube into the overflow jar. Because of me using the 1G glass jug instead of a 2G plastic bucket. But also I wanted to try doing it this way as some of the recipes I make recommend doing it this way instead of the bottle priming.
 
I've been making wine(based on my grandpa's old recipes) and Mead in one gallon batches for years now, and my first beer(starting it this weekend) is going to be a one gallon batch. I even have an experimental hard ginger beer going in a 1/2 gallon batch(a local Mennonite store has flavored ciders in 1/2 gallon glass jugs that make perfect mini carboys). I mostly use the one gallon Arizona tea jugs to ferment in. Same material as a milk jug, but much thicker, so they hold up better if you use boiling water to clean them out. Plus their shape makes it easier to fit more of them neatly under the kitchen sink( the only dark, coolish place I have to keep them). I have a few caps that I modified with airlocks that I keep handy.
 
native_sun said:
I've been making wine(based on my grandpa's old recipes) and Mead in one gallon batches for years now, and my first beer(starting it this weekend) is going to be a one gallon batch. I even have an experimental hard ginger beer going in a 1/2 gallon batch(a local Mennonite store has flavored ciders in 1/2 gallon glass jugs that make perfect mini carboys). I mostly use the one gallon Arizona tea jugs to ferment in. Same material as a milk jug, but much thicker, so they hold up better if you use boiling water to clean them out. Plus their shape makes it easier to fit more of them neatly under the kitchen sink( the only dark, coolish place I have to keep them). I have a few caps that I modified with airlocks that I keep handy.
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Hit up an Italian restaurant for some empty 1 gallon glass wine jugs. Then just use a rubber bung and airlock.
 
last night I bottled 2 batches, a Pecan Pie Brown Ale (hydro sample was.... weird. might need a lot of time to settle down and be tasty) and a stout that didn't hit the ABV mark. not too sure what I did, but DH says the sample of that one was tasty.

I also got to cookin' and made an EPA from an all-grain kit my LHBS put together. it's very light in colour, slightly sweet and a little hop kick at the end. I hope this one turns out well, as it seemed very promising when I was working on it! I've also discovered a great way to not dirty my hop-straining collander when draining my grain bag.... tie that mofo to the cupboard door and let it drip away!

Untitled.jpg
 
Has anyone heard of Hop Hero Brewing Supplies? I've emailed back and forth a couple times with the owner and then went ahead and bought some 1G AG & 3G Extract recipes last night. His prices are pretty good and he's got a nice selection of recipes.
 
TonyKZ1 said:
Has anyone heard of Hop Hero Brewing Supplies? I've emailed back and forth a couple times with the owner and then went ahead and bought some 1G AG & 3G Extract recipes last night. His prices are pretty good and he's got a nice selection of recipes.
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Never heard of them. Weird that their address on the web site is an apartment, looks like some one starting a new business venture. If every thing gets to you fresh I do applaud the people who can pull it off. :mug:
 
sleepspeaking said:
OK maybe not the best place fit this post, but mostly on topic. Not an attempt to hijack just info share.

I break 1 gallon jugs all that time.... not good. I've started using a rag through the loop as a "lanyard." What other ways are you guys securing as you aerate, or just transport?
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Lift from the bottom and be gentle.
 
sleepspeaking said:
OK maybe not the best place fit this post, but mostly on topic. Not an attempt to hijack just info share.

I break 1 gallon jugs all that time.... not good. I've started using a rag through the loop as a "lanyard." What other ways are you guys securing as you aerate, or just transport?
Click to expand...

Don't brew drunk!
If serious, I grab the jug at top (have my index finger through handle loop), bottom and shake with both hands.
 
fuzzy2133 said:
Don't brew drunk!
If serious, I grab the jug at top (have my index finger through handle loop), bottom and shake with both hands.
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Ha! Maybe I'm just clumsy, or I get in a hurry. Maybe I don't respect them as much as I do their larger counterparts, knowing how heavy I am always slow and plan the moves. It just seems like every time I use the 1 gallon jugs, I at least have a scare.
 
I wonder if what you are using has thin glass. The one I broke (totally my fault) had really thick glass and it took a good amount of force compared to the times I banged them into stuff on accident.
 
Just opened my 2nd bottle of a 1G batch of a AG EveryDay IPA from Brooklyn Brewshop, wow even after being chilled for several hours it's got a way too much carbonation. However, it smells and tastes good so it's got that going for it.
 
Question for all of you small batch brewers ...

I normally brew 3 gallon batches, but have decided to start doing a ton of 1 gallon batches so that I can learn the unique flavors of hops/malts better. I tried my first 1 gallon batch last night and everything was fine until i tried to rack the beer from the kettle in to my one gallon jug. due to the small volume, i could not get good separation from all of the trub and couldn't rack my beer in to the jug without all of the trub too. How do people get around this? how much wort do you aim to have after you have completed the boil?

I think part of my issue is that i was using my 7 gallon kettle, which has a large diameter and therefor the 1.25 gallons in it was very thin.
 
THVbrew said:
I think part of my issue is that i was using my 7 gallon kettle, which has a large diameter and therefor the 1.25 gallons in it was very thin.
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Bingo. The ability of the racking cane to create a siphon is directly related to the height of the liquid. When I was bottling I had a similar issue. I'm planning on trying a new technique I saw at the link below, which while it may require slightly more coordination I think it will be a bit smoother and introduce less oxygen for my setup.


https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewin...h_brewers_whats_your_bottling_process/cm36i8i
 
My issue wasn't creating a siphon, it was not picking up all of the trub so that I was only putting clear beer in to my fermenter.
 
THVbrew said:
My issue wasn't creating a siphon, it was not picking up all of the trub so that I was only putting clear beer in to my fermenter.
Click to expand...


I started going for bigger volume, knowing you lose some to trub.
 
Have you thought about letting the trub settle out in the fermenter? If you're not going to harvest your yeast, it will work just fine. I generally brew ~2gal at a time, and I don't worry about the trub, and it hasn't caused an issue yet. But be warned, this can be a sensitive/taboo procedure...
 
The trub would take up valuable space in a 1 gallon fermenter. I think i just need to make sure I finish cooling with about 1.25 gallons and that I am using a kettle that is more narrow to allow enough depth in the wort to skim it off without picking up the trub.
 
Or you could do something I've been thinking about, using a 2G plastic bucket for a fermenter instead of a 1G glass jug. Plenty of room for an active fermentation and wort.
 

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