1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[chrisisnapping]

Just did BBS's every day IPA this evening as a BIAB without a sparge, it's my second brew and first non-Mr. beer. I aimed to use it as a trial run before doing a 3g smash i put together this weekend. Definitely liked it and 1 gallon jugs are much easier to store. I think I'll be doing more 1g test batches as I get used to home brewing. Next i gotta find a simple stout I can rack over some cold brew during bottling before St Patrick's day.

 

[fuzzy2133]

So I was thinking about using the auto-siphon attached to tubing directly to a bottling wand also. Any one else do this? Would then get some coopers tabs or sugar cubes for priming per bottle...

I do this all the time. I bottle over my dish washer so your set up may need tweaking.

The tubing between the auto siphon and wand drops 2" below the counter top befor the bottling wand is attached with the auto siphon pushed all the way down.

I use a siphon clip the hold the auto siphon in place. Had issues previously with the siphon moving and sucking in yeast and trub.

To get the siphon going you just hold a bottle up to the bottling wand to keep its valve open while you start the auto siphon. Most of the time I get it in one try unless I move the bottle and close the bottling wands valve.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[RevA]

Just bottled a 1 gal scottish gruit batch. I think I have the most fun when I brew 1 gal batches, the larger batches feel like work...

 

[FatsSchindee]

I do this all the time. I bottle over my dish washer so your set up may need tweaking.

The tubing between the auto siphon and wand drops 2" below the counter top befor the bottling wand is attached with the auto siphon pushed all the way down.

I use a siphon clip the hold the auto siphon in place. Had issues previously with the siphon moving and sucking in yeast and trub.

To get the siphon going you just hold a bottle up to the bottling wand to keep its valve open while you start the auto siphon. Most of the time I get it in one try unless I move the bottle and close the bottling wands valve.

Hope this makes sense.

It does, thanks! Was wondering if I'd need someone to help with keeping the valve open while I did the pumping to get the siphon started, but I get what you're saying about using one hand to hold it down against the bottle, and use the other hand to pump against the clip. Appreciate the info, gonna give it a try!

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

2 gallon bucket primary with spigot. Bottle right out of there.

I've been contemplating trying to rig a bottling spigot into a gallon jug cap but I doubt the dimensions will work out

I thought about this also. My issue would be if you had any trub on the bottom. Will it plug up the spigot? Will I have to discard the first bottle because of the trub, yet I probably could use it for testing FG etc.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

With my 1G batches, I started transferring/siphoning/racking the beer from the 1G jug using a racking cane and a siphon hose to a 2G bucket with a spigot & bottling wand installed on it. While it's siphoning into the bucket, I then add my sugar mixture for batch priming, and then use that for bottling. That's worked out the best for me. A lot less mess and I do have another container to wash afterwards, but that's not really a big deal either.

I also use this method. By mixing priming sugar with some boiled water and cool it down, I gain back some volume that I lost during fermentation. I usually use a 8oz arrowhead bottled water for this task.

 

[fuzzy2133]

I thought about this also. My issue would be if you had any trub on the bottom. Will it plug up the spigot? Will I have to discard the first bottle because of the trub, yet I probably could use it for testing FG etc.

If you use the trub cap on the auto siphon you will not need to discard the first bottle. Worst case once you bottle condition it will be slightly more at the bottom of the bottle in comparison to the others.

It takes a large amount of dry hop floaters to plug the siphon and bottling wand. I had a 5gal batch where all the dry hops never settled out, looked like they all made it from fermenter to bottle other than what was left in the bottling bucket.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Was wondering if I'd need someone to help with keeping the valve open while I did the pumping to get the siphon started.

It's not absolutely necessary to have someone to help, but it is really nice. My wife holds the bottling wand and fills the bottles while I run around preparing a new bottle and re-arranging stuff like the auto-siphon. It also helps that she never puts down the bottling wand (contamination) and if you leave the wand unattended in a bottle gravity opens the valve just enough to cause it to overflow after a minute or so. She only needs to stand around and help me for 15 or twenty minutes. I prep everything before I call her in.

 

[hehawbrew]

Just did BBS's every day IPA this evening as a BIAB without a sparge, it's my second brew and first non-Mr. beer. I aimed to use it as a trial run before doing a 3g smash i put together this weekend. Definitely liked it and 1 gallon jugs are much easier to store. I think I'll be doing more 1g test batches as I get used to home brewing. Next i gotta find a simple stout I can rack over some cold brew during bottling before St Patrick's day.

That was the first beer I ever made. Check out there simco IPA. Hands down my favorite IPA and a great recipe to tweak and play around with.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

If you use the trub cap on the auto siphon you will not need to discard the first bottle. Worst case once you bottle condition it will be slightly more at the bottom of the bottle in comparison to the others.

It takes a large amount of dry hop floaters to plug the siphon and bottling wand. I had a 5gal batch where all the dry hops never settled out, looked like they all made it from fermenter to bottle other than what was left in the bottling bucket.

To clarify, I was talking about if you put a spigot in place of the cap on the jug.

 

[fuzzy2133]

To clarify, I was talking about if you put a spigot in place of the cap on the jug.

Interesting idea. You would also need some sort of vent tube to prevent the vacuum created. Otherwise the bubbles going back through the beer will oxygenat while you bottle.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I just ordered a few of Northern Brewers 1 gallon kits. I believe their partial mash. Will write up reviews of them when I brew them. Got the rum runner stout and bourbon barrel porter. Plan on adding local Cleveland Whiskey soaked cubes to the porter.

 

[slym2none]

How do you 1 gallon brewers take hydrometer readings without wasting a significant part of your batch?

I make 2.5 gallon batches, so not quite as dire, but still - I sanitize the hell out of my hydrometer, for OG, & just pour it back in the fermentor. For FG, I also use my dregs and then use that in my last bottle that I use for carb-testing.

 

[Azbrewboy77]

I just ordered a few of Northern Brewers 1 gallon kits. I believe their partial mash. Will write up reviews of them when I brew them. Got the rum runner stout and bourbon barrel porter. Plan on adding local Cleveland Whiskey soaked cubes to the porter.

Already brewed several , but the caribou slobber was the best I thought , the German blonde was my 2nd fav

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day
One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

 

[bransona]

How do you 1 gallon brewers take hydrometer readings without wasting a significant part of your batch?

I sanitize REALLY well when I take the sample and then just return it to the batch carefully. Haven't had any infections or oxidation issues. Make sure to sanitize the hydrometer tube top to bottom, inside and out (just in case some beer runs down the side). Obviously sanitize the thief too. I also like to make sure the hydrometer is sanitized to the very top in case it falls in too quickly and goes under. I even sanitize my fingertips when I work with it. Hope this helps!

 

[PiCzech]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day

One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

Thanks for sharing the pics. That's a nice straight forward setup, another great reason for small batches, experimenting and simplicity!

 

[flyfishnevada]

I'm just throwing this out there. I've got two 1 gallon batches going right now. One cider and one beer. The cider is very easy. A couple of bottles of apple juice and Notty yeast. Done.

The beer? What a PITA. I did all grain. Took 4 hours or more to mash, sparge, boil, cool, clean up, etc. I thought I'd be drinking my previous 5 gallon batch forever. Nope. I'm down to less than a twelve pack a month later. When I finish the gallon batch, I'll get 9 or 10 bottles. I'll be done with that before the next batch is fermented!

I'm going back to five gallon batches for beer. But the one gallon set ups (two 2 gallon bucket and two glass 1 gallon jugs) are going to be for cider. YMMV

 

[hehawbrew]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day

One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

I did a heady topper clone once. Amazing. I've never seen so many hops in my life!

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

I did a heady topper clone once. Amazing. I've never seen so many hops in my life!

It was difficult keeping the hops and additions straight for both batches, hence the snack bags with name amount and addition. Also took awhile to weight them out, bag and label. Dry hops are yet to be weighed out. Total boil/steep/dry hops for heady was 3oz, Pliney was 2oz. The wife usually doesn't mind me brewing in the kitchen, mostly because she can't smell, she could smell the hops and complained.

 

[bransona]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

How do you 1 gallon brewers take hydrometer readings without wasting a significant part of your batch?

I just brewed my first one gallon batch, I typically do 5 gallons. I just sanitized the hell out of the hydrometer and my test tube and poured the beer back... No way I would waste that much in a one gallon batch like you said.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I actually enjoyed doing a 1 gallon batch. I first I thought why spend the time and only get 9 bottles of beer. But...I learned why quickly. First my brew day was significantly shorter with a one gallon batch, I tried a beer that I am not sure I will like but I wanted to get the style under my belt. Overall I think I will do another 1 gallon batch again.

 

[Pantherjon]

I actually enjoyed doing a 1 gallon batch. I first I thought why spend the time and only get 9 bottles of beer. But...I learned why quickly. First my brew day was significantly shorter with a one gallon batch, I tried a beer that I am not sure I will like but I wanted to get the style under my belt. Overall I think I will do another 1 gallon batch again.

So did I! AND got me exposed to 'all grain' brewing quickly..Finding it isn't as hard as my imagination portrayed it to be! Previous brews had been all extract...

 

[pricelessbrewing]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

I harvest, and it's only way I can justify doing small batches, without it there's no way I could justify the cost vs return on doing such small batches.

I harvest from starters , usually I try to reuse liquid media stored yeast by 3 months or so, just to keep good viability. I also boil my starters for 10 minutes, then throw microwave them for a minute to attempt to sterilize. A better approach is to use a pressure cooker to actually sterilize, but I don't have one.

I store my liquid media samples in 50mL centrifuge tubes I got on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018MQ9TK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


I also keep 2mL frozen yeast cultures, with a portion of glycerin to act as a cryoprotectant in my freezer. These are held in a ziplock bag, which is contained in a small tuperware container, which is burried beneath food and frozen ice packs. Those layers keep the yeast from thawing during the freezers defrosting cycles. Every ~10 months, I reculture my liquid cultures. This keeps the strains pure, and anytime I have a bad batch (hasn't happened yet in 2 years) I dump the liquid cultures and reculture from a frozen sample. These act as my long term storage.


I have ~22 strains of yeast on hand at any time, multiple english ale, belgian trappist, saison, bretts, and I use a lacto probiotic whenever I want to make some sours. I'll probably not buy a new yeast strain in over a year unless something interesting shows up I want to try out.

By reusing my yeast, I've decreased my small batch costs substantially, and I pretty much never have to visit the lhbs unless I'm out of a specialty malt.

Also keeping a healthy stock of yeast lets me do split batches, which increases beer diversity and teaches you about different yeast profiles. I love split batches

 

[hehawbrew]

It was difficult keeping the hops and additions straight for both batches, hence the snack bags with name amount and addition. Also took awhile to weight them out, bag and label. Dry hops are yet to be weighed out. Total boil/steep/dry hops for heady was 3oz, Pliney was 2oz. The wife usually doesn't mind me brewing in the kitchen, mostly because she can't smell, she could smell the hops and complained.

Your wife can't smell?

I would have screwed up doing all the different schedules. The heady clone I did actually came with hop oil syringes!

Do you have a copy of the pliney clone?

 

[ayrlander]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

Personally, I just pitch a whole vial/pack. From what I've learned from Jamil's shows and from the Starter tab on BrewSmith, the vial is best for about 2.5gal anyway if you don't make a starter. So I figure if I'm doing a 1 gallon batch, I'm just overpitching, which has never given me a problem.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Personally, I just pitch a whole vial/pack. From what I've learned from Jamil's shows and from the Starter tab on BrewSmith, the vial is best for about 2.5gal anyway if you don't make a starter. So I figure if I'm doing a 1 gallon batch, I'm just overpitching, which has never given me a problem.

Would likely be fine for most brews, I just prefer to be as consistent as possible so I always do a calculatIon and make an appropriate sized starter.

FYI wyeast guarantees at least 100B cells, while I have a white labs pure pitch in my fridge that only has 31B cells... Emailed them but haven't gotten a response yet. You can get accurate cell counts at the white labs website "yeastman" qc reports.

For small batches I usually pour some of the smack pack into a 50mL vial and two 2mL tubes to be frozen for later. The rest goes into a starter to be pitched at high krausen ~8 hours.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Your wife can't smell?

I would have screwed up doing all the different schedules. The heady clone I did actually came with hop oil syringes!

Do you have a copy of the pliney clone?

Nope she can't smell, I can fart in the car on a hot summer day and she can't smell it.


Recipe: The Plinian Legacy Double IPA AGK 1g
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 1.79 gal
Post Boil Volume: 1.04 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 1.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 1.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.080 SG
Estimated Color: 7.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 195.6 IBUs
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
2 lbs 13 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
2.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM)
2.0 oz Carastan (35.0 SRM)
0.04 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Mash Hop
0.30 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 90.
0.14 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 45.
0.14 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min
2.3 oz Corn Syrup (1.0 SRM) Flame Out
0.36 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20min
0.21 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20min
0.29 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop
0.19 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days
0.19 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days
0.10 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop
0.10 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.05 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.05 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

I took the NB Pliney Clone scaled it with BeerSmith and subbed the Hop Shot with Columbus to match IBU.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Recipe: Off the Topper AGK 1g
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 1.79 gal
Post Boil Volume: 1.04 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 1.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 1.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.084 SG
Estimated Color: 11.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 189.2 IBUs
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM)
2.0 oz Caramel Malt - 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM)
2.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
5.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Flame out
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 90 min
0.38 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.19 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.19 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.10 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.38 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

Same here took a NB clone and scaled it down. Subbed Galena hops for Apollo sine the store I was at didn't have Apollo. Subbed some biscuit malt along with the 2 row for Pearl Malt and subbed c20 for for light carastan.

 

[PiCzech]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

I used White Lab's vials and marked it into 5 divisions and poured in a 1/5 each batch. I've never had an issue. But now I guess they're going to plastic packages. I used a wyeast smack pack, poured it into a flask and poured in about half. Worked well too.

 

[DurhamUK]

Going to do my first 1 Gallon Batch, is it ok to put the mash in the oven on low to keep temp? (Goint to use a grain bag)

I have a 5 Gallon Tun but dont want to waste Wort in the bottom.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

is it ok to put the mash in the oven on low to keep

Yep nothing wrong with that, may want to turn the oven off after it warms up if your lowest setting is too hot for the mash.

I have a 5 Gallon Tun but dont want to waste Wort in the bottom.

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

 

[DurhamUK]

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that.

Is it better to mash then sperge then Lift the bag in Single Vessel or just Mash in the Total water volume (assuming 1.5gal for 1gal brew?)

 

[bransona]

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

Thanks for that.

Is it better to mash then sperge then Lift the bag in Single Vessel or just Mash in the Total water volume (assuming 1.5gal for 1gal brew?)[/QUOTE]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

 

[DurhamUK]

Thanks for the help, about to get my 1st 1gal batch brewed, cant wait.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

I think everybody does this slightly differently. I'm too lazy to squeeze, after the mash I put the bag, or in my case basket, on a grate over the kettle and pour room temp water over till I get my boil volume. A lazy man's sparge.

 

[bleme]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

This is what I do too, even on my 5 gallon batches, and I am regularly between 85-91% efficiency.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

Yep nothing wrong with that, may want to turn the oven off after it warms up if your lowest setting is too hot for the mash.




IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

I mash my one gallon recipe in the oven for 70 minutes and have the temp set to the lowest setting which in may case is 170. I stir the mash every 20 minutes. So far, temp may go up or down 1 degree depending upon your target mash temp. With 152, it remains the same.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

Wow, 70min is a long time to mash.