1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[sumbrewindude]

Love the color on that beer, DeeringBrewing! Home malt also, that's impressive!

Finally working on getting the pipeline going again!

ESB (Hornet) is in the keg and conditioning, Mild08 (Marches) is just about ready for the kreusen to drop, and I picked up the grains/yeast for the Winter Warmer and ANOTHER MILD (RedHen).

That'll hopefully fill some kegs for the Holiday season!

 

[Zekk]

BBS recipes always call for 3 tbls of honey for a One Gallon batch but I got a few gushers so I scaled back to 2 1/2 tbls. No problems since!!!

I made a recipe of theirs and it called for agave for priming. All but one gushed, the one that didn't had the top break off when I tried to open it. Definitely scale back on priming.

 

[deeringbrewing]

Thanks sumbrewendude. What are you guys using for corn priming sugar for say a 500mill bottle? I put 3.3 grams/500 bottle in the above batch.
Another week I will find out.

 

[ohiobeer29]

BBS recipes always call for 3 tbls of honey for a One Gallon batch but I got a few gushers so I scaled back to 2 1/2 tbls. No problems since!!!

Ah ha I see

 

[sumbrewindude]

Deeringbrewing - 500ml bottles are about our 16oz bottles I think?

I do have a few 16oz bottles but I usually fill them from the keg (pre-carbed). I will bottle condition in the 12oz (375ml) and 22.5oz (675ml?) bombers, and for those I use regular while table sugar - specifically the Domino's Sugar Cubes in the yellow box. One cube to a 12oz, two cubes to a bomber, and carbonation has been perfect each time at right about 2.3ppm.

I used dextrose/corn sugar to bottle initially, but I didn't see a huge difference between it and table sugar other than I already had table sugar and I had to buy dextrose. So when I ran out of dextrose, I switched.

I'm not really sure how it'd work with the 500ml bottles...


In other news, I finally have a small krausen on my Winter Warmer, only took 2 days to show up - had me worried. I thought I might have under pitched it, so I ran the numbers and I WAY underpitched. Was going to get some more yeast (3787), but remembered I had a full package of Fermentis Abbaye in the freezer - I was kind of meh on the thought of mixing the yeasts, but I had it and the LHBS was closed when I got off work.

Sooooooo happy to see that thin creamy krausen and the airlock perking up... hopefully by morning she'll be raging away.

Go yeasties, GO GO GO!

 

[deeringbrewing]

Cool thanks for the helpSBD.

 

[sumbrewindude]

No problem Deeringbrewing! Hope I was at least a little helpful!

Update on the Winterwarmer -

Any worries I had about underpitching/poor airation/no activity are gone. This yeast (Trappist HG) is out of control. I put a 3gal batch into a 5.5gal fermenter, and the kruesen is now up to the airlock. I've never had to rig up a blow off, thinking that having at least half the wort volume available for kruesen was enough. I've rigged up a blow off - I don't want to mop a popcorn ceiling.

Smell is amazing. I need to get some cherries.... why do I not have a Belgian on tap at all times?

 

[Metal_Militia]

Hey guys. Just got my first 1 gallon brew kit the other day! Done a lot of reading on here in the past, but excited to actually brew something! Just got a basic 1 gallon kit with a pale ale kit. Was considering using different ingredients than what's in it, but maybe I should just keep it simple?
Right now just have an electric stovetop that isn't exactly the greatest for heating large amounts of liquid well.. was considering maybe doing it on an old grill? (Would that work??)

what a long ass thread! Don't even know where to start

 

[sumbrewindude]

Welcome Metal Militia!

It IS a long ass thread - but it's only because it contains so much awesome info (and some great recipes too) that pertains to all the different facets of small batch brewing. Take your time, split it up, but it IS a great read.

Where to start? Ask questions like you're doing now!

I'd recommend keeping the pale ale kit as it is - but if you feel like you want to spice it up a little, maybe consider changing out the hops or yeast. What kit did you get? What was included in the package? Do you have the directions? If you got a pale ale kit, I'll guess that you like hoppy beers. Do you have a favorite beer you enjoy to drink?

For a 1gal brew, you'll be boiling about 2gal of liquid (more or less). Most standard coil top stoves can boil 2gal of liquid so you should be fine. A grill would NOT be the best way, as the burners are too far away from the pot, and the flame pattern really isn't centered. A turkey frier burner would be way overkill for a gallon batch. I vote use the stove.

Welcome to the fun!

:rockin:

 

[Metal_Militia]

Yo Dude thanks for the reply.

It was a gift from my bro, 'black series' 1 gallon brew kit, from 'shift3' just generic ingredients - row + crystal malt, 'hops' haha and yeast, no specifics.

You do have a good point about the amount of liquid. I cook, and cook pasta, etc, takes a while but no real problems.

I drink a lot of diff. beer, just never had the $/place to do it. Drinking a really good Deviant Dale's IPA (oskar blues) right now.
Turns out I have 2 6+ qt copper bottomed pots kicking around too so thats convenient. Need bottles etc that should be about it. cant wait!

 

[revhewett]

I just started brewing. My wife got me a one gallon starter kit and I started my first batch on Christmas day when I got it. So far, I love the outlook of the one gallon brewer. My brother in law brews quite often. Big, small, medium. He's an awesome brewer and can change anything on a dime. From his perspective, he has more fun doing small gallon brews. He's given me advice on tons of things. One thing was something he loves doing. He said one of his favorite things is to brew a 5 gallon batch and then split it up current ways (citrus in one, raspberries in another, etc.) My goal, currently, is to keep brewing recipe kits on a one week rotation while getting good at this stuff. My wife made this possible when I mentioned it by ordering 3 more fermentors. So, soon enough, I should have a good rotation of constantly brewing, fermenting, bottling, and drinking. The greatest part??? I get to have many different flavors on hand, and if I screw it up, I throw away one gallon, not five.

 

[jwaltlayne]

Almost 20 years ago I received Mr. Beer as a gift. I brewed through their then very limited catalog and grew bored with the if you can boil you can call yourself a brewer approach. I gave the kit to a guy who to my knowledge never did a thing with it.

I've crossed a lot of bridges since then and rafted the waters underneath. Traveled and written and been published and all that mess, but nothing satisfies like doing things myself and my adorable wife bought me a Brooklyn Brew Shop IPA kit for Christmas... I want to do their partial and all grain kits, but I also want to learn to do my own recipes.

Small batches are all we have room for in our two bedroom apartment with a two butt kitchen. Instead of bottling into singles I'm bottling into 1/2 gallon growlers. Over the last few years I've made mead, cured bacon, cured corned beef, made pastrami and sausages. My farmhouse cheddar cheese is preferred by my kids to Cabot Seriously Sharp... I want to really learn brewing in the same way. I'm glad this forum is here, I am sure there will be a tin of questions the second I open the box and get ready to brew.

 

[gromitdj]

Instead of bottling into singles I'm bottling into 1/2 gallon growlers.

There is some debate out there regarding the ability of growlers to stand up to the pressures of bottle conditioning. I'm not saying that it can't (or shouldn't be) done. Just want to give you a heads up. You should do a fair amount of research and decide if it is still something you want to do.

 

[30Bones]

Very odd. I am already out of (well one bomber left) from my 2 - ~2 gallon brews. I bottled a combination of 12 and 22oz bottles with one being a 32oz. I popped the 32oz on Christmas and it was a geyser of carbonation.

 

[Beersnob16]

I've never had any problems carbing in swing top bottles. I used the 16.9 Oz grolsh bottles for 5 gallon batches with absolutely no issues.

 

[Avocado_Power]

Wanted to second gromitdj's heads up. I've had success with regular bottles and bomber-sized ones. The only bottle bomb I've ever had is with a 32-oz growler. So do your research first - as it may not be as simple as just scaling up the sugar. And welcome to all the new Brewers! 2-butt kitchens practically mandate 1-gallon brewing.

 

[30Bones]

I use priming sugar that I mix into the beer before bottling like someone would on a "normal" sized batch so all should be the same no matter the bottle size. ASSuME

 

[SurfChris]

With the BBS 1g kit I have, I want to do BIAB instead. Basically do you just ignore the kit and instructions and just go BIAB route as if you had bought all the grains etc separate at a LHBS or online?

 

[ericbw]

With the BBS 1g kit I have, I want to do BIAB instead. Basically do you just ignore the kit and instructions and just go BIAB route as if you had bought all the grains etc separate at a LHBS or online?

Pretty much. Add all your water at the beginning. Or heat the sparge in another pot and dunk sparge.

 

[markb91]

After 4 days in my primary fermenter, my krausen has completely disappeared. My batch is starting to settle and I have a consistent temp of 64°. This is my first time having this problem. Thoughts?

 

[1977Brewer]

After 4 days in my primary fermenter, my krausen has completely disappeared. My batch is starting to settle and I have a consistent temp of 64°. This is my first time having this problem. Thoughts?

My first brew settled out in three days, I waited two more to bottle. Doesn't sound like there's a problem here.

 

[30Bones]

I always let my brews ferment 10-14 days. Just because it's stopped bubbling it's still finishing. I also cold crash for 2 days before bottling or kegging.

 

[markb91]

I always let my brews ferment 10-14 days. Just because it's stopped bubbling it's still finishing. I also cold crash for 2 days before bottling or kegging.

Alright, I will let you guys know. Thanks!

 

[markb91]

I always let my brews ferment 10-14 days. Just because it's stopped bubbling it's still finishing. I also cold crash for 2 days before bottling or kegging.

Alright, I will let you guys know. Thanks!

 

[BrotherBock]

Any 1 gallon brewers use their stirplate for any period of time for the batches? I'm thinking about putting my next 1 gallon batch on the stirplate for 24 hours to help give it a good start. Thoughts?

 

[sumbrewindude]

Any 1 gallon brewers use their stirplate for any period of time for the batches? I'm thinking about putting my next 1 gallon batch on the stirplate for 24 hours to help give it a good start. Thoughts?

I've got a brew friend that does this with his 5+ gal batches - he's got a huge lab grade stirplate and puts the whole carboy on it and lets it go for a few hours. His beers turn out great. He just hates fishing out the stirbar.

 

[Metal_Militia]

Hey guys have a question..
I was under the impression that extract brews generally don't include sparging? Looking over my instructions it says add both malts and grains, boil 60 min, then sparge the mash? Never done this before so thanks on advance!

 

[Metal_Militia]

After checking, my kit has no grains so idk why in directions.

 

[ericbw]

Hey guys have a question..
I was under the impression that extract brews generally don't include sparging? Looking over my instructions it says add both malts and grains, boil 60 min, then sparge the mash? Never done this before so thanks on advance!

Those instructions don't sound good. With extract, you steep the grains (call it mashing if you want), then you can sparge the grains. Then boil and add extract (some at the start, most at the end).

Do you need more complete and simple instructions?

 

[dadshomebrewing]

hi guys... i've been away a while.

how' tricks?

who's brewing what?

 

[dadshomebrewing]

Hey guys have a question..
I was under the impression that extract brews generally don't include sparging? Looking over my instructions it says add both malts and grains, boil 60 min, then sparge the mash? Never done this before so thanks on advance!

sounds like a partial mash to me... not officially an "extract brew".

for what it's worth, if you get good at partial mash brewing you can do just about anything, a gallon at a time.

it's worth learning...

that said, the sequence of steps doesn't sound right.

my sequence
1. heat up the water.
2. steep or mash the grain for an hour, off heat, with an attempt to keep the water as close to 160 as possible... btw, i use a grain bag, so i "tea-bag-it" a lot, and then call it a day for official sparging.

3. Use THAT as my wort that goes into the pot for the boil... add hops as you normally would

4. Add my extract very late in the boil, like in the last 10 minutes, so it doesn't caramelize... also reduces the opportunity for boil-over in my wife's kitchen.

et voila... you can brew anything.

 

[dadshomebrewing]

Any 1 gallon brewers use their stirplate for any period of time for the batches? I'm thinking about putting my next 1 gallon batch on the stirplate for 24 hours to help give it a good start. Thoughts?

never used a stirplate in my life for one gallon batches.

 

[Metal_Militia]

Dad - no grains so just an extract kit w weird directions

 

[newbrewerkaf]

How's that a drawback? I brew for fun. Been doing 5 gallon ag but want some little germs for sample batches.

 

[jd_brewing]

I've got a brew friend that does this with his 5+ gal batches - he's got a huge lab grade stirplate and puts the whole carboy on it and lets it go for a few hours. His beers turn out great. He just hates fishing out the stirbar.

I don't know how big a lab grade stir bar for a 5 gal carboy is but I use one of those magnetic handles for toddler proof cabinets to slide my bar up the side of the container and out of the top

 

[dadshomebrewing]

Dad - no grains so just an extract kit w weird directions

then there is no such thing as "sparging" for extract brews. where did you get those instructions from?

do you, perhaps, have some steeping grains, or something?

 

[sumbrewindude]

I don't know how big a lab grade stir bar for a 5 gal carboy is but I use one of those magnetic handles for toddler proof cabinets to slide my bar up the side of the container and out of the top

I think he's only using a 2" bar, I can ask him -

I know he uses the 6.5gal narrow neck carboys (the 6.5 stopper ones), so by the time the trub settles out and it's fermented for a week or so, he often forgets to drag the magnet up and out - most of his issues are forgetting, the other half is making the turn at the neck/mouth to get it out.



I've got a beer that needs to get into a keg and some grains that need to get into a carboy - sounds like a great weekend to brew!

:rockin:

 

[MXDXD]

hi guys... i've been away a while.

how' tricks?

who's brewing what?

Humm...
Might start contributing to this thread, as I'm a 1 gallon brewer (sometimes 2) myself.

Fermenting :
Strong Scotch Ale
Smoked Tea Porter

Conditionning :
Belgian Porter
Belgian IPA

Ready :
Smokey Foreign Stout
Optic/Bramling Cross SmaSh (British Summer Ale)
2-Row/Sterling SmaSh (Blonde Ale)

On Schedule :
Pentahopped IPA (Cascade, Chinook, Bramling Cross, Saphir, Northern Brewer) (might taste funny)
Something strange consisting in the following -- 1/3 Pils, 1/3 Vienna 1/3 Munich grain bill, in continuous hopping starting from 30 mins, hopping rate is BoPils-like and hop varieties are Spalt Select and Hallertauer. I dont know how to categorize that one. Oh, it will be a pseudo-lager with Notty.

In planning :
IRA
Schneider #5 clone with Galaxy instead
Belgian Pale Ale.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Humm...

Something strange consisting in the following -- 1/3 Pils, 1/3 Vienna 1/3 Munich grain bill, in continuous hopping starting from 30 mins, hopping rate is BoPils-like and hop varieties are Spalt Select and Hallertauer. I dont know how to categorize that one. Oh, it will be a pseudo-lager with Notty.

Sounds like the start of a Festbier, or an Oktober-fast, check out Yooper's recipe for ideas, but if it were me I'd just do a bittering addition with Hallertau, and then maybe something at 15min, but keeping the overall IBU down so it more malty than hoppy.

If you want to spin it a different way, pitch a classic Hefe yeast and you've got a dandy Damphbier.

:rockin:

Need to plan out a cream ale and an American Stout. I'm almost out of my hopbomb in the keezer...

 

[Oberon67]

I have two primaries going right now with Brooklyn Brew Shop kits... both of them the one-gallon kits for "Everyday IPA." When I stumbled across the forum someone mentioned in another post that there was a one-gallon brewing thread that newbs ought to read.

I had no idea there would be over 500 posts to the thread.

So once my IPAs are in the bottles I'm going to want to get those gallon jugs back into action... but not only are there beers to try (and my interests along these lines are super eclectic) but also all the millions of variations on ciders, wines, and mead...

I can tell this hobby is going to keep me busy for a while.

-Oberon