1 gallon experimental batches

[ryan_howard]

I've really appreciated the different threads on small batch brewing. I'd like to get set up for 1-gallon fermenting mostly for experimentation. For example, I'd like to prepare a 5 gallon wort, then separate it into different fermenters with differs yeasts so that I can start to learn the qualities of different yeasts. Or, use the same grain with different hops in small batches to get a better sense of the different hops.

What would you say are the merits or problems of each of the following in small batch brewing? Which would you use?

1) one gallon glass jugs (I think they are typically a little bigger than a gallon)
2) 2 gallon plastic fermenters
3) 3 gallon glass carboy

Are there other fermenter options?

 

[SilvaRizla]

If you're just testing 1 gallons are fine, thats what I use when experimenting. 4 pints are more than enough to know which one you like best - I take it you're using a wort you know well? What is it? Which yeasts are you thinking of using and what is your predicted ABV?

 

[RobertRGeorge]

1: My gallon glass jugs hold 3.78 liters
2: Might be better because you will need some headspace if you don't want to lose any wort to krausen overflow
3: Might work well to contain krausen but there will be a lot of air in there with unknown quantity of microbes in it if you fill only one-third full.

 

[onipar]

I haven't tried this yet, but I'd like to soon.

The way I was thinking I'd do it was to do maybe only three 1 gallon glass jugs, and then put whatever was left into a three gallon bucket (which are the most common size I've found when going to get free buckets from the bakery in my supermarket). Or the 3 gallon glass carboy you mentioned. My reasoning: this way I can leave enough room in the 1 gallon jugs so there isn't possibility of blow off. (I'm not too worried about headspace in primary because of all the co2 pushing out. For secondary, that's another story.)

You could probably achieve the same results by filling five gallons into six 1 gallon jugs. I just don't have that many glass jugs on hand, which is why I was going to do the bucket thing.

Cheers!

 

[ryan_howard]

Wow! Thanks for the fast responses!

I don't have a particular wort in mind, but in scientific terms, I'd like to control for all possible variables except one (e.g. Hops or yeast - I think the grains would be a different animal).

I think i am leaning towards six 1- gallon jugs. I hadn't thought of that, but that would really let me vary quite a few combinations at one time. I could even split two 2.5 gallon batches each into three jugs each.

Actually, that is pretty exciting. I'm not sure how to type my thoughts here, but I could split an extract into two batches, use a different hops in each batch (wort 1 and wort 2). Then, if I had three yeasts (a, b, c), I could have six small batches like this: 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c. That would set up some great experiments!

 

[SilvaRizla]

Wow! Thanks for the fast responses!

I don't have a particular wort in mind, but in scientific terms, I'd like to control for all possible variables except one (e.g. Hops or yeast - I think the grains would be a different animal).

I think i am leaning towards six 1- gallon jugs. I hadn't thought of that, but that would really let me vary quite a few combinations at one time. I could even split two 2.5 gallon batches each into three jugs each.

Actually, that is pretty exciting. I'm not sure how to type my thoughts here, but I could split an extract into two batches, use a different hops in each batch (wort 1 and wort 2). Then, if I had three yeasts (a, b, c), I could have six small batches like this: 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c. That would set up some great experiments!

You could do but try not to complicate things too much too soon, you'd be best brewing something you know as a good control, I do it as follows: 1 gallon exactly the same as usual, 2 gallons with different yeasts but the same hops, 2 gallons with the same yeast but each with different hops. :rockin:

 

[Calichusetts]

I do 1 gallon double brew days...really enjoy it. Its awesome for experimenting. I have 6 1 gallon carboys and I bought two ice cube coolers to use as a swamp cooler. Doing double batches means you can basically use 1 dry yeast packet without worry. Go for it, I've done so many different experiments and love it

 

[gwdraper4]

We really like the 2 gallon fermenting buckets...because they have plenty of head space and you can get a 12 pack out of each fermentor easily. Plus it makes it easy to scale down a 5/6 gallon regular homebrew recipe from 48 finished beers to 12...just 25% of all your original weights and volumes. Experimenting is fun! Check out our adventures at our website: www.smallbatchhomebrew.com