I'm very new to home brewing... actually, I haven't even bought my first set of equipment yet, hence this question.
It seems that the standard batch size is 5 gal - the local brew shop (Annapolis Home Brew) seems to only sell recipes and kits at that size.
However, there are a number of very good reasons why smaller sizes would be better for me:
So a few questions:
1. Can I make decent beer in smaller batches?
2. Can I take a 5 gal recipe and do the math to cut back the ingredients proportionally for a smaller brew, or will I have to find recipes intended for smaller batches?
3. Can I use a larger primary fermenter for a smaller brew (e.g, 6.5 gal carboy for 3 gallons of wort)? Obviously the secondary fermenter's size should match.
Thanks in advance!
It seems that the standard batch size is 5 gal - the local brew shop (Annapolis Home Brew) seems to only sell recipes and kits at that size.
However, there are a number of very good reasons why smaller sizes would be better for me:
- I already own most of the pots/utensils I'd need for full boils of smaller (3 gallon) batches.
- I live in a small house with not much storage space
- It would take me a very long time to drink 50 bottles of beer.
- I'm very scientific minded - I'd love to experiment with different things and play around with variables, rather than committing to a few large batches.
So a few questions:
1. Can I make decent beer in smaller batches?
2. Can I take a 5 gal recipe and do the math to cut back the ingredients proportionally for a smaller brew, or will I have to find recipes intended for smaller batches?
3. Can I use a larger primary fermenter for a smaller brew (e.g, 6.5 gal carboy for 3 gallons of wort)? Obviously the secondary fermenter's size should match.
Thanks in advance!