1 gallon batch equip. advice

[trevelynzx]

Hey all. Looking into doing 1gallon batches as a pilot system for recipes on my 10gal setup. Planning to use 1g wine jugs for fermentation (but open to other suggestions!).

Looking for your experiences/ advice on equipment. Specifically:
1) Keg options for 1 gal?
2) Closed transfers from FV?

Thanks!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

1) www.growlerwerks.com

2) No experience there.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I do 1-gal batches of cider/mead and occasionally beer. No-sparge BIAB is best for the small volume in my opinion. Wilser bag.

For small jugs, get a mini auto-siphon for transferring and a turkey baster for taking gravity samples. Use Foam control (Fermcap) and a blow-off tube.

However, I recommend Fermonsters are available as 1-gal widemouth PET fermenters with spigots -- easier sampling, easier racking, more headspace, & no risk of catastrophic breakage. You can do closed transfers.

I bottle, so I can't help with kegging.
Consider asking on this thread if you don't get adequate responses here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/1-gallon-brewers-unite.311884/

Cheers

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Fermonsters are available as 1-gal widemouth PET fermenters with spigots

Worth looking into - thanks!

 

[Steveruch]

One gallon kits aren't really big enough for a one gallon batch. I have a couple of two gallon food grade buckets to do small batches. They have enough head space to easily go up to 1.5 gallon batches.

 

[trevelynzx]

Thanks for the replies so far. Still mulling this over before committing to any purchases. Will keep the thread updated.

 

[ThenFalcon]

I'm also using two gallon buckets for small batches since they're only $5 including the lid. I drill a hole in the lid and add a rubber grommet to hold an airlock or blowoff tube. You can add spigot if you want to do closed transfers.

For kegging, I have a couple of 5L "iKegger" style kegs and a mini regulator connected to a 20oz paintball tank.

 

[mashpaddled]

There are one gallon corny kegs out there but you're almost certainly buying them new and they cost as much as five gallon kegs. Unless you intend to burn through a lot of one gallon kegs it would be cheaper to use a five gallon keg you already have (or bought used) and fill it with one gallon of beer and four gallons of CO2.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Looking into doing 1gallon batches as a pilot system for recipes on my 10gal setup.

For many people who brew smaller batches, batch size is 2.5 gallons. 5 gallon kettles and 3 gallon carboys (and related stuff for closed transfers) seems to work well for them.

Personally, I target a packaging size (six pack: 1 gallon carboy; 12 pack: two gallon food grade bucket; 24 pack, see above).

 

[Leezer]

I love using the Little Big Mouth Bubbler for my 1G batches. It's a little larger than 1G so it provides the extra room needed. Also, I like the wide opening, easy to clean, and you can see what's happening inside.

 

[McKnuckle]

You can always purge a serving keg with CO2 from your tank, but it is a bit wasteful and that annoys some people (like me).

Alternately, if you rig up a way to fill the empty serving keg with CO2 from the primary fermentation, you can then transfer to this keg and have the headspace be comprised entirely of CO2. As such, the amount of headspace doesn't really matter - you can put 1 gallon into a 2.5, 3, or 5 gallon corny.

I have done this recently with a Mosaic hopped lager, which is definitely a delicate and aromatic beer that can be easily oxidized, and it worked very well.