1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[hilljack13]

Started a gallon of hard cider today.

Have you tried any other flavors like raspberry or blueberry? I have had the commercial type and really want to do my own.

 

[RevA]

Have you tried any other flavors like raspberry or blueberry? I have had the commercial type and really want to do my own.

I've made a few yes. Backsweetened they are very tasty. I have used juice when I could get some, but more often frozen berries.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I saw this article pop up:
https://hazyandhoppy.com/the-craft-master-uni-the-smallest-unitank-for-homebrewing/
If you are wondering, they are listed at MoreBeer for the low, low price of $425. At that price point, I have to believe they are selling more for being a cool looking growler than anybody practically using them for brewing small batches.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/craft-master-growlers-1-gallon-uni-brushed-finish.html

 

[nanobrau]

Wow, thanks for posting this! I shopped around trying to get quotes to make a custom welded tank like this and couldn't get anyone to bite at that size. I was prepared to drop serious money on it since I'm dedicated to the 1-2 gallon brewing scale. I'm pretty stoked.

brb while I measure my fermenter space

 

[HardyFool]

I just discovered an effect that I thought would be worth sharing.

I've been using an Inkbird temp controller with its probe set in a thermowell in the fermenting beer to control temperatures. While this certainly works, in logging my fermenter temps with a Tilt and TiltPi, I discovered something interesting: because I've set the cold outlet on the Inkbird to a fridge set to like 38˚, and the hot to a heating blanket, the Inkbird basically slams the fermenter between my temp limits, say 67-69 for a 68 set point, fairly frequently, as you can see below.

To circumvent this, here are two interesting options:

1. set the hot and cold outlets to cooling/heating devices that are simply less powerful. One of my fermentation chambers is a wine fridge w/ a temp setting, for example. Alternatively, if you're insane, you could chain together three Inkbirds, and have the main hot outlet control a subordinate Inkbird which controls the heating blanket, and is set to bring ambient to like 75˚
2. Much more sane: for the initial fermentation, where the heat derived from the exothermic fermentation process would normally bring your fermenter temp several degrees, potentially, above ambient, control your fermentation chamber with a probe set in a thermowell, but after like five days, just use ambient as your set point, evening out your temp fluctuations - this is what you can see in my chart

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

HomeBrew Con 2023: Small Batch Brewing: Make Great Beer One Gallon at a Time (link to PDF / audio downloads).

Solid overview of 1 gal all-grain brewing for those who don't have time to read the most recent five years of posts here. Some (new to me) ideas for those thinking of kegging small batches and for those who thinking of mashing/sparging, rather than BIAB.

Many ideas would likely "scale up" towards 2.5 gal batches.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

HomeBrew Con 2023: Small Batch Brewing: Make Great Beer One Gallon at a Time (link to PDF / audio downloads).

Dan and I are close friends...aka I ran into him at Homebrew Con 2022, we occasionally comment on each other posts online, and we swap that common greeting "we should get together for a beer when you are in town."

He does post some educational stuff on his Instagram (with some 5 gallon stuff as well lately): Login • Instagram

 

[stricklandia]

Forgive me asking questions that may have already been answered in this thread, but WOW—187 pages of posts, dating back to 2012! (I did search first, though, and am not finding my answer.)

For you small-batch brewers (1-gal or 2.5-gal), what are you fermenting in? I understand BIAB instead of using a separate MLT, and a smaller kettle is a no-brainer. But do you ferment in a full-size carboy? I've read that the extra headroom (especially if a 1-gal batch in a 5-gal carboy, for example) can negatively affect your beer. Conversely, fermenting a 1-gal batch in a 1-gal jug seems like just asking for trouble (krausen overflow).

ETA: Sorry, search fail. I found some answers after trying another search. But would still be interested in thoughts about excessive headroom in a carboy (say, 2.5-gal batch in 5- or 6.5-gal carboy).

 

[ba-brewer]

I ferment 2gal batches in 3gal better bottle carboys(can do 2 side by side in mini fridge), also use a 3.5gal SSbrewtech mini brew bucket for 2 to 3gal batches(3gal could be messy with the wrong yeast I mostly do lager in that one). I have a 3gal speidel that have done 2.5gal batches in.

2gal food safe bucket work great for 1gal batches, easy to add holes for spigots and airlocks if needed.

 

[RevA]

90% of the time I ferment in glass. I have 8 1.2 gal carboys and 2 1.3 gal carboys. Works well and almost never goes out the airlock. In summer if it is very warm O use a 3 gal bucket.

 

[Leezer]

I ferment my 1G batches in a Little Big Mouth Bubbler. And the 2.5G in a 3G Better Bottle. Been happy with them.

 

[AlexKay]

I like the Little Big Mouth Bubbler (the plastic, but not the glass one with the spigot) for one-gallon batches. These days, though, I'm pretty much exclusively fermenting in 1.75, 2.5, and/or 3-gallon kegs.

I've done many 2.5-gallon batches in 5+-gallon fermenters with no ill effects. Fermentation generates a great deal of CO2, and you're going to clear out that headspace pretty fast and pretty thoroughly. The situation might change if you were doing a mid- or late-fermentation dry hop, I suppose.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

For you small-batch brewers (1-gal or 2.5-gal), what are you fermenting in?

I have 2 pairs of Little BMBs, (glass), a pair of 2 gal pails, and a 3 gal (plastic) carboy.

Most of my recipes are in the 1.75 (pails) or 2.5 gal (carboy) range. The Little BMBs are useful for split batches (1.25 gal going into the fermenter).

I also have a number of 12 qt dish pan bins. One of their many uses is providing handles for the Little BMBs (as well as the pails and carboy).

The 1 gal carboys are useful for holding sanitizer.

 

[bike2brew]

3.5 gal Ss Brewtech bucket. Yes can be messy when filled to 3 gal. So try to limit @ 2 to 2.5. Also have cooling coil in top for fermentation temp control. Good system when combined with larger fermenter for big batches or stand alone for new recipes.

 

[IrondaleBrewing]

Forgive me asking questions that may have already been answered in this thread, but WOW—187 pages of posts, dating back to 2012! (I did search first, though, and am not finding my answer.)

For you small-batch brewers (1-gal or 2.5-gal), what are you fermenting in? I understand BIAB instead of using a separate MLT, and a smaller kettle is a no-brainer. But do you ferment in a full-size carboy? I've read that the extra headroom (especially if a 1-gal batch in a 5-gal carboy, for example) can negatively affect your beer. Conversely, fermenting a 1-gal batch in a 1-gal jug seems like just asking for trouble (krausen overflow).

ETA: Sorry, search fail. I found some answers after trying another search. But would still be interested in thoughts about excessive headroom in a carboy (say, 2.5-gal batch in 5- or 6.5-gal carboy).

For 1 gallon batches I use the plastic 1.4 gallon Northern Brewer Little Big Mouth Bubblers which have been working great. For 2-3 gallon batches I have a couple of 3 gallon Fermonsters I'm planning on using, and I also have a 4 gallon Anvil Bucket. And I have some bigger stuff (NB Reactor and a couple of 5 gallon Big Mouth Bubblers) for larger batches.

All that's to say that I like having fermenters that are the right size for the batch.

I've read mixed info about the too much headroom issue but consensus seems to be in the extreme it could be detrimental. Doing a 3 gallon batch in a 5 gallon fermenter? Probably fine. Doing a 1 gallon batch in a 6.5 gallon fermenter? Probably want to avoid that.

 

[nanobrau]

I’ve removed all glass from my brewing process. I ferment in a 2.5gal Torpedo Slim keg.

 

[RevA]

Here is one of the reasons I like glass. There was a pellicle. If I was fermenting in plastic I would have tossed the fermenter.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

... pairs of Little BMBs (glass) ...

So now that the hazards of glass fermenters has been covered, anyone interested in sharing how they split 2.5 gal batches?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

For those who choose to troubleshoot rather than switch to something else, there's an interesting topic on siphons / auto-siphons over here (link), including some "new to me" approaches that I haven't seen in 8+ years I've been home brewing.

 

[DuhokBrewer]

I just brewed my 3rd batch (all one gallon each). The first 2 were extract. This was my first all grain attempt (a Wee Heavy) and it seemed to go well. But I need a bigger pot to make all grain easier.

 

[rizziot]

This seems like a long dead thread now, but has anyone tried or seen the 1 gallon unitank on the back of Zymurgy last month? I do 5 and 10 gallon batches typically but want to start experimenting new recipes in 1 gallon size vs making a terrible batch of 5 gallons (I cannot bring myself to just dump them lol) . I've not found very much as far as reviews go and was curious if anyone had any experience with it.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

the 1 gallon unitank on the back of Zymurgy last month

The last page of the Nov/Dec digital magazine was an ad for the "uni" by Craft Master.

Is this the product you are referring to? The Uni - Combo Unitank & Growler For Small Batch Craft Beer

 

[Yesfan]

The last page of the Nov/Dec digital magazine was an ad for the "uni" by Craft Master.

Is this the product you are referring to? The Uni - Combo Unitank & Growler For Small Batch Craft Beer

Ugh, $435 (after shipping) for a 1 gallon unitank is WAY too much money imo. You can get a 1.5 gallon slimline Torpedo keg w/ floating dip tube for $118 from More Beer and have a half gallon of extra headroom, plus free shipping. I mentioned the Slimline because it's a slightly taller keg so that might benefit using a floating dip tube more than in the shorter standard Torpedo keg.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

This seems like a long dead thread now

I think everybody has converted over to brewing 1 gallon batches, and they are all busy drinking the wide variety of beers they have made.

I believe that mini growler/fermenter was mentioned at one point in this thread. It is definitely priced at as a luxury item. I wonder how many of them have been sold.

I need to get back into brewing some 1-gallon (ish)sized batches. I recently added a 1-gallon ManCan growler with ball lock attachments to my equipment. So far I have only used it once to take beer to a party (transferred from a larger keg). I also picked up three 1.75 gal kegs (a friend was picking up some items from a Craigslist sale; these were listed as "1 gallon kegs" for $55 each; I was hoping they were actually 1 gallon kegs but figured they were likely larger).

 

[RevA]

This seems like a long dead thread now, but has anyone tried or seen the 1 gallon unitank on the back of Zymurgy last month? I do 5 and 10 gallon batches typically but want to start experimenting new recipes in 1 gallon size vs making a terrible batch of 5 gallons (I cannot bring myself to just dump them lol) . I've not found very much as far as reviews go and was curious if anyone had any experience with it.

Looked at it yes.
But at that price I can buy a few normal 1 gallon kegs ferment in them and transfer under pressure should the fancy take me.
That said many of us still brew one gallon in our glass fermenters and bottle.

 

[Drewch]

Looked at it yes.
But at that price I can buy a few normal 1 gallon kegs ferment in them and transfer under pressure should the fancy take me.
That said many of us still brew one gallon in our glass fermenters and bottle.

I've been slowly building up my connection of small kegs (2 - 2.5 gallon) with the same idea.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

I'm gonna be getting back into the 1 gallon game soon. Have a gift idea that I dont' want to brew 5 gallons.

 

[RevA]

Bottled a one gallon NEIPA today and put a SMASH IPA in the fermenter. Wanted to test a new hop

 

[RevA]

Not beer but my current one gallon wine attempts. Multiple versions of mixed berry wine and a bit of blueberry

 

[hilljack13]

blueberry

I find myself thirsty all of a sudden