1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[Skeeter686]

You oven won’t do 113, 147, 152, etc.

I just looked at the manual for that crock pot. It says in probe mode you can set the temp between 100 and 200 F.

$50. This looks like it would work for grain for 1 gallon batches with a bag

I was considering setting the mash tun into a larger pot with a sous vide to maintain temperature, but that also won't do steps. I'd have to take the mash tun out, heat it up on the stove, and then set it back into the sous vide (which would hopefully have hit new target temperate by then). And I'm not even sure if that would work, because with the tun removed, the water level would probably be too low to operate the sous vide.

Maybe a crock pot could work.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I've been toying with getting an AIO for doing tiny experimental batches of about 1.25 gallons. It seems like it could be easier than dealing with trying to maintain temperatures on the stovetop.

Stable mash temperatures are a combination of grain weight and kettle insulation.

Currently, I brew 2.5 gal BIAB (+ dunk sparge) batches with an induction cook top using a 4 gal kettle. During the mash, the kettle is 1) double wrapped with reflectx, 2) lid is covered with a towel, and 3) mash capped. #1 & #2 result in a loss of 2-3F during a 60 min mash. Adding #3 results in a loss of 1F.

If I wanted 2 gal of wort at the end of the boil, I'd skip the sparge.

When I'm in the "exBEERiment'ing mood, I find that a 12 pack + some bottles (2 gal wort) is more useful than a 6-pack + some bottles (1.25 gal wort).

 

[Skeeter686]

@Bobby_M did something like you are contemplating as part of a larger project. Maybe this will fill your need?

This is interesting. Similar in a lot of ways to the Gigawort, I think, but maybe a lot cheaper, since I already have a spare Inkbird for temperature control. Although, I guess I'd probably need to pick up an appropriately sized hop spider.

I like the idea of an all-in-one, but if I can't find one, I'll make due.

Ideally, I'd also like to be able to use whatever solution I land on for also doing mid-sized batches (2.5 to 3 gallon), because it seems that I don't throw enough parties to support doing all 5-gallon batches.

 

[Skeeter686]

Stable mash temperatures are a combination of grain weight and kettle insulation.

True, but I've found that the smaller the batch size, the more it seems that my mash temperature changes over time. Maybe I just haven't been using adequate insulation.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I've found that the smaller the batch size, the more it seems that my mash temperature changes over time. Maybe I just haven't been using adequate insulation

My guess is that that the lower limit for stable mash temperature with BIAB (eta: using a wrapped kettle) is 2.0 gal or 1.75 gal.

 

[BadKarma]

I've been brewing a long time, since I was in collage in the late 90s. The last 7 or 8 years has been small scale, 1-2.5 gallons. I've moved to BIAB with a sous vide, for ease of operation. These last 5 years have been a struggle with health issues and age. So the easier I can make it, the better off I am. Plus, I like a variety, so 10 bottles is more than enough for me.

I have found that using my induction plate in combination with the wand makes temp control rather easy for me. I set my plate to about 10 degrees below my mash temp and the wand to ease up to the mash temp seems to hold pretty well. I also set a lid on top the best I can and wrap the kettle with a blanket and we're off to the races. has worked pretty well for me so far.

Never stop experimenting, thats half the fun!!!

 

[IrondaleBrewing]

I was also checking out the Gigawort, but it seems to be not much more than a commercial coffee maker.

It's definitely not fancy, hence why I'm adding the pump and accessories, but I've found it to be good for small batches. Brew Bag (https://www.brewinabag.com/) makes a 200 micron bag sized for the Gigawort and in my experience it holds temperature decently; probably will be even better with recirculation.

If you reach out to KegLand directly or MoreBeer they should be able to give you confirmation on the smallest batch size for the 35L Brewzilla, but I've seen discussions both here and elsewhere of people doing batches as small as 3 liters.

 

[bwible]

I want to ask the question about batch sizes, recipes, fermenter sizes, and the number of bottles you’re getting.

The couple batches I’ve done I figured recipes as 1.75 gal going into the brewpot, boil down to 1.25 gallons after an hour.

There’s waste from the boil, does everybody just dump all that in?

Then its a balancing act with these fermenter sizes. You have to leave head space for fermentation and you’re also going to have waste/lees/fermentation byproduct in the bottom after fermentation is complete.

I have a little big mouth bubbler for the primary. If I use the one with the valve I can bottle straight out of that. Or I have 1 gallon glass jugs I can syphon to for settling or clearing or dry hopping, etc.

Either way I’m getting about 9 bottles. I’d like to find a way to get an even 12 bottles after all is said and done. 144 oz of finished beer. Like I would buy at the store. Its 1 gallon + 16 oz. Not to be greedy but I’d like to get those couple extra bottles for the effort. I’m scaling down from 3 gallons because for most beers I don’t even want 30. But 12 doesn’t seem unreasonable. 12, not 9.

I’m thinking I could go just a little bigger and use something like a 3 gallon fermonster with a valve and bottle straight out of that. But for the ones that need a second stage like a barleywine or something I’m having a problem finding the right size secondary. The 1 gallon jugs are exactly 1 gallon. The fermonster or the 1.4 big mouth have wide mouths so do we worry about exposure? And there will be still be waste after racking.

What are you using and how is it working out for you?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

12-pack with LBMB? In the past, when attempting to squeeze a 12-pack out of my "no spigot" (glass) LBMBs, I would brew 1.5 gal batches (end of boil) and transfer clear wort to just above the "neckline" (see arrow below). With appropriate recipe selection (no FV additions, ...), appropriate yeast selection, and the "tilt the FV" trick, I could get out almost all the beer out with a mini-auto-siphon. And, with careful bottle filling, in most cases, that was enough for a 12-pack.

12-pack using 2 gal pail with spigot? This may be an alternative for those who want to 'dump it all in'. The trub would likely fill up most of the 'dead space' below the spigot. I have a couple of "no spigot" 2 gal pails. If I want an 'easy' 12-pack + a bottle or two , I'll target 1.75 gal (end of boil) and dump most of the wort in.

 

[AlexKay]

I want to ask the question about batch sizes, recipes, fermenter sizes, and the number of bottles you’re getting.

The couple batches I’ve done I figured recipes as 1.75 gal going into the brewpot, boil down to 1.25 gallons after an hour.

There’s waste from the boil, does everybody just dump all that in?

Then its a balancing act with these fermenter sizes. You have to leave head space for fermentation and you’re also going to have waste/lees/fermentation byproduct in the bottom after fermentation is complete.

I have a little big mouth bubbler for the primary. If I use the one with the valve I can bottle straight out of that. Or I have 1 gallon glass jugs I can syphon to for settling or clearing or dry hopping, etc.

Either way I’m getting about 9 bottles. I’d like to find a way to get an even 12 bottles after all is said and done. 144 oz of finished beer. Like I would buy at the store. Its 1 gallon + 16 oz. Not to be greedy but I’d like to get those couple extra bottles for the effort. I’m scaling down from 3 gallons because for most beers I don’t even want 30. But 12 doesn’t seem unreasonable. 12, not 9.

I’m thinking I could go just a little bigger and use something like a 3 gallon fermonster with a valve and bottle straight out of that. But for the ones that need a second stage like a barleywine or something I’m having a problem finding the right size secondary. The 1 gallon jugs are exactly 1 gallon. The fermonster or the 1.4 big mouth have wide mouths so do we worry about exposure? And there will be still be waste after racking.

What are you using and how is it working out for you?

There are a few questions here!

I usually put most of the kettle contents in the fermenter — I may try to exclude sludge, but I don’t stress it too much. While it seems intuitive that clearer wort into the fermenter would make clearer beer, I don’t know that any evidence supports this.

I don’t think there’s any problem using a 3-gallon Fermonster for primary fermentation. The yeast will deal with the oxygen in the headspace.

The easy answer for a secondary is “don’t use a secondary.” But I’m assuming this is not helpful to you. I don’t think the wide mouth on the LBMB is actually a problem. If you’re interested in minimizing headspace, there are always glass marbles.

I ferment small batches in 1.75-gallon kegs with floating dip tubes (Flotit 2.0.) I haven’t used one for secondary so far, but there’s no reason you couldn’t daisy chain 3 together, primary in the first, transfer to the second, and then later to the third. All closed transfers, of course. But for three 1.75-gallon kegs and two FlotIts, you’re probably north of $400.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I may try to exclude sludge, but I don’t stress it too much.

That's where I'm at (at the moment). I'm using slightly larger FV to get 12-pack, 18-pack, and (occasionally) 24-pack results when bottling.

While it seems intuitive that clearer wort into the fermenter would make clearer beer, I don’t know that any evidence supports this.

For me, clearer wort (less trub) into the FV yields a couple of extra bottles when packaging. Clear beer (in the glass) seems (to me) to be orthogonal to reducing trub to maximize space for fermentable wort.

 

[AlexKay]

Bonus points for the use of “orthogonal.”

 

[bwible]

The easy answer for a secondary is “don’t use a secondary.”

I’m not intending to start this debate but thats going to be the next thing I want to research, more so for these smaller batches. I know people have said for years they don’t secondary. But is that really true for everything?

First, secondary is a terrible word. Theres only one fermentation. Its a settling or clearing step - breweries do it and they call it a bright tank.

Sure, you don’l need to secondary a hefeweizen. What about beers like barleywine, old ale, imperial stout, or others? Some of these I wood age with cubes or spirals. This is what I don’t have a feel for. I imagine some styles you could not and others maybe you do.

Most of the stuff out there is debate about general pros and cons and not much specific to different styles.

Yeah if I can get away with one vessel with a faucet that sounds easier.

 

[bwible]

12-pack with LBMB? In the past, when attempting to squeeze a 12-pack out of my "no spigot" (glass) LBMBs, I would brew 1.5 gal batches (end of boil) and transfer clear wort to just above the "neckline" (see arrow below). With appropriate recipe selection (no FV additions, ...), appropriate yeast selection, and the "tilt the FV" trick, I could get out almost all the beer out with a mini-auto-siphon. And, with careful bottle filling, in most cases, that was enough for a 12-pack.

12-pack using 2 gal pail with spigot? This may be an alternative for those who want to 'dump it all in'. The trub would likely fill up most of the 'dead space' below the spigot. I have a couple of "no spigot" 2 gal pails. If I want an 'easy' 12-pack + a bottle or two , I'll target 1.75 gal (end of boil) and dump most of the wort in.

View attachment 872000​

This is helpful. Thank You

 

[bwible]

12-pack with LBMB? In the past, when attempting to squeeze a 12-pack out of my "no spigot" (glass) LBMBs, I would brew 1.5 gal batches (end of boil) and transfer clear wort to just above the "neckline" (see arrow below). With appropriate recipe selection (no FV additions, ...), appropriate yeast selection, and the "tilt the FV" trick, I could get out almost all the beer out with a mini-auto-siphon. And, with careful bottle filling, in most cases, that was enough for a 12-pack.

12-pack using 2 gal pail with spigot? This may be an alternative for those who want to 'dump it all in'. The trub would likely fill up most of the 'dead space' below the spigot. I have a couple of "no spigot" 2 gal pails. If I want an 'easy' 12-pack + a bottle or two , I'll target 1.75 gal (end of boil) and dump most of the wort in.

View attachment 872000​

I did this on mine, measured with a measuring cup. Shows 1 gallon, 144 oz (a 12 pack) and the shoulder is 1.25 gallons. It makes sense that you would lose maybe a quart to hops and waste that didn’t make it out of the kettle.

 

[bwible]

I ferment small batches in 1.75-gallon kegs with floating dip tubes (Flotit 2.0.) I haven’t used one for secondary so far, but there’s no reason you couldn’t daisy chain 3 together, primary in the first, transfer to the second, and then later to the third. All closed transfers, of course. But for three 1.75-gallon kegs and two FlotIts, you’re probably north of $400.

I thought about this too. I don’t have any 1.75s but I have one 2.5 gallon and a couple 3 gallons. I have 5 gallon kegs and thought about using those for 3 gallon batches.

My concern was the floating dip tube doesn’t have a real thick hose and i was afraid it would get clogged by krausen and stuff on top. I see what my Tilt looks like at the end. Has this worked well for you?

[edit] I don’t have flotit. I have the ones with the gray plastic ball

 

[AlexKay]

I thought about this too. I don’t have any 1.75s but I have one 2.5 gallon and a couple 3 gallons. I have 5 gallon kegs and thought about using those for 3 gallon batches.

My concern was the floating dip tube doesn’t have a real thick hose and i was afraid it would get clogged by krausen and stuff on top. I see what my Tilt looks like at the end. Has this worked well for you?

[edit] I don’t have flotit. I have the ones with the gray plastic ball

The FlotIts — with the double mesh screen — are absolutely what I’d recommend.

 

[bwible]

I’ve been working on a small batch continuous hop recipe and have decided I’m going to brew this tomorrow. The IBU number comes out high in the software but all of these recipes do compared to what the given and tested numbers are. I decided if I’m going to go to this trouble, I’ll make it a double IPA.

I worked it out so I can do this in my Anvil Foundry 6.5. Most of the time I can’t do these tiny batches in it because there’s not enough grain. The Foundry has dead space under the basket and it takes just about an extra gallon over and above the grain mash water to fill that before any water touches the grain. For this recipe it works out perfectly, I just don’t use any sparge water.

I’m planning this as a 2 gallon batch pre-boil and there should be hopefully a gallon and a half into the fermenter after boil off and hop loss. I do have a spider. Maybe I’ll be able to get a 12 pack out of it. I made 2 other beers with this BRY-97 yeast and I am liking it.

Continuous Hop IPA
22-A Double IPA

Boil Size: 2 gallons pre-boil, 1.5 gal post boil

Original Gravity: 1.082
Terminal Gravity: 1.013
Color: 8.88 SRM
Alcohol: 9.11%
Bitterness: 156.5**

Ingredients:

2 lb (46.4%) Breiss Pale Ale Malt
1.5 lb (34.8%) Breiss 2-Row Brewers Malt
6 oz (8.7%) Munich TYPE II (dark)
3 oz (4.3%) Cara-Pils® Malt

.25 lb (5.8%) Corn Sugar - added during boil, boiled 60 m

Hop Mixture = 65 grams of hops (roughly 8g each) Average 10.1%. (About 2.3 oz total, mostly high alpha) All mixed up. (It’s Shake and Bake, and we helped)

- Columbus 15%
- Nugget 11%
- Centennial 9%
- Cascade 5.5%
- Citra 12.2%
- Simcoe 11.3%
- Mosaic 11.3%
- Lemondrop 5.7%

one 5g additon every 5 min from start of boil to knockout (13 additions)

5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 60 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 55 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 50 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 45 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 40 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 35 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 30 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 25 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 20 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 15 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 10 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 5 m
5 g Hop Mixture (10.1%) - 0 m

1.0 ea Lallemand BRY-97 American West Coast

Ph and water - adding 88% Lactic Acid, Gypsum, and Calcium Chloride to get:

Predicted Ph: 5.38

Calcium 97
Magnesium 7
Sodium 25
Chloride 60
Sulfate 179

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 2.1.4

 

[MograhmDeadbraid]

So here I sit researching brews for National Big Brew Day on April 3, 2025. I am glad I found this thread as I am in the process of selling a house and buying a new house. Space is currently at a premium in my world so a full 5 gallon batch is just not in the cards. Additionally, I am considering doing a Mesquite Smoked Maris Otter. My LHBS no longer has a Mesquite Smoked Malt and luckily I have the equipment to smoke my own malt.

I am very excited to test this idea out. If it works, I do plan to scale it up to a 5 gal. I am looking forward to sharing the results with you all. Tomorrow I will be purchasing the grain that I will be smoking over the weekend. Once I have the grain smoked I am going to be letting it age in a 5 gallon bucket for about 5 days to let the strength of the smoke fade off just a bit.

Then, April 3, the brew process will start and then for the exciting stage of letting it ferment. The hard part will be the wait for the fermentation to end and the carbonation to be complete so I can start drinking and testing.

Stay tuned to the adventures at the Cracked Bell Inn

 

[treacheroustexan]

Are there any online stores that are good for buying 1 gal batch grain and ingredients? Even if I have to pay more, I'd rather just be able to buy exactly what I need per recipe by the oz rather than have to buy pounds and store it/weigh it/mill it myself. I’m leaning great fermentations but just seeing what’s out there.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Are there any online stores that are good for buying 1 gal batch grain and ingredients? Even if I have to pay more, I'd rather just be able to buy exactly what I need per recipe by the oz rather than have to buy pounds and store it/weigh it/mill it myself. I’m leaning great fermentations but just seeing what’s out there.

I've started using SoCal Brewing for a lot of my online ordering. They do sell grains by the ounce. They may, or may not, make sense for you so check and see. - https://socalbrewingsupply.com/

Also try Brew Hardware, Bobby (the owner) is a regular on this site.
https://www.brewhardware.com/

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

Are there any online stores that are good for buying 1 gal batch grain and ingredients? Even if I have to pay more, I'd rather just be able to buy exactly what I need per recipe by the oz rather than have to buy pounds and store it/weigh it/mill it myself. I’m leaning great fermentations but just seeing what’s out there.

I'm pretty sure Ritebrew (near Appleton, Wisconsin) can ship via Speedee to Cleveland "next day". Easiest-to-use grain-shopping page on the whole damn internet (at least if you've got a full-screen pc/laptop).

 

[bwible]

Saw this today. I have an Igloo 5 gallon cooler I use sometimes for 3 gallon batches of bigger beers. This one is 2 gallon. Do you think this would make a good small batch mash tun?

https://www.igloocoolers.com/products/retro-barrel-of-fun?variant=41881077022803

 

[ba-brewer]

Saw this today. I have an Igloo 5 gallon cooler I use sometimes for 3 gallon batches of bigger beers. This one is 2 gallon. Do you think this would make a good small batch mash tun?

https://www.igloocoolers.com/products/retro-barrel-of-fun?variant=41881077022803

I made a 2gal mashtun with the rubbermaid 2gal jug and it worked fine. It has been a while since I used but I recall it not holding temp very well.

The igloo one you linked is the same height as mine but is wider so maybe it is insulated better.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I made a 2gal mashtun with the rubbermaid 2gal jug and it worked fine. It has been a while since I used but I recall it not holding temp very well.

I (still) have a 2 gal Igloo Sport cooler (link to picture of similar a cooler) that I used for some (mostly failed) attempts at 1 gal BIAB. That cooler didn't hold temperature well either.

For me, over time, with BIAB "small" (2.5 gal batches or less), it seems like 5# of malt is the "sweet spot" for getting good results. Maybe @doug293cz or @dmtaylor can talk about the science behind the anecdotal that I offer.

 

[doug293cz]

I (still) have a 2 gal Igloo Sport cooler (link to picture of similar a cooler) that I used for some (mostly failed) attempts at 1 gal BIAB. That cooler didn't hold temperature well either.

For me, over time, with BIAB "small" (2.5 gal batches or less), it seems like 5# of malt is the "sweet spot" for getting good results. Maybe @doug293cz or @dmtaylor can talk about the science behind the anecdotal that I offer.

The lower the volume of the mash, the faster it will lose temperature. This is because heat loss is proportional to the surface area of the vessel, but heat content of the mash is proportional to the mass of the mash. As mash volume goes down the mass decreases as the cube of the linear dimension, but the surface area decreases as the square of the linear dimension. As a result the surface to volume/mass ratio increases with the inverse of the mash mass/volume. If you cut the volume/mass of the mash in half, you double the rate of heat loss per unit volume/mass. If an eight gallon mash loses 3°F/hr, a four gallon mash would lose 6°F/hr.

Brew on

 

[bwible]

Yes - what I’m thinking is mashing brew in a bag in a stainless pot n my oven at 150 then transferring the bag to this after the mash is complete to recirculate with a pump for 20 min or so to clear. I have a 1 gallon APA recipe with 2.5 pounds total. I can’t do this in my Foundry 6.5 or any mash tun I have.

 

[bwible]

I (still) have a 2 gal Igloo Sport cooler (link to picture of similar a cooler) that I used for some (mostly failed) attempts at 1 gal BIAB. That cooler didn't hold temperature well either.

For me, over time, with BIAB "small" (2.5 gal batches or less), it seems like 5# of malt is the "sweet spot" for getting good results. Maybe @doug293cz or @dmtaylor can talk about the science behind the anecdotal that I offer.

I have that one - have not been able to put a ball valve on that and have it not seriously leak. I’ve tried a bunch of times. The cooler wall where the valve goes is about paper thin and not supportive.

 

[doug293cz]

Yes - what I’m thinking is mashing brew in a bag in a stainless pot n my oven at 150 then transferring the bag to this after the mash is complete to recirculate with a pump for 20 min or so to clear. I have a 1 gallon APA recipe with 2.5 pounds total. I can’t do this in my Foundry 6.5 or any mash tun I have.

Putting small mash vessels in an oven is a well known technique to overcome the heat loss issues associated with small mashes.

Brew on

 

[ba-brewer]

Yes - what I’m thinking is mashing brew in a bag in a stainless pot n my oven at 150 then transferring the bag to this after the mash is complete to recirculate with a pump for 20 min or so to clear. I have a 1 gallon APA recipe with 2.5 pounds total. I can’t do this in my Foundry 6.5 or any mash tun I have.

If the recircling vessel it too wide you might not have much if any wort over your grain bed.

Maybe add more initial water and do a longer boil.