1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[D_Nyholm]

I started last year with 5 gallon batches then switched to making a few 2.5 gallon batches and brewed my first three 1 gallon batches last week. I can brew then on the downstairs stove in about 3 hours and I can experiment with them. I am currently trying out a few recipes for a good, light, summer beer and I don't want to have to make 2.5 or 5 gallons at a time! I think 1 gallon batches make you appreciate what little good beer you made, bit also allows for much more variety.

 

[wmarkw]

I'm a 1 gallon guy and love it. I have 4 primaries that I try to keep full and rotating batch to batch. I get about 9 to 10 bottles a batch. Sometimes when I taste one I'm like damn I wish I had 2 more cases of this, or like the honey sage beer I did I'm like damn thank gawd I dont have 2 more cases of this. I started with 1 BBS kit like Jeff and I thank those people for getting me started on this awesome hobby and kicking myself I didnt start sooner. I used one their kits and then bought their book and used some of their recipes but mosty get recipes from here and scale them down. I built a MLT which has helped me big time and I like my set up with what I'm doing. I don't drink a ton of beer and the wife and I are trying to cut back. Have not bought any of the BMC stuff since JAN1 and I like having 2-3 of my beers on the weekend and I'm good with that. I love the brewing process and I'm brewing every weekend to keep my pipeline going and have actually learned how to appreciate beers and their flavor profiles. If I was doing 5 gal batches I would see myelf brewing once a month and having to buy new equipment, etc. Who knows; maybe I'll move up one day but with my space and current situation I'm 1 gal for the foreseeable future.

 

[verbhertz]

I've never considered doing anything less than 5 gallons but I really recognize the experimental potential. I would have a hard time brewing enough in small quantities to keep a pipeline. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, just not enough time in my world. Perhaps 2.5 gallon batches or split 5 gallons with different yeasts, etc.

 

[amd133mhz]

I split a 2 gallon batch between two 1 gallon containers. fermented hard core first day. day 2 it looks like it just stopped. very odd,but enjoying this experiment either way it goes.Any ideas why the ferment seems to have slowed significantly in such a short time?

 

[ChessRockwell]

Sometimes when I taste one I'm like damn I wish I had 2 more cases of this, or like the honey sage beer I did I'm like damn thank gawd I dont have 2 more cases of this

Exactly... One gallon batches are great for experimenting. I've definitely had a few where I was like, whew, glad I don't have 2 more cases of this to drink! When I get something I really like, I just scale it up to a full 5 gallon batch next time. You can accomplish a lot more learning about brewing for a lot less money. Plus, there's nothing worse than having to trudge your way through 50 beers you just don't really like.
I couldn't see keeping my "pipeline" full on solely 1 gallon batches though. I mean I'd have to brew like twice a week or more. Not that I wouldn't love that, but the wife would probably decide my obsession had gone to far...

 

[Stauffbier]

I split a 2 gallon batch between two 1 gallon containers. fermented hard core first day. day 2 it looks like it just stopped. very odd,but enjoying this experiment either way it goes.Any ideas why the ferment seems to have slowed significantly in such a short time?

Small batches seem to move along a little faster sometimes IME..

 

[hoppymonkey]

I've been a 5 gallon guy since the beginning, but I do enjoy the 1 gallon batches for experiments or when I am busy and just need to have something fermenting around the house.

 

[tom_gamer]

... just need to have something fermenting around the house.

Words of a true brewer

 

[Stonewild]

Woot! Small batches are the best!

Small batches are great for me because:



1- I have several cheap 1, 2 and 3 gal fermenters. There are plent more where they came from: like the water bottle Idea which was shared above.
2 - I like brewing as much as drinking. Its like creating something new with each batch. Small batchs allow for lots of creation.
3 - A 5 gal AG batch takes me most of a Saturday while a 2 gal AG brew is a short Thurday night.
4 - 2 gal batches work great on my stove top, 5 gal batches require a burner
5 - My back is getting old, 2 gal batches are so much easier on my old bones.
6 - BIAB works great for 1-2 gal AG recipes: another time / equipment saver.
7- Kegging / Bottling 1-2 gal batches is simpler and quicker for me. I'm using my old 1 gal mini-kegs again.

Thanks for the topic,

Stone

 

[D_Nyholm]

Just a quick note on this. A member here had the idea of using tap a draft bottles as fermenters. I tried it for 3 batches and it worked great. You can either drill out a cap ajd attach an airlock or use a drilled stopper for a growler. I tried both and the drilled stopper for the growler worked better, but both worked.

 

[bernerbrau]

Well I for one am sick of all you 10-gallon brewers telling us small-time 5-gallon brewers that we need to step it up already.

And I'm sure the 10 gallon brewers will say the same for the 1 BBL brewers.

And so on.

 

[airving]

This way I don't end up with 3 cases of imperial spinach extra special vanilla stout eisbock!

This demands a recipe.

On topic, although I only brew 5 gallon batches currently, the appeal of brewing in the kitchen such that I'm not absenting myself from the family as much is appealing. It might allow me to brew more frequently, such that it offsets the downside ( for me - I recognize this is exactly why some folks do it ) of smaller batches.

 

[dbreienrk1]

Nothing wrong with doing 1gal batches. Its not very efficient though...economies of scale and all

 

[bernerbrau]

As a 5 gallon brewer, I have to say there's something to be said for being able to brew more often.

Sometimes brewing 5 full gallons means you're stuck finishing off a bunch of beer you're not crazy about, just to be able to brew again.

 

[divrguy]

I have been brewing a few years and find I like the idea of brewing and experimenting with smaller batches idea awesome. I have been working at scaling down. I recently picked up some 3 gallon buckets and I'm actively looking for a 2 gallon fermenter for a 1 to 1- 1/2 gallon brew size. Any ideas where to pick up 2 gallon fermenters? I just purchase Beersmith and love the scaling down feature, it works excellent. I just don't drink enough to want to keep doing 5 gallon batches but I love many styles of ales and 5 gallons of one style is way too much for me.

Jeff, I have one question about Yeast. I mostly use dry yeast for its convenience. Once opened, how long could I keep the leftover if I quickly vacuum packed it sealed it back up again? Sometimes when I brew 5 gallon batches with a liquid yeast, I collect some and reuse it on the next batch. That could also work. Any thoughts?

 

[bleme]

A friend and I always brew together and then split the 5 gallon batch. Sometimes we split it even further, like adding vanilla after we have bottled half or bottling 2 gallons and racking the rest on blueberries. So for each brew we are basically getting 2.5 gallons each and for our flavoring experiments we have a baseline to compare it to.

 

[D_Nyholm]

I for one have only been brewing a few years and find I like the idea of brewing and experimenting with smaller batches idea awesome. I have been working at scaling down. I recently picked up some 3 gallon buckets and I'm actively looking for a 2 gallon fermenter for a 1 to 1- 1/2 gallon brew size. Any ideas where to pick up 2 gallon fermenters? I just purchase Beersmith and love the scaling down feature, it works excellent. I just don't drink enough to want to keep doing 5 gallon batches but I love many styles of ales and 5 gallons of one style is way too much for me.

Jeff, I have one question about Yeast. I mostly use dry yeast for its convenience. Once opened, how long could I keep the leftover if I quickly vacuum packed it sealed it back up again? Sometimes when I brew 5 gallon batches with a liquid yeast, I collect some and reuse it on the next batch. That could also work. Any thoughts?

You can get buckets and lids from us plastics. You can also use tap a draft bottles if you have them.

I've used yeast that has been opened and left in the fridge for a week or two and it seemed to work fine. Since you vacuum pack them, i would think even longer!

 

[Stonewild]

Of the small batch sizes: I'm finding that 2 to 2.5 gal. batches are best for my kitchen with a 4 gal. pot and using the BIAB method. 2.5 is nice because I can just split a normal 5 gal stock recipe.

1 gal. batches are still great for experiments.

For 1 and 2 gal fermenters: I found some clear 1.25 gal and 2.5 gal water containers from Walmart. They have spout which is great for bottling or for attaching a blowoff. When the spout is removed, my air lock fits nicely.

 

[Taxman]

How do you split a Wyeast bag of yeast to use in a 2.5 and a 1 gal batch? Then, how would I keep the balance of the yeast?

 

[mrgstiffler]

How do you split a Wyeast bag of yeast to use in a 2.5 and a 1 gal batch? Then, how would I keep the balance of the yeast?

For the 2.5 gallon batches, I just pitch a whole smack pack or vial. The pitch rate is usually right on.

 

[divrguy]

Stone wild, are the 2.5 containers filled with water or the ones that you buy to use for the glacier (filtered water by the gallon) dispensers? I always thought if they had a 2-3 gallon disposable of water that I could use as well for a fermenter it would be perfect.

 

[Orthobrewsky]

I'm all for 1 gallon batches, especially from those who live nearby, so I can use their batches as starters. If they drink somewhere near 10 beers a week, then they'd have starters every time I need one.

Seriously, I like the idea of variety too and have considered doing some 2-2.5 gallon batches in my 3 gallon carboy--or 5 gallon carboy if I expect a really high krausen. I do like to brew.

 

[Rev2010]

This thread makes me a very saaad panda.

For one, I don't see this snobbery about batch sizes. Do what you want and who cares what anyone else thinks. I personally will never do such small batch sizes but my simple reasoning is the time difference really isn't all that much and I drink a LOT so I want a lot of beer at my disposal. Many do small batches to test ideas and that is awesome and also saves money! Whatever works for the person is what's most important, I just see this as a non-issue.


Rev.

 

[Stonewild]

The containers I'm using are empty clear thin rectangles made to fit and serve water from the fridge. They have a large water tight cap on top and a spout on bottom. I turn them up, putting the spout on top.

BTW: these are great for washing yeast, the junk settles nicely below the spout, the alcohol above the spout and the milky white yeast right at the spout for easy despensing. I dont have the makers name with me at the moment.

 

[rhamilton]

I actually stepped down to 1 gallon batches for my SMaSH educational brews

 

[LabRatBrewer]

One gallon:

 

[wmarkw]

Hey Labrat can you explain your blow off tube set up? I like the simplicity of it and could be an easy fix to what I am doing. Thanks.

 

[Revvy]

I'm curious as to what that thing wrapped around the carboy is?

 

[DrJerryrigger]

And the 10gal guys make fun of me for making 4 to 5gal batches...
I started with batches of 1 to 2 gal because I didn't have any real equipment. It works, but I've found it only takes about 20% more time to make 500% more beer. I suspect the same is true for stepping up to 10gal.
Keep up the brewing, and keep good logs. Your gaining about 500% more experience per gal than I am.
I do miss oven mashing, that was fun....

 

[jetmac]

Its not really "mocking." Its more of those comments made in random threads when 1-Gallon brewers are asking for help/scaling down/etc., ya know the one's I'm talking about: "Just brew a 5 gallon batch. If you have enough room for 1-Gallon, you have enough room for 5-Gallons." Or, "Why not just do 5-Gallons? I can't fathom putting in all that work for 10 beers."

I see it constantly, especially when asking a question. Best thing about those comments are that my original question remains unanswered hahaha.

I would suggest you ignore those negative comments, there seems to be plenty of support for small batches. In the future, try to pose the question without any refrence to it being for a 1-gallon batch.