1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[jwalk4]

I use a 3 gallon SS pot for 1 Gallon brews, and a 9 gallon Aluminum pot for larger endevours.

God I have to get some photos of my set up!

 

[jwalk4]

Just got home from a brew club meeting......Woohoooooo

And aluminum is fine as long as you build up a oxidation layer. My 10 gallon electric pot is aluminum only concern with the aluminum is it didn't hold a boil well with the element so I had to set the pid higher so I boiled off more.

Lol, must have been a good meeting!

 

[cheesecake]

Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.

I set it in the oven on warm to mash and it holds perfectly. As long as its on a rack that is

 

[bleme]

I just bought an 8 gal tamale pot from Wal-Mart for $21 and the next day I saw a 10 gal tamale pot at Food Maxx for $22. Probably happier with the 8 gal as it BARELY fits in my oven.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.

Actually the thicker the metal the better it retains heat and conducts it into the wort. That's why when you look at brew stores the economy pots that are cheaper are thin but the more expensive pots are thicker walled.

 

[cheesecake]

Actually the thicker the metal the better it retains heat and conducts it into the wort. That's why when you look at brew stores the economy pots that are cheaper are thin but the more expensive pots are thicker walled.

That works when you have something with a flame.....compare the 2 pots on a electric stove. The thinner is better for a boil. I understand the way it holds heat but it takes more to get it heated. Something I know my electric stove won't do.

 

[cheesecake]

Lol, must have been a good meeting!

It was but im on call for work so i had to limit myself to tiny samples. I brought some of the IIPA i brewed about 3 and a half weeks ogo. Its still green and needs time but the hops are BAM IN YO FACE..... everyone seemed to like it and it was decent but i know it needs time and it should be a excellent beer.

 

[cheesecake]

I just bought an 8 gal tamale pot from Wal-Mart for $21 and the next day I saw a 10 gal tamale pot at Food Maxx for $22. Probably happier with the 8 gal as it BARELY fits in my oven.

The 5 gallon tamale pot from walmart was my first ever brew pot. I gave it to my dad when i got him into home brewing.( well some what he has brewed one batch since last christmas)

 

[azntaiji]

Just started homebrewing last week - with 1 gallon batches
This is such an addicting hobby.

 

[huntingohio]

Welcome to the addiction! Eventually one day you'll wonder into your fermentation room in your underwear, Looking at all the batches going, secondaries aging, and bottles conditioning, and suddendly wonder how you got here? It's a really dang good feeling

 

[BigRock947]

Welcome to the addiction! Eventually one day you'll wonder into your fermentation room in your underwear, Looking at all the batches going, secondaries aging, and bottles conditioning, and suddendly wonder how you got here? It's a really dang good feeling

Yep. I go to the basement and check out all of my fermentors. I have 4 beers going right. Bottling my Oatmeal Stout this weekend and maybe my Holiday Beer too. Holy cow. If I bottle 2 beers that only leave 2 left. I've got to brew some more.

I'm so thinking I need to brew the 1-gallon barley wine. Maybe pictures?

 

[jkingery79]

Bottling up my gallon of honey ale tomorrow. Have to teach the wife to do some of the work though since I'm in 10lbs weight restriction from having my gal bladder out on mon night.

 

[jwalk4]

Bottling up my gallon of honey ale tomorrow. Have to teach the wife to do some of the work though since I'm in 10lbs weight restriction from having my gal bladder out on mon night.

Damn, get well soon!

 

[rawkstar320]

My stainless pot came from Walmart, $12 I think. I wish I had gotten the smaller one...but it liked smaller in the store.

I think I might do a 2 gallon batch and split it. maybe try dry hopping for one...dunno about the other. For dry hopping, we add the hops after the krausen peaks right?

 

[Calichusetts]

My stainless pot came from Walmart, $12 I think. I wish I had gotten the smaller one...but it liked smaller in the store.

I think I might do a 2 gallon batch and split it. maybe try dry hopping for one...dunno about the other. For dry hopping, we add the hops after the krausen peaks right?

I usually wait a few weeks for fermentation to finish, transfer to a secondary and dry hop for a week. But there are many ways to do it.

 

[rawkstar320]

I usually wait a few weeks for fermentation to finish, transfer to a secondary and dry hop for a week. But there are many ways to do it.

Cool, might do something similar.

 

[user 83772]

For my one-gallon brethren: How many of you utilize airlocks with your brews, and how many go the blow-off route? I'm going to buy my first set of gear this afternoon, and while price isn't necessarily an issue, storage space is. Neither airlocks or blow-off tubes are exactly massive, but I'd like to have to store as little as possible.

On a related note - are there particular recipes or styles that are known to be more...energetic than others in regards to fermentation? I'm curious if there's anything I should be on the lookout for as far as possible clean-up suprises go.

 

[BigRock947]

For my one-gallon brethren: How many of you utilize airlocks with your brews, and how many go the blow-off route? I'm going to buy my first set of gear this afternoon, and while price isn't necessarily an issue, storage space is. Neither airlocks or blow-off tubes are exactly massive, but I'd like to have to store as little as possible.

On a related note - are there particular recipes or styles that are known to be more...energetic than others in regards to fermentation? I'm curious if there's anything I should be on the lookout for as far as possible clean-up suprises go.

Well to make a short answer long - it depends. I like to allow myself at least 3/4 gallon head space so an airlock works great. (I use a 2 gallon bucket)

If I was using 1 gallon jugs for 1 gallon brew then I would go with a blow tube. (A 3 piece airlock can use a blow-off tube first then the airlock part)

I don't usually get super fermentations because I measure out how much yeast I'm using.

 

[user 83772]

Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds.

 

[cheesecake]

I use a blow off tube for the first few days then switch to a airlock. I just use a piece of hose from my racking cane. I am using 1 gallon glass bottles

 

[user 83772]

Thanks for the info cheesecake. I think I'll stick with the blow-off tube for my first brew (or two) and then try out the tube-to-airlock method once I get some firsthand experience with what to expect from the fermentation.

You know, I have terrible timing when it comes to hobbies. It figures that I'd get all psyched about learning to brew less than a month before my semester at school ends. Who cares about research papers when I can read about lambics and sparging and attenuation rates! Wheeee!

(sorry, I'll go now. Just a little bit sleep deprived, lol)

 

[jwalk4]

You know, I have terrible timing when it comes to hobbies. It figures that I'd get all psyched about learning to brew less than a month before my semester at school ends. Who cares about research papers when I can read about lambics and sparging and attenuation rates! Wheeee!

I couldn't agree more. I had a paper due Sunday night, Monday morning and I just handed another one in about 5 minutes ago. But I still found time to dry hop my IPA and bottle my Belgian. The good news is I only have 1 more term paper due next week, then nothing till Dec. 11 when my exams begin!!! Woot!

 

[rawkstar320]

Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds.

I usually use both. But the last two batches I was lazy and just left the blow off tube on until bottle time

 

[cheesecake]

When I get my fermentation fridge done ill just use the blowoff and .leave it

 

[divrguy]

I set it in the oven on warm to mash and it holds perfectly. As long as its on a rack that is

You gents that use the oven trick. I tried that this weekend and my oven wont go lower than 170. So initially, I missed my target by a few degrees and it was okay but since it was only a 1.5 gallon batch, it came up in temp pretty quick and I had to open the door so.....

Is my stove the only one that stops at 170?

 

[cheesecake]

You gents that use the oven trick. I tried that this weekend and my oven wont go lower than 170. So initially, I missed my target by a few degrees and it was okay but since it was only a 1.5 gallon batch, it came up in temp pretty quick and I had to open the door so.....

Is my stove the only one that stops at 170?

Nope mine stops at 170 also....my oven also has a 10-15 degree swing above or below

 

[divrguy]

Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds.

Going out on a limb here.... But, I have been pushing the size of my fermentors so I haven't been using an airlock. IOW, I have been putting almost .85 gallons in a one gallon container and 1.75 gallons in a 2 gallon bucket so I have been using foil on the milk jugs and a piece of foil over the airlock without the insides in it. So far no problems. I know that my fermentation on these small batches take off quick and fill with a nice c02 blanket and I don't transfer so they have been fine. I may be pushing my luck but it seems to be okay.

 

[divrguy]

Nope mine stops at 170 also....my oven also has a 10-15 degree swing above or below

So for say a 152 mash, do you just open the door after its warmed up or warm up and turn it off?

 

[bleme]

So for say a 152 mash, do you just open the door after its warmed up or warm up and turn it off?

I keep a sensor in my mash, with alarms set to tell me if it gets a degree too high or too low. If it gets too high, I just turn it off for a while. Never open the door.