1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[lebucheron]

I don't do the secondary thing (and it seems like that's the consensus here), but a nice bottling bucket is key!

 

[cheesecake]

http://beersmithrecipes.com/listrecipes/13121/cheesecake



here are some of my shared recipes

 

[thewhoner]

Lol.. Funny I'm laid back about brewing but such a anal bast*** about other stuff. I just harvest some trub some times. In a jar.. It works.



What's a metal mash! a mash tun made out of metal? I'm confused lol

duh, have nothing but children of bodom play in the background while mashing


lol, yeah, I meant a metal mash tun. But after looking around, BiAB has to be the best way.

 

[thewhoner]

http://beersmithrecipes.com/listrecipes/13121/cheesecake



here are some of my shared recipes

help yourself you say?

don't mind if I do.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

Really? 1 gallon Full volume No sparge BIAB in a 3 gallon pot? I have a 3 gallon pot and wanted to do BIAB for 1 gallon brews but wasn't brave enough to get my grain wet, fearing I would run out of space.

Yep, here is a picture of me mashing 4.75# of grain in my 3 gallon pot for a barleywine.

 

[cheesecake]

help yourself you say?

don't mind if I do.

just remember final volume is 1.25 and i boil off quite a bit so you may have to adjust the recipes to your setup

 

[Leadgolem]

ok im about to pull the trigger on the 1 gallon kit from northern brewery, gonna find a 5 gallon kettle...should i get extra 1 gallon jugs for secondary fermentation and bottling?

Doing a secondary, or not doing a secondary, is a matter of great and frequent debate on this forum.

I would recommend getting 3 primaries though, once you start brewing you aren't going to want to wait for your first one to be empty before starting the next.

 

[PsyDanny]

I am in the middle of my 2nd every brew - a 1-gallon Everyday IPA (all grain). Big time fun. So I think I will head out to my lhbs tomorrow to pick up another carboy and a few other items so I can get started on a 3rd batch of something.

Anyhow - I am eager to learn, and would like to start making use of software tools. I have a trial copy of Beersmith2. However, being a tenderfoot, I am clueless as to how I should set up my equipment preferences. I don't even know what half of the parameters mean.

So I was hoping if I laid out what I have been using, someone could guide me through the relevant settings.

I do my all-grain mash in a pot originally used for spaghetti (such as would have an insertable/removable strainer - which I am not using for the mash). Stainless steel, I think (at least it is not aluminum). I figured the volume to be about 1.75 gallons with liquid filled to the ridge where the top of the strainer would fit.

I then pour the mash into a large strainer that fits into a larger stainless steel pot, that can hold 3 gallons. That is also the pot that I use for the wort boil.

The wort is then ran through a large plastic funnel into a gallon glass carboy.

So - how does that likely to translate into equipment preference settings?

Thanks for the help.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

http://beersmithrecipes.com/listrecipes/13121/cheesecake



here are some of my shared recipes

Thanks for the recipes. I may try your russian imperial stout.

 

[jongrill]

ok im about to pull the trigger on the 1 gallon kit from northern brewery, gonna find a 5 gallon kettle...should i get extra 1 gallon jugs for secondary fermentation and bottling?

Find yourself some two gallon buckets for fermenting. I started with the same kit and the jugs do not give your krausen enough room! I was cleaning off the ceiling each time!

 

[divrguy]

ok cool, one thing im a bit confused with, is why do a BIAB vs just doing a normal brew?

That's not a hard and fast answer and there is no real right answer. I do both. Both will yield great results and most times I do sort of a hybrid. In some of my small batches, I brew in a pot, transfer my mash to a cooler in a bag with a traditional bazooka tube and spigot but will add all my water to it so I can skip the sparge. Saves me one step especially on a normal gravity beer. But the next beer may be a 1.080 beer and I will use a traditional batch sparge so its again not about right and wrong but just what works for you.

 

[divrguy]

http://beersmithrecipes.com/listrecipes/13121/cheesecake

here are some of my shared recipes

Downloaded the RIS. looks very nice will have to whip that one up! Thanks

 

[divrguy]

I am in the middle of my 2nd every brew - a 1-gallon Everyday IPA (all grain). Big time fun. So I think I will head out to my lhbs tomorrow to pick up another carboy and a few other items so I can get started on a 3rd batch of something.

Anyhow - I am eager to learn, and would like to start making use of software tools. I have a trial copy of Beersmith2. However, being a tenderfoot, I am clueless as to how I should set up my equipment preferences. I don't even know what half of the parameters mean.

So I was hoping if I laid out what I have been using, someone could guide me through the relevant settings.

I do my all-grain mash in a pot originally used for spaghetti (such as would have an insertable/removable strainer - which I am not using for the mash). Stainless steel, I think (at least it is not aluminum). I figured the volume to be about 1.75 gallons with liquid filled to the ridge where the top of the strainer would fit.

I then pour the mash into a large strainer that fits into a larger stainless steel pot, that can hold 3 gallons. That is also the pot that I use for the wort boil.

The wort is then ran through a large plastic funnel into a gallon glass carboy.

So - how does that likely to translate into equipment preference settings?

Thanks for the help.

For me on beersmith, my epiphany came when I sat down and poured exactly 3 gallons in a 5 gallon pot and boiled for one hour to test my boiloff. Prior to that I guessed on my 5 gallon, 8 gallon, 10 gallon and keggle and Never hit my numbers. After that, I completed a runon all of my pots to get my equipment profile correct and wow what a difference it made. Also, took my mash tun, filled it with water and dumped it. The water I couldn't get out was my mash tun dead space setting and now my 2 mash tuns are correct. So, I found that to be one of my biggest hurdles. Getting My equipment correctly entered into Beersmith. Good luck

 

[PsyDanny]

For me on beersmith, my epiphany came when I sat down and poured exactly 3 gallons in a 5 gallon pot and boiled for one hour to test my boiloff. Prior to that I guessed on my 5 gallon, 8 gallon, 10 gallon and keggle and Never hit my numbers. After that, I completed a runon all of my pots to get my equipment profile correct and wow what a difference it made. Also, took my mash tun, filled it with water and dumped it. The water I couldn't get out was my mash tun dead space setting and now my 2 mash tuns are correct. So, I found that to be one of my biggest hurdles. Getting My equipment correctly entered into Beersmith. Good luck

So do you do these boiloffs with just water, or with wort while actually brewing? For the latter, my question becomes how you measure what is left of a given wort after boiloff without risking infection?

As far as the mash tun dead space, I suppose that is just knowing exactly how much you put in, then measuring the dump off and doing the math - the dead space being what liquid remains clinging to the tun via surface tension and the like, correct?

 

[divrguy]

So do you do these boiloffs with just water, or with wort while actually brewing? For the latter, my question becomes how you measure what is left of a given wort after boiloff without risking infection?

As far as the mash tun dead space, I suppose that is just knowing exactly how much you put in, then measuring the dump off and doing the math - the dead space being what liquid remains clinging to the tun via surface tension and the like, correct?

I did it with water. You can surely do it with wort and just be clean about it. My mash tuns heave dead space because of the way I have them set up.

 

[zeg]

I wouldn't do a straight test boil-off with wort, there's no need. Before my first brew, I did a test with water to get an idea, and it's been accurate enough. If you want to be sure you know how wort will behave, just measure your volumes with a batch, don't bother with a separate "test."

Keep in mind that your boil-off rate will depend on many factors, including boil vigor, gravity, amount of hops and other junk around, air temperature, etc. These will make precision measurement fairly useless. I haven't done any calculations, but I think you'd be lucky to be consistently within a pint of the actual boil off unless you do similar recipes under similar conditions every time.

 

[mkh]

Alright, so I this is my first batch, and though I've read a ton, and I'm sure it's all in here somewhere, but just wanted to get some reassurance. Did the 1 gallon brooklyn brew shop kit for the evyday IPA. Everything seems to be going smoothly.They say bottle after two weeks, but most people say let it go for 3. I'm going out of town though and probably wouldn't get to it until 3.5-4 weeks. What difference, if an y would that make?

 

[cheesecake]

Alright, so I this is my first batch, and though I've read a ton, and I'm sure it's all in here somewhere, but just wanted to get some reassurance. Did the 1 gallon brooklyn brew shop kit for the evyday IPA. Everything seems to be going smoothly.They say bottle after two weeks, but most people say let it go for 3. I'm going out of town though and probably wouldn't get to it until 3.5-4 weeks. What difference, if an y would that make?

It will be fine. I would just let it sit. Most of my beers go for 4 weeks

 

[jwalk4]

^

Agreed, let it sit for 4 weeks. You'll probably be glad you did.

 

[divrguy]

I wouldn't do a straight test boil-off with wort, there's no need. Before my first brew, I did a test with water to get an idea, and it's been accurate enough. If you want to be sure you know how wort will behave, just measure your volumes with a batch, don't bother with a separate "test."

Keep in mind that your boil-off rate will depend on many factors, including boil vigor, gravity, amount of hops and other junk around, air temperature, etc. These will make precision measurement fairly useless. I haven't done any calculations, but I think you'd be lucky to be consistently within a pint of the actual boil off unless you do similar recipes under similar conditions every time.

Not a test boil!! Making beer!! Lol

 

[sgman]

I have been brewing partial extract kits 5 gallons,and I want to make a 1 gallon batch but have no idea how to either cut ingredients from a 5 gallon kit,which I wouldn't really wanna do anyways. I was thinking cutting a mr beer kit between two 1 gallon fermenters,

any ideas on that?

any ideas on making 1 gallon batches?

Thanks

A 1 gallon batch is 20% of a 5 gallon batch, so multiply all ingredients by .20.
I do 3 gallon batches and multiply everything by .60.

 

[PsyDanny]

I wouldn't do a straight test boil-off with wort, there's no need. Before my first brew, I did a test with water to get an idea, and it's been accurate enough. If you want to be sure you know how wort will behave, just measure your volumes with a batch, don't bother with a separate "test."

Keep in mind that your boil-off rate will depend on many factors, including boil vigor, gravity, amount of hops and other junk around, air temperature, etc. These will make precision measurement fairly useless. I haven't done any calculations, but I think you'd be lucky to be consistently within a pint of the actual boil off unless you do similar recipes under similar conditions every time.

Alright, recognizing that there are so many factors, it does make sense to establish some kind of general baseline with just water. So, to at least I should use a liquid volume that approximates what a boil would start with. Any idea what might be (so called) typical when a boil starts with the mash drainings and an additional gallon of sparging water?

 

[PsyDanny]

Not a test boil!! Making beer!! Lol

Goodness No, divrguy, would not want to waste wort.

I like the idea of doing a test boil to get some starting values. But I will start paying more attention to the outcomes from future brews to get some real life idea.

One of the great things about the BBS recipes is that you really don't have to know all this stuff (including OG/FG, etc.); however, the methods work well enough that a tenderfoot like me can listen and learn, take notes, read, and play some more, and eventually get a clue or two along the way.

Sucks to be us, don't it. :rockin:

 

[divrguy]

Alright, recognizing that there are so many factors, it does make sense to establish some kind of general baseline with just water. So, to at least I should use a liquid volume that approximates what a boil would start with. Any idea what might be (so called) typical when a boil starts with the mash drainings and an additional gallon of sparging water?

Goodness No, divrguy, would not want to waste wort.

I like the idea of doing a test boil to get some starting values. But I will start paying more attention to the outcomes from future brews to get some real life idea.

One of the great things about the BBS recipes is that you really don't have to know all this stuff (including OG/FG, etc.); however, the methods work well enough that a tenderfoot like me can listen and learn, take notes, read, and play some more, and eventually get a clue or two along the way.

Sucks to be us, don't it. :rockin:

You guys are over thinking it. Make beer.... Guess on your volumes but take copious notes and get exact volumes. When done, your OG may be off because it was first time but you will have beer. The second time forward will be much better.

I would never waste wort for god sakes that's sacrilege lol

 

[bleme]

A 1 gallon batch is 20% of a 5 gallon batch, so multiply all ingredients by .20.
I do 3 gallon batches and multiply everything by .60.

This can be a lot easier if you convert everything to grams first.

 

[divrguy]

Hail ye veterans of the thread!,,, have you guys ever tried Santiam hops? I don't know why it has taken me so long to try these? I opened up a smash today with this hop and it is just excellent! This hop is made for royalty! Well rounded... A little noble...earthy and fruity! What a great ale this makes all by itself! Truly delicious!

 

[Ostomo517]

Hail ye veterans of the thread!,,, have you guys ever tried Santiam hops? I don't know why it has taken me so long to try these? I opened up a smash today with this hop and it is just excellent! This hop is made for royalty! Well rounded... A little noble...earthy and fruity! What a great ale this makes all by itself! Truly delicious!

What malt did u use?

 

[zeg]

So, to at least I should use a liquid volume that approximates what a boil would start with. Any idea what might be (so called) typical when a boil starts with the mash drainings and an additional gallon of sparging water?

When I did a test boil (water only, before brewing anything), I started with 2 gallons. In this case, I was more curious to find out how rapidly my stove could heat up and how fast it would cool afterwards to get a handle on how long brewing was going to take. So it wasn't exactly a "boil an hour and measure" test. In particular, I heated it up slowly, but I'd expect most of the volume loss to come from the rapid boil part.

I boiled for half an hour and lost 7 cups, or a bit less than half a gallon. I generally figure on about 3/4 gallon per hour, though I rarely worry about it much since I mostly do partial boils and I can make up for errors in topping up.

And, divrguy, I generally agree not to overcomplicate things, but I found doing a water-only test boil to be helpful. Going in to a first brew, just having worked with a big pot of boiling liquid boosted my comfort level a bit.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

Almost two weeks since I've touched anything at home so tonight was long over due. Bottled my gluten free brown, racked my honey iipa to secondary with dry hops, and added finnings to my cyser. Brewing tomorrow and Sunday now too. Catching up for all the stuff I missed.

 

[BikerBrewer]

Hi all, found this thread and have been lurking here for a couple weeks. I've been brewing for a while doing mostly 3 gal. batches but like the idea of one gallon batches as I enjoy drinking a big variety of beers. Got 2 going now , a Smithwick's clone from a recipe I've used before and a NB Irish Red kit. Going to brew a NB Whitehouse Honey tomorrow, I like how quick these get up to boil and cool quickly too. I think I'm going to really like this because of all the different brews I'll have to sample and am looking to try a few BIAB recipes.