1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[BigRock947]

Here you go Divrguy....caught another 9" Walleye....count for the day...2 Walleyes...3 homebrews

 

[BigRock947]

Forgot what it was like to do a big batch here's my flameout addition!!

Wow...what size batch are you doing? 10 gallons?

 

[divrguy]

Here you go Divrguy....caught another 9" Walleye....count for the day...2 Walleyes...3 homebrews

Sweet walleye! I had a few brews today too!

 

[divrguy]

Wow...what size batch are you doing? 10 gallons?

Nope actually 5.5! Other than the bittering hops and a 30 min addition, rest of hops are at flameout and dry hop!

 

[Sevenal]

Wow 250 pages of 1 gal posts. Gonna take a while.
Can't help but think a gallon can be knocked out with a third wash of the 5 gal mash plus a little DME and perhaps a modest amount of steeped grain to try another washed yeast and even toss in the five minute hop sock used in the 5 gal batch for bittering and dry hop after the ferment. Waste not want not.

 

[divrguy]

Wow 250 pages of 1 gal posts. Gonna take a while.
Can't help but think a gallon can be knocked out with a third wash of the 5 gal mash plus a little DME and perhaps a modest amount of steeped grain to try another washed yeast and even toss in the five minute hop sock used in the 5 gal batch for bittering and dry hop after the ferment. Waste not want not.

Now you're talking! Great use of the one gallon brew!

 

[cheesecake]

Brewing up a Belma IPA

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/109281/belma-ipa-275

 

[divrguy]

Brewing up a Belma IPA

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/109281/belma-ipa-275

Let me know how that turns out cheese. Interesting profile on that one!

 

[mkh]

Just bottled my first gallon from Brooklyn Brew Shop. It went, ok I guess. Definitely got too much sediment in a few of the bottles near the end. Probably got 4-5 solid bottles and the rest look pretty hazy. We'll see. I already got another kit from Northern Brewer so I'll probably do that next week.

 

[bleme]

Definitely got too much sediment in a few of the bottles near the end. Probably got 4-5 solid bottles and the rest look pretty hazy.

Did you bottle directly from the primary or did you use a bottling bucket?
Did you cold crash?
Use any clarifiers like Whirlfloc?

 

[mkh]

Did you bottle directly from the primary or did you use a bottling bucket?
Did you cold crash?
Use any clarifiers like Whirlfloc?

From the bottle. Yes. And what's that? HA

 

[ReaderRabbit]

Cold crashing is when you put your beer in the fridge for 24 hours before bottling. That encourages the trub on the bottom to compact. Probably one of the big advantages (to me, at least) with 1 gallon brewing is that cold crashing is pretty easy. It's not easy to make room for a 5 gallon carboy in your fridge but a 1 gallon jug or a 2 gallon bucket isn't that hard to fit.

 

[rawkstar320]

I cold crash in my attached, unheated garage. Hangs out around 40° this time of year.

 

[mkh]

Cold crashing is when you put your beer in the fridge for 24 hours before bottling. That encourages the trub on the bottom to compact. Probably one of the big advantages (to me, at least) with 1 gallon brewing is that cold crashing is pretty easy. It's not easy to make room for a 5 gallon carboy in your fridge but a 1 gallon jug or a 2 gallon bucket isn't that hard to fit.

I knew that. I meant to the last thing.

 

[bleme]

Whirlfloc is basically refined irish moss, a seaweed that helps proteins and other particles drop out.

Personally, I prefer my beer with a little protein. Makes it health food!
Just putting that out there since clarity seemed important to you.

 

[PsyDanny]

I just brewed my second try at a BBS Everyday Ale. I found it interesting that the 1-gallon recipe called for a half packet of S-05 yeast, while the 5-gallon version called for an entire packet. Would it be safe to assume that the 1-gallon version should be 20% of the 5-gallon? One-fifth (20%) of an 11.5g packet would be 2.3g. I went for 3g (a little over 26% of a packet). It is now about 23-hours after pitching the yeast, and it is bubbling steadily in a 67F room (although perhaps not quite as vigorously as my first batch that did use a roughly estimated half-packet which started off in a room about 73F or so). Do you think I will be okay? I am a noob, but am learning that the S-05 is pretty flocculant, and I am hoping to cut down on trub so I can squeeze out a bit more actual beer. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[bleme]

You would be fine pitching a fifth of a packet. As far as reducing trub though, that is more dependent on how well you aerate and you are really better off with the healthier, less stressed yeast, even if it does give you a little less beer.

 

[ericbw]

Looking for some help on this. I made a 1G batch if nut brown, and I'm not sure why the FG is so high. Details:

2lb 2-row
2oz crystal 80
2oz victory
1oz chocolate malt

[.125 Goldings at 60 and 30 min]

Used 1/2 packet of muntons dry yeast and fermented 4 weeks at about 63ish.

There was a LOT if grub and the whirlfloc didn't seem to work at all. I got 7 bottles from the gallon.

Starting gravity was 1.060
Final gravity was 1.028

Tasted a little sweet and nutty. Sorta like Malta - the Latin American soda (which I love, so all is not lost).

Any ideas? Muntons yeast is weak?

I think I figured out my problem on this. My mash temperature was probably poorly controlled and too high. I know I misread the thermometer's tiny lines, so it was probably around 160 most of the time instead of 150-155, and possibly higher because I wasn't doing a good job of keeping it on target. Higher mash = higher final gravity, right?

[I am also less disappointed because I realized that I probably have ~4% ABV, which isn't bad. I think 4.5-5% is a pretty good range for every day beers.]

Next time, I should A) control the temp and try to keep it around 152, and B) use a higher water:grain ratio (1.3-1.5Q per lb instead of the 1.25 I used last time). I think both of those should make the FG lower (i.e. drier end result), but I am open to other suggestions.

 

[mkh]

Whirlfloc is basically refined irish moss, a seaweed that helps proteins and other particles drop out.

Personally, I prefer my beer with a little protein. Makes it health food!
Just putting that out there since clarity seemed important to you.

I'd prefer something pretty clear. As clear as you can with home brew. I'm honestly not overly concerned about it. We'll see how it goes ina couple weeks. Either way, I already got another kit, partial mash this time, that I'll do next week.

 

[Antler]

I'd prefer something pretty clear. As clear as you can with home brew. I'm honestly not overly concerned about it. We'll see how it goes ina couple weeks. Either way, I already got another kit, partial mash this time, that I'll do next week.

Finings doesn't make the beer clear, it just makes it clear faster. I don't add anything to my beers. After bottle carbing, and two weeks in the fridge I have a light film on the bottoms, and the beer is as clear as commercial beer. Just give it time.

 

[mkh]

Finings doesn't make the beer clear, it just makes it clear faster. I don't add anything to my beers. After bottle carbing, and two weeks in the fridge I have a light film on the bottoms, and the beer is as clear as commercial beer. Just give it time.

Time is what I'm giving.

 

[poobaca]

Whats the best way to store dry yeast that wasn't used?

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

Whats the best way to store dry yeast that wasn't used?

I just fold up the pack, put it in a ziplock bag and set it in the freezer. Has worked great for me.

 

[divrguy]

I just brewed my second try at a BBS Everyday Ale. I found it interesting that the 1-gallon recipe called for a half packet of S-05 yeast, while the 5-gallon version called for an entire packet. Would it be safe to assume that the 1-gallon version should be 20% of the 5-gallon? One-fifth (20%) of an 11.5g packet would be 2.3g. I went for 3g (a little over 26% of a packet). It is now about 23-hours after pitching the yeast, and it is bubbling steadily in a 67F room (although perhaps not quite as vigorously as my first batch that did use a roughly estimated half-packet which started off in a room about 73F or so). Do you think I will be okay? I am a noob, but am learning that the S-05 is pretty flocculant, and I am hoping to cut down on trub so I can squeeze out a bit more actual beer. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Yup a fifth of a packet is fine and 67 is a better temp to start fermentation with S-05

 

[Malty_Dog]

Regarding the OP, I can definitely see a place for brewing small batches. So many great looking recipes out here I want to try. Think I'll start using my old Mr Beer fermenter for smaller exclusive "test" batches

 

[JeffoC6]

Just posted this in another thread, so thought I'd share it here too. These work GREAT for us 1 gallon brewers with 1-gallon glass carboys:

http://labelpeelers.com/38-mm-plastic-screw-cap-with-hole-p-2501.html

 

[h22lude]

I have a regular size auto-siphon. Will that work for 1 or 2 gallon batches or is it best to have a mini auto-siphon?

 

[Ostomo517]

I have a regular size auto-siphon. Will that work for 1 or 2 gallon batches or is it best to have a mini auto-siphon?

Regular one will work fine, theres a small clip I got at my LHBS that holds the autosiphon inside the bucket above the trub, works like a charm!

 

[biggdaddymatt]

I have a regular size auto-siphon. Will that work for 1 or 2 gallon batches or is it best to have a mini auto-siphon?

From what i understand it wont fit the 1 gallon glass jugs

 

[dtfleming]

First 1gal brew day tomorrow. Belgian white ipa