1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[ToddB]

I bottled my first batch yesterday. it is a www.smallbatchhomebrew.com East Coast Steam Ale. It smelled delicious. I should have tasted it but for some reason I didn't. It sat in the fermenter for about a month because I didn't have my bottling tools yet. SMH.

Now I'm looking for my next brew. I'm thinking of a Blue Moon clone for the wife. But, unfortunately, smallbatchhomebrew closed up shop last week. Does anybody have a recommendation of where to get 1 gallon recipe kits that are good and may have a Blue Moon clone?

 

[divrguy]

Welcome to the small side. Brewing up a NB Dead Ringer kit right now, sampling my irish Red too. Needs a little more time conditioning but not bad. I'm not drinking at 6am, just sampling.

That NB dead ringer is a great beer to have on hand! I tried that and then scaled it up it was so good.

 

[Ostomo517]

I bottled my first batch yesterday. it is a www.smallbatchhomebrew.com East Coast Steam Ale. It smelled delicious. I should have tasted it but for some reason I didn't. It sat in the fermenter for about a month because I didn't have my bottling tools yet. SMH.

Now I'm looking for my next brew. I'm thinking of a Blue Moon clone for the wife. But, unfortunately, smallbatchhomebrew closed up shop last week. Does anybody have a recommendation of where to get 1 gallon recipe kits that are good and may have a Blue Moon clone?

Brooklyn Brew Shop has one gallon all grain kits that are good. Plus if your all grain you can always look into putting that Blue Moon clone together yourself!

 

[divrguy]

I bottled my first batch yesterday. it is a www.smallbatchhomebrew.com East Coast Steam Ale. It smelled delicious. I should have tasted it but for some reason I didn't. It sat in the fermenter for about a month because I didn't have my bottling tools yet. SMH.

Now I'm looking for my next brew. I'm thinking of a Blue Moon clone for the wife. But, unfortunately, smallbatchhomebrew closed up shop last week. Does anybody have a recommendation of where to get 1 gallon recipe kits that are good and may have a Blue Moon clone?

Here's a recipe that a lot of members seem to like https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/austin-homebrews-blue-moon-clone-ag-30190/

Just scale it down to your batch size. It's pretty easy to do actually and pick up everything at your LHBS. If you have to mail order it, you may have to buy a little extra and store it. Do you mill your grain or get it milled?

 

[BikerBrewer]

That NB dead ringer is a great beer to have on hand! I tried that and then scaled it up it was so good.

That's good to hear, really looking forward to it now. Got a loaf of spent grains bread going the bread machine now made with the grains from he kit, smells really good.

 

[jwalk4]

Any Nottingham aficionados in here? I can see my yeast is attenuating in my oatmeal stout, my airlock is chug chug chugging away, but I only have about 1/4 inch of krausen.

Normal?

 

[TipsyYeti]

Hello all,
New small batcher here, my second batch is bubbling away. Brewed four five gallon batches and my wife bought me a one gallon kit thinking it was a five gallon ingredient kit for Christmas. Just cracked the the first one from the Christmas present a Jalapeno Saison from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Lightest beer i have made so far but it is delicious.
Liking the small batch world so far.

 

[divrguy]

Any Nottingham aficionados in here? I can see my yeast is attenuating in my oatmeal stout, my airlock is chug chug chugging away, but I only have about 1/4 inch of krausen.

Normal?

Hey jwalk.. Not an expert but I love Nottingham. It usually finishes up quick in 3-4 days and cleans up a beer very nice. Great choice in that stout!

 

[TipsyYeti]

Does anybody have a recommendation of where to get 1 gallon recipe kits that are good and may have a Blue Moon clone?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/small-batch-beer-recipe-kits

Have heard good things about their kits but haven't tried them.

 

[mkh]

Brewing my 1 gallon kit from Northern Brew. I got another week on my first batch which was full grain from BBS. THis is much easier obviously. We'll see how it taste. My guess is good.

 

[jwalk4]

Hey jwalk.. Not an expert but I love Nottingham. It usually finishes up quick in 3-4 days and cleans up a beer very nice. Great choice in that stout!

Phew! That's a relief. I was afraid my efforts were.... all for 'Nott'!

*waits for laughter*


*cough*

Anyways, yeah, I was just surprised at the lack of krausen, not a real problem that I've had before. But I'm really pumped about it!

 

[dmoore714]

Forgive me if this has been discussed already in the previous 256 pages of this thread... but is anyone doing any barrel-aging with 1-gallon batches? I've seen some 2liter and 5liter oak barrels for sale lately (not too expensive). Might be good for aging small batches.

 

[dtfleming]

Forgive me if this has been discussed already in the previous 256 pages of this thread... but is anyone doing any barrel-aging with 1-gallon batches? I've seen some 2liter and 5liter oak barrels for sale lately (not too expensive). Might be good for aging small batches.

Where did you see those?

 

[dmoore714]

Was looking for a 5-gallon barrel on Barrel Source, and I found several smaller ones. Considering buying this combo deal when I get my tax refund. The 5-liter barrels could hold a little over 1 gallon each... and I could use the bonus little guy to age some whiskey or something.

 

[Leadgolem]

Was looking for a 5-gallon barrel on Barrel Source, and I found several smaller ones. Considering buying this combo deal when I get my tax refund. The 5-liter barrels could hold a little over 1 gallon each... and I could use the bonus little guy to age some whiskey or something.

Oh wow am I tempted. I've been wanting to try some barrel aging for cider and mead for a while now.

 

[Scottie61]

There is also http://www.barrelsonline.com/Default.aspx, among others.

I have other questions on these, such as, can you reuse them? Would you have to sand out the interior and rechar the inside to reuse it?

I have only done three brews and an Apfelwine so far, and three of those four are still fermenting, so I'm pretty new. The first brew I used Cooper's yeast that was supplied with the kit, but the next two and the Apfel I used Nottingham. The brews were basically Cooper's hopped extract with extra DME and sugars added and I got loads of krausen with those, and had to use a blow-off tube for the first three days, and then switch to a standard airlock.

The Apfelwine, not much for krausen, just a little foam at the top, and have been using a regular airlock from the beginning. Plenty of bubbling.

Scottie

 

[dmoore714]

I have other questions on these, such as, can you reuse them? Would you have to sand out the interior and rechar the inside to reuse it?
Scottie

You can re-use barrels. Its not possible (or necessary) to take them apart to clean them between uses though. There are ways to sanitize them if you need to. The whole point of barrel aging (for me) would be for sour beers. There, the draw is for the bacteria and wild yeasts to innoculate the porous would of the barrel so future batches get more and more complex and tasty.

 

[dm1217]

Wonder if anyone else has considered using a wine fridge/cooler for a 1 gallon jug. Seems like those would be perfect for locking in ale temps (if there's one out there with the dimensions). If anyone has info on this please let me know, or send me a PM.

 

[divrguy]

Forgive me if this has been discussed already in the previous 256 pages of this thread... but is anyone doing any barrel-aging with 1-gallon batches? I've seen some 2liter and 5liter oak barrels for sale lately (not too expensive). Might be good for aging small batches.

Very cool deal on those barrels. Wish I had more room now.

Wonder if anyone else has considered using a wine fridge/cooler for a 1 gallon jug. Seems like those would be perfect for locking in ale temps (if there's one out there with the dimensions). If anyone has info on this please let me know, or send me a PM.

Lots of folks use a wine fridge for cooling. I actually do as well. Vissani 52 from depot. Check sales as they come down to less than $125 a couple times a year and dinged models below 100. There's also a whole thread on bypassing their stat and installing a whole digital controller. I plug mine into an eBay STC-1000 aquarium controller. Costs about $22 shipped from China and works excellent!

 

[cheesecake]

Belma belma belma.....I have a hop addiction

 

[abandonhope16]

Do any of you guys have a system for kegging your one gallon batches? I recently started one gallon batches of cider. But I was thinking of back sweetening and kegging rather than back sweetening/naturally carbing and pasteurizing.

 

[cheesecake]

You could force carb in plastic bottles with a carb cap

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

You could force carb in plastic bottles with a carb cap

Those are awesome, we use them all the time at work. Carb a bottle up in about 5 minutes if you do it right.

 

[jongrill]

Those are awesome, we use them all the time at work. Carb a bottle up in about 5 minutes if you do it right.

Say what? What are these things?

 

[mirogster]

Say what? What are these things?

For example:
http://amzn.com/B0064OKADS

 

[muleskinner90]

Is a month and four days fermenting too long?

 

[zeg]

Is a month and four days fermenting too long?

Not even close. Probably longer than necessary, but not too long by any stretch. Many go for a month as a matter of general practice, as you're far more likely to harm your product by not fermenting long enough.

 

[muleskinner90]

Not even close. Probably longer than necessary, but not too long by any stretch. Many go for a month as a matter of general practice, as you're far more likely to harm your product by not fermenting long enough.

Great! Thanks.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

Say what? What are these things?

The link a few posts up is what we have. Screw onto a PET bottle with all the air squeezed out, hook up to about 20 lbs of pressure and shake like hell. Just wait a few minutes for it to settle and you are good. Works much better cold.

 

[ToddB]

Brooklyn Brew Shop has one gallon all grain kits that are good. Plus if your all grain you can always look into putting that Blue Moon clone together yourself!

Here's a recipe that a lot of members seem to like https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/austin-homebrews-blue-moon-clone-ag-30190/

Just scale it down to your batch size. It's pretty easy to do actually and pick up everything at your LHBS. If you have to mail order it, you may have to buy a little extra and store it. Do you mill your grain or get it milled?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/small-batch-beer-recipe-kits

Have heard good things about their kits but haven't tried them.

Thanks guys. I'll have to check those out.