1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[ericbw]

Does anyone see a problem or have a suggestion with this recipe? It's an amber - going for something like MacTarnahan's, but experimenting with Summit hops.

1 lb 10 oz 2-row
4 oz Crystal 40
2 oz Victory

.125 oz Summit (15.5% AA) @ 60 min
.25 oz Summit @ 0

Re-using US-05

Hopville says it's 1.055 SG and 1.015 FG. Does that seem right for an Amber?

 

[sterling757]

Does anyone see a problem or have a suggestion with this recipe?

Hopville says it's 1.055 SG and 1.015 FG. Does that seem right for an Amber?

Just punched that into iBrewmaster at 1.049/1.012. Looks pretty much in range for an American Amber.

 

[ericbw]

Just punched that into iBrewmaster at 1.049/1.012. Looks pretty much in range for an American Amber.

I got right around 1.048 when i brewed, so pretty close!

 

[ianmatth]

I was planning to do a Pliny The Younger clone as a BIAB and figured I'd do a gallon first since this will be my first batch using grain. I plan to use scottland's recipe: http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/03/pliny-younger-clone-20.html

For a gallon batch, the grain bill is about 3 pounds, but I need to hit 70% efficiency to get the proper OG. I'm assuming I'll need to use 1.2 gallons to have 1 gallon make it to primary. Here are my questions:

Is a 9 quart cooler is big enough to handle 1.2 gallons of water with 3 pounds of grain in a 29" x 29" mesh bag?

If I plan to do a 90 minute rest at 145, what temperature should I heat the water up to (I'll put a towel around the cooler)?

If after my 90 minutes of mashing, I do a dunk sparge at 170 and let the bag continue to drain during the 90 minute boil, will I hit 70% efficiency?

Obviously no one can perfectly answer my questions, but for those of you who have used a particular amount of grain in a particular sized cooler for a 1 gallon batch, you can make a good guess based on how much your temperature held/dropped and what kind of efficiency you achieved.

I might also just do a PM with 1.5 or 2 pounds total grain because I'm sure a 9 quart cooler can handle that, and then I can measure the OG after the dunk sparge and know how much extract I need to add to get the proper OG regardless of what my efficiency is.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

I was planning to do a Pliny The Younger clone as a BIAB and figured I'd do a gallon first since this will be my first batch using grain. I plan to use scottland's recipe: http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/03/pliny-younger-clone-20.html

For a gallon batch, the grain bill is about 3 pounds, but I need to hit 70% efficiency to get the proper OG. I'm assuming I'll need to use 1.2 gallons to have 1 gallon make it to primary. Here are my questions:

Is a 9 quart cooler is big enough to handle 1.2 gallons of water with 3 pounds of grain in a 29" x 29" mesh bag?

If I plan to do a 90 minute rest at 145, what temperature should I heat the water up to (I'll put a towel around the cooler)?

If after my 90 minutes of mashing, I do a dunk sparge at 170 and let the bag continue to drain during the 90 minute boil, will I hit 70% efficiency?

Obviously no one can perfectly answer my questions, but for those of you who have used a particular amount of grain in a particular sized cooler for a 1 gallon batch, you can make a good guess based on how much your temperature held/dropped and what kind of efficiency you achieved.

I might also just do a PM with 1.5 or 2 pounds total grain because I'm sure a 9 quart cooler can handle that, and then I can measure the OG after the dunk sparge and know how much extract I need to add to get the proper OG regardless of what my efficiency is.

I have beersmith set up to do a no sparge biab, so my numbers will be a little off from what you are wanting, but you'll get the idea.

3# of grain in the mash with 7.5 qts of water, you will need a mash tun volume of 2.14 gallons. (if you do less water than that, then less volume and just sparge later like you said you were going to do.

This is also telling me the strike water should be 152.2F to hit 145, but if you don't have as much water this will be different, but a good starting point.

I suggest stirring the grain bag while sparging to make sure that fresh water is getting to the middle of the mash.

 

[MedBrewer]

Does anyone see a problem or have a suggestion with this recipe? It's an amber - going for something like MacTarnahan's, but experimenting with Summit hops.

1 lb 10 oz 2-row
4 oz Crystal 40
2 oz Victory

.125 oz Summit (15.5% AA) @ 60 min
.25 oz Summit @ 0

Re-using US-05

Hopville says it's 1.055 SG and 1.015 FG. Does that seem right for an Amber?

What do you use to measure your hops? I've been looking all over for a good scale to measure hops and seems most are crappy.
Thanks!

 

[TCGoose]

What do you use to measure your hops? I've been looking all over for a good scale to measure hops and seems most are crappy.
Thanks!

I use the American Weigh Scales AC-100 scale. Measures up to 100g in 0.01g increments. It's great. $15 on amazon.

 

[MedBrewer]

thanks!

 

[jongrill]

I'm looking for a great one gallon extract or partial mash blueberry wheat recipe!

Anyone have one?

 

[wedge421]

What size pots are you guys using for these 1 gallon batches?

 

[TCGoose]

3 gallon (12L), so I don't have to worry about boil overs. Pre-boil volume is somewhere around 2 gallons for me.

 

[Jsslack]

What size pots are you guys using for these 1 gallon batches?

2 gallon MT/ BK ( BIAB)
And a 4 quart sauce pan as hlt

 

[Calichusetts]

3 gallon (12L), so I don't have to worry about boil overs. Pre-boil volume is somewhere around 2 gallons for me.

Same...I enjoy longer boils so I still have some room even if I get more than 2 gallons.

 

[ianmatth]

I have beersmith set up to do a no sparge biab, so my numbers will be a little off from what you are wanting, but you'll get the idea.

3# of grain in the mash with 7.5 qts of water, you will need a mash tun volume of 2.14 gallons. (if you do less water than that, then less volume and just sparge later like you said you were going to do.

This is also telling me the strike water should be 152.2F to hit 145, but if you don't have as much water this will be different, but a good starting point.

I suggest stirring the grain bag while sparging to make sure that fresh water is getting to the middle of the mash.

Thanks for the info. I found a mash infusion and rest calculator on http://www.brewersfriend.com/, but it doesn't give a mash tun volume. Since I plan to use a 4.8 qts of water, a 9 qt (2.25 gallon cooler should easily cover it. Using 3 lbs of grain in the mash with 4.8 qts of water it gives me a strike water temperature of 155. If I decide to go PM and only use 2 lbs of grain, it tells me 151.7.

Ultimately I'm just going to have to do this and see how my numbers and efficiency work out in the end, but at least I know a cheap $10 cooler from Walmart is big enough to mash high OG 1 gallon batches.

 

[unkyjack]

Since I plan to use a 4.8 qts of water, a 9 qt (2.25 gallon cooler should easily cover it. Using 3 lbs of grain in the mash with 4.8 qts of water it gives me a strike water temperature of 155. If I decide to go PM and only use 2 lbs of grain, it tells me 151.7.

Ultimately I'm just going to have to do this and see how my numbers and efficiency work out in the end, but at least I know a cheap $10 cooler from Walmart is big enough to mash high OG 1 gallon batches.

I've been looking for a cooler to use as a mash tun for 1 gallon BIAB small batches and can't decide between a 2-gallon or a 5-gallon beverage-style cooler. There are 3-gallon models but they're more expensive than the 5-gallon coolers, which makes no sense. I've seen Rubbermaid and Igloo 2-gallon coolers at Home Depot and Lowes for less than $10. The lids of those coolers have air vents that can let heat escape even when they're closed and the lids aren't insulated at all. The larger 5-gallon coolers are over $20, but they appear to have insulated lids, which should help maintain mash temps. The choice seems to be between less headroom and no insulation vs. much better insulation but almost excessive head room. I'm not sure which way to go.

 

[Calichusetts]

Go with the 5...you can put a layer of tin foil over the mash to help insure temps and then wrap it with a blanket, you will have no issues. And you will be happy if you ever decide to go to 2 or 3 gallon, or even do a double batch or partygyle one day. Also, the 3 is more expensive so that really ends the argument.

 

[unkyjack]

Go with the 5...you can put a layer of tin foil over the mash to help insure temps and then wrap it with a blanket, you will have no issues. And you will be happy if you ever decide to go to 2 or 3 gallon, or even do a double batch or partygyle one day. Also, the 3 is more expensive so that really ends the argument.

That makes a lot of sense.

I was leaning toward the 5-gallon cooler for the reason you mentioned -- the possibility of going to larger batches in the future -- plus it just seems to have better insulation than the smaller coolers. Your tip about using aluminum-foil to stabilize the mash temp is an easy fix and it eliminates my concern about excessive head space that needs to stay warm. Good idea!!!

Thanks.

 

[Dybz]

Do 3 gallon brewers count here? lol... I considered 1 gallon, decided it was too little, 5 gallons too much. I want a quick turnover so i can brew more often and try new things!

 

[EClayton08]

I'm doing a Duvel clone this weekend with a recipe I found at my local homebrew store. The guy wasn't very clear with the instructions so I figure I need to ask here. It was for a 5 gal batch but I'm only doing 1 gal again. It says to steep 1/2 gal then sparge 1/2 gal. Should I just steep a qt then sparge a qt as well? Then it says to add water for 1.5 gal total for the extract and initial hops. Should I just do the 2 qts cause the next step calls to add 1.5 more gals to get to 3 gals. Then to add 2.5 gals a of water in the primary to get to 5 gals. Should I just do the whole thing as 2 qts then add 2 qts in the primary to get to a gal? This is confusing with 1 gal batches.

This is only my second attempt so I'm still learning.

 

[sterling757]

I'm doing a Duvel clone this weekend with a recipe I found at my local homebrew store. The guy wasn't very clear with the instructions so I figure I need to ask here. It was for a 5 gal batch but I'm only doing 1 gal again. It says to steep 1/2 gal then sparge 1/2 gal. Should I just steep a qt then sparge a qt as well? Then it says to add water for 1.5 gal total for the extract and initial hops. Should I just do the 2 qts cause the next step calls to add 1.5 more gals to get to 3 gals. Then to add 2.5 gals a of water in the primary to get to 5 gals. Should I just do the whole thing as 2 qts then add 2 qts in the primary to get to a gal? This is confusing with 1 gal batches.

This is only my second attempt so I'm still learning.

I always do full volume boils with my 1 gal batches, even with extract, rather than adding a bunch of water to the primary. As far as the water volume for the steeping, it probably doesn't matter that much.

 

[EClayton08]

I always do full volume boils with my 1 gal batches, even with extract, rather than adding a bunch of water to the primary. As far as the water volume for the steeping, it probably doesn't matter that much.

Alright thanks. So how much water should I use for the boil? 1.5 gal? Or exactly 1 and if I'm under in my primary add water to get to a gal?

 

[Ostomo517]

Do 3 gallon brewers count here? lol... I considered 1 gallon, decided it was too little, 5 gallons too much. I want a quick turnover so i can brew more often and try new things!

We dont like your 3 gallon kind round here boy sorry I had too.

 

[sterling757]

Alright thanks. So how much water should I use for the boil? 1.5 gal? Or exactly 1 and if I'm under in my primary add water to get to a gal?

Either way will work just fine. You can always add water at the fermetner or let it boil off a little longer if you have too much. If you know your boil off rate specific to your 1 gal brew setup that helps, but it sounds like you might need to do a few 1 gals to figure that rate out. If you have the time, you can test it with plain water. Mine is about .4 gal/hr. but it depends on a lot of variables. I like to have exactly 1 gal post boil mainly because I ferment in 1 gal glass jugs and have zero extra space.

 

[RichE]

Do 3 gallon brewers count here? lol... I considered 1 gallon, decided it was too little, 5 gallons too much. I want a quick turnover so i can brew more often and try new things!

I have come to the rather obvious conclusion that the perfect batch size is 2.4 gallon BIAB size.

Here is my logic: 2.4 gallons should fill up a case of 12 ounce bottles with about 20 ounces left for waste/trub/minor spills etc...

That being said my last 3 or 4 perfect size 2.4 gallon brews seem to leave me with 1 or 2 bottles short of a full case. 2.5 gallon would probably be even more perfect, but I think it could get pretty tight on head space in a 3 gallon carboy. Might be OK with a blow off tube, but I haven't tried that yet.

 

[BigRock947]

I have come to the rather obvious conclusion that the perfect batch size is 2.4 gallon BIAB size.

Here is my logic: 2.4 gallons should fill up a case of 12 ounce bottles with about 20 ounces left for waste/trub/minor spills etc...

That being said my last 3 or 4 perfect size 2.4 gallon brews seem to leave me with 1 or 2 bottles short of a full case. 2.5 gallon would probably be even more perfect, but I think it could get pretty tight on head space in a 3 gallon carboy. Might be OK with a blow off tube, but I haven't tried that yet.

I just use a 5 gallon carboy for a 2.5 gallon beer.

 

[Oilerfan_55]

3 gallon (12L), so I don't have to worry about boil overs. Pre-boil volume is somewhere around 2 gallons for me.

What is your post-boil volume, when you use a pre-boil volume of 2 gallons?

I've been reading about 1-gallon batches, and one book (Beer Craft) recommends a 2-gallon pre-boil volume, however another book (Brooklyn Brewshop's Beer Making Book) recommends a 5 quart pre-boil volume.

I don't understand how their can be such a discrepancy. The beer craft book suggests that you will lose 1 gallon to boiling (1 hour), however I did a test boil with 2 gallons of water, and only lost 1.75 quarts (which is much less than the 4 quarts Beer Craft suggests, however also higher than the 1 quart that Brooklyn suggests).

I also noticed that the recipes in the Beer Craft book call for significantly more grain on average than the Brooklyn book (Beer craft is on average 2.5 to 3 lbs for standard beers, and Brooklyn is 1.8-2.2 on average).

Any help understanding this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[TCGoose]

What is your post-boil volume, when you use a pre-boil volume of 2 gallons?

I've been reading about 1-gallon batches, and one book (Beer Craft) recommends a 2-gallon pre-boil volume, however another book (Brooklyn Brewshop's Beer Making Book) recommends a 5 quart pre-boil volume.

I don't understand how their can be such a discrepancy. The beer craft book suggests that you will lose 1 gallon to boiling (1 hour), however I did a test boil with 2 gallons of water, and only lost 1.75 quarts (which is much less than the 4 quarts Beer Craft suggests, however also higher than the 1 quart that Brooklyn suggests).

I also noticed that the recipes in the Beer Craft book call for significantly more grain on average than the Brooklyn book (Beer craft is on average 2.5 to 3 lbs for standard beers, and Brooklyn is 1.8-2.2 on average).

Any help understanding this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Yeah, I get what you get ~0.5 gallons of boil off. But then add in a quarter gallon for trub loss, add a bit more than a should into the fermenter... I originally based it of if the beer craft book, but I've found that 2 quarts if boil off is right for my pot. I just like to end up with more than a gallon after the boil, allows me to avoid the cold break.

 

[Oilerfan_55]

Yeah, I get what you get ~0.5 gallons of boil off. But then add in a quarter gallon for trub loss, add a bit more than a should into the fermenter... I originally based it of if the beer craft book, but I've found that 2 quarts if boil off is right for my pot. I just like to end up with more than a gallon after the boil, allows me to avoid the cold break.

I guess that is why the Beer Craft recipes have more grain in them as well, as they are "technically" designed to produce more than the 1 gallon of post-boil wort (If there actually was a 1 gallon loss to evaporation using these recipes, the post-boil wort gravity would be significantly higher than what the recipes called for, right?)

If I understand this correctly then, you could technically use less grain, and aim for a more efficient post-boil volume than the Beer Craft recipes give you.

Thanks for the response, it was helpful.

 

[Oilerfan_55]

For liquid yeast, I am pretty much limited to using Wyeast smack packs due to availability.

As per MrMalty, 1/2 of an activated pack seems to be the standard for a 1-gallon batch of beer. Is this what everyone else finds?

Also, what (if anything) can be done with the 1/2 of the pack that goes unused? Is there any way to save this and use in another batch?

Thanks.

 

[Ostomo517]

For liquid yeast, I am pretty much limited to using Wyeast smack packs due to availability.

As per MrMalty, 1/2 of an activated pack seems to be the standard for a 1-gallon batch of beer. Is this what everyone else finds?

Also, what (if anything) can be done with the 1/2 of the pack that goes unused? Is there any way to save this and use in another batch?

Thanks.

Usually if you use it within maybe two weeks at the most it should be ok. This is part of the reason I bought starter equipment and started a yeast library so I can use how much I need way cheaper and without waste.