1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[jongrill]

No, the sugar in the cherries have activated the yeast again. It will ferment out, lowering your FG and thin the beer a bit. No worries though.

Thanks!

 

[musicalwillard]

Honestly don't understand why any one would say you can't brew 1 gallon batches unless they want you to buy 5 gallon equipment. I started with a Brooklyn brew shop kit,and have since then bought 3 more 1 gallon jugs and airlock, along with nylon tubing from hardware stores for blow off tubes,and some large pots at Big Lots for sparging and so on. I'm on my 7th gallon batch so far with great success .

The guy I was talking to wasn't even at a supply store, he works at a Beverage warehouse that I thought might have brewing supplies. No carboys there at all, so he wasn't trying to sell to me. Maybe I should document a 1-gal batch start to finish, and give him a printed copy lol.

 

[Brewmex41]

The guy I was talking to wasn't even at a supply store, he works at a Beverage warehouse that I thought might have brewing supplies. No carboys there at all, so he wasn't trying to sell to me. Maybe I should document a 1-gal batch start to finish, and give him a printed copy lol.

Give him the link to, or better yet, the book from Brooklyn brew shop lol

 

[Mozart]

This way I don't end up with 3 cases of imperial spinach extra special vanilla stout eisbock!

And you're not sharing the recipe?!

 

[Leadgolem]

So do you steam first and then freeze or the other way around? Also, if freeze and then steam, what do you find the best way to steam?

Yes, you steam first. I wash the fruit, then quarter, core, de-stem, and cut out any bad spots. Large apples I cut into 8th's. Then they go in a slow cooker with some water in the bottom. The slow cooker is on just high enough to produce a slow stream of steam. Once all the apples are done, I give them all about 20 minutes in the slow cooker. Then I bag them all in freezer bags and freeze.

I like to add them frozen to the fermentor after about 2 weeks in primary. You can wait until they thaw out, but you will leave some juice in the freezer bag. I move the brew to secondary, and add the fruit at the same time. This is when you would want to add pectin enzyme if you are planning on using it. Then after another 2 weeks or so I fish the fruit out with my spider. You can add a finning agent at this point if you want to. You will have some solids in the brew.

I really prefer to do this in a fermenting bucket, it leaves a lot of garbage in the fermentor and it can be hard to clean out of a carboy. If you are using something like cherries, or anything you aren't going to cut up before adding, it's a good idea to squeeze the fruit after you remove it. Then add the liquid back to the fermentor. That doesn't work with things like apples or pears though, they just turn to mush if you squeeze them after freezing.

No, the sugar in the cherries have activated the yeast again. It will ferment out, lowering your FG and thin the beer a bit. No worries though.

This.

But aren't you losing a lot of the flavor by doing so?

This too. Though with that much fruit I doubt it will be any real problem.

The guy I was talking to wasn't even at a supply store, he works at a Beverage warehouse that I thought might have brewing supplies. No carboys there at all, so he wasn't trying to sell to me. Maybe I should document a 1-gal batch start to finish, and give him a printed copy lol.

That would be hilarious. If you decide to do that, make sure you take video. :fro:

 

[sterling757]

While looking for supplies in town today, I was told by someone that it would be nearly impossible to brew a 1-gal batch of beer or wine. He also told me I would need to go to Bangor to get the supplies I'd need.

That's weird because I've ONLY ever brewed 1 gal batches of beer for a total of 19 so far. The Bangor part might be true, I can't really say.

 

[Mooglebass]

I found a recipe I want to try on beer tools. It's a vanilla licorice amber ale. Here's the scaled recipe

0.25 lbs Crystal 60; Great Western
0.08 lbs Golden Naked Oats
1 lbs CBW® Pilsen Light Liquid (Malt Extract); Briess
0.25 lbs Light Brown Sugar
0.33 oz Willamette - 5.0 AA% pellets; boiled 60 min 0.08 oz
Mt. Hood - 5.0 AA% pellets; boiled 15 min 0.08 oz
Mt. Hood - 5.0 AA% pellets; boiled 1 min
0.33 oz Vanilla (whole bean)- + 1 cinnamon stick(omitted from calculations) 1.33 oz Licorice (root)- Licorice Slices(omitted from calculations

My question is, I forgot to get golden oats, but I got red wheat for another recipe. Could I sub that? Also I have some carapills, that helps in head retention right? Could some be added?

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Has anyone in here made a 1 gallon wine? Figured it can't use too much different of equipment.

 

[Ostomo517]

Has anyone in here made a 1 gallon wine? Figured it can't use too much different of equipment.

It would just depend if your wiling to tie up a fermenter for that long

 

[Oilerfan_55]

Awesome label dude!

Thanks!

 

[Leadgolem]

Has anyone in here made a 1 gallon wine? Figured it can't use too much different of equipment.

Sure, the equipment is pretty much the same. Though it's best to use a glass carboy or a dedicated fermentation bucket so you don't cross your flavors. Plastic will hold on to both hops and wine or cider flavor.

It would just depend if your wiling to tie up a fermenter for that long

I bottle once the wine hit's FG. Then let the aging happen in the bottle. It's not as nice as bulk aging, but it still works very well.

 

[sumone]

so I now have 5 1 gallon glass jugs.... and I cant decide on what to brew!!!

#firstworldproblems.

I currently have a ESB and cream ale going.
I have a lot of Caramel - 60L, Honey Malt and Roasted Barley left over. Any one have some suggestions I should try?

 

[divrguy]

so I now have 5 1 gallon glass jugs.... and I cant decide on what to brew!!!

#firstworldproblems.

I currently have a ESB and cream ale going.
I have a lot of Caramel - 60L, Honey Malt and Roasted Barley left over. Any one have some suggestions I should try?

You need some malt like 2 row, Munich, Maris etc.... But you could add any of those to some base malt. You have a local LHBS or you have to mail order?

 

[divrguy]

Also good to have base malt around so you can brew a any time on a whim.. As long as you have something else to compliment it like hops...lol

 

[jongrill]

I decided to move to all grain this week. I purchased some kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop after having a nice email convo with them. They even threw in an extra kit! Really nice people!


Here goes nothing! Any all grain tips?

 

[Leadgolem]

so I now have 5 1 gallon glass jugs.... and I cant decide on what to brew!!!

#firstworldproblems.

I currently have a ESB and cream ale going.
I have a lot of Caramel - 60L, Honey Malt and Roasted Barley left over. Any one have some suggestions I should try?

Shouldn't this be, is there something you shouldn't try?

Honestly, I'm a big fan of cider but you would need some apple juice.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Sure, the equipment is pretty much the same. Though it's best to use a glass carboy or a dedicated fermentation bucket so you don't cross your flavors. Plastic will hold on to both hops and wine or cider flavor.

I bottle once the wine hit's FG. Then let the aging happen in the bottle. It's not as nice as bulk aging, but it still works very well.

I have 3 glass jugs and a 2 gallon plastic bucket. So I am fine using one of my spares. I want to make a blueberry wine, but don't want to do too big of volume

 

[Leadgolem]

I have 3 glass jugs and a 2 gallon plastic bucket. So I am fine using one of my spares. I want to make a blueberry wine, but don't want to do too big of volume

Yeah, blueberry wine gets expensive fast. I would suggest getting some RW Knudsen "Just Blueberry" juice. It makes a great base for a blueberry wine.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Yeah, blueberry wine gets expensive fast. I would suggest getting some RW Knudsen "Just Blueberry" juice. It makes a great base for a blueberry wine.

I'm gonna go crazy and just make it from fresh squashed blueberries. In the height of Jersey Blueberry season blueberries get really cheap (like under a buck a pound) and I figure I might as well take advantage of it. Probably just need a little water and maybe a touch of sugar to dry it out a little.

 

[tdhickey]

First batch with a 2 Gallon Mash Tun - what an improvement!

I have been using a strainer with the Brooklyn Brew Shop recipe kits. My latest brew, I used the Mash Tun instead and the beer is fantastic! So glad I upgraded, plus now I can make 2 batches at once.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

First batch with a 2 Gallon Mash Tun - what an improvement!

I have been using a strainer with the Brooklyn Brew Shop recipe kits. My latest brew, I used the Mash Tun instead and the beer is fantastic! So glad I upgraded, plus now I can make 2 batches at once.

Out of curiosity, how did you build your mashtun?

 

[Leadgolem]

I'm gonna go crazy and just make it from fresh squashed blueberries. In the height of Jersey Blueberry season blueberries get really cheap (like under a buck a pound) and I figure I might as well take advantage of it. Probably just need a little water and maybe a touch of sugar to dry it out a little.

Take notes and let us know how it comes out please. I like blueberry wine. Though I find it needs a little nitrogen boost when you make if from juice.

 

[jongrill]

Can someone direct me to a good thread on carbing beer with corn syrup? I've been using carbonation tabs since I started and my results always vary. I want to switch over but I can't find good detailed instructions!

 

[sumone]

You need some malt like 2 row, Munich, Maris etc.... But you could add any of those to some base malt. You have a local LHBS or you have to mail order?

I have dme laying around at all times but just got I to partial mashes. Sadly I used all my extra grain and hops I had to brew the cream ale on a whim.

No lhbs. For me :-/

 

[Ostomo517]

Can someone direct me to a good thread on carbing beer with corn syrup? I've been using carbonation tabs since I started and my results always vary. I want to switch over but I can't find good detailed instructions!

Why would you use corn syrup? Just use corn sugar.

 

[jongrill]

Why would you use corn syrup? Just use corn sugar.

That is what I meant... Early morning/late night... Oops!

 

[Ostomo517]

That is what I meant... Early morning/late night... Oops!

Lol I hear ya, just use this calculator. Boil whatever amount of corn sugar it tells you in 1 cup of water for ten minutes allow to cool and add to bottling bucket then rack beer on top to mix. http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

 

[MedBrewer]

Out of curiosity, how did you build your mashtun?

Id love to put one together also, details would be great!

 

[Brewmex41]

Id love to put one together also, details would be great!

I built mine after watching videos on YouTube.

 

[tdhickey]

I suck at building things like this, so I ordered this one instead:

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/2-gallon-mash-tun.html

I had to tighten the seal, but that was it. Works great, flow wort is perfect and the sparge is easy. Only had a bit of an issue hitting mash out temp, but recycled a bit of wort to make space.