1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[BikerBrewer]

Hey guys, another small brewer here.
First batch was Mr B. Classic American Light...After 4 weeks still not ready
Have a 1 gal batch of NB Caribou Slobber in bottles conditiong
Have another 1 gal batch NB Caribou Slobber in the fermenter, should be bottled soon
Also have a NB White House Honey Ale waiting to be bottled..

On deck I am going to make my own Pilsner with Mr. B Grand Bohemian Pilsner, some UME, and some Czech Saaz Hops...

1 gal is good for me..I only drink alot of beer maybe once a month, besides that I will just have a beer or two every now and then...

Good luck with your Pilsner, sounds like it should be good. Been thinking of doing one myself. I've done both the Caribou Slobber and the White hose Honey, they both came out realy good.

 

[Dustinj]

1 gal caribou slobber on deck!

 

[Titan88]

I have to agree with a few other posters about "stepping it up" does not really mean how many gallons of brew, rather what process. For me, I have all of the equipment for 5 gallon brews. But, I find it easier to justify to SWMBO (and myself) spending money on bigger batches after I have already made a few fantastic one gallon batches. The fact that a gallon only makes ten beers is a double-edged sword. If it's a great beer, you only have ten. If it sucks, you only have ten. I think it's the best way to learn the basics and develop recipes. I'm not hating on bigger brewers (I would love to run a brewpub), just giving my $.02 on one gallon batches and their advantages.

 

[Leadgolem]

I have to agree with a few other posters about "stepping it up" does not really mean how many gallons of brew, rather what process. For me, I have all of the equipment for 5 gallon brews. But, I find it easier to justify to SWMBO (and myself) spending money on bigger batches after I have already made a few fantastic one gallon batches. The fact that a gallon only makes ten beers is a double-edged sword. If it's a great beer, you only have ten. If it sucks, you only have ten. I think it's the best way to learn the basics and develop recipes. I'm not hating on bigger brewers (I would love to run a brewpub), just giving my $.02 on one gallon batches and their advantages.

Oh it's a great way to experiment that's for sure. It's also nice when you're making something for occasional use, like coffee wine.

 

[bleme]

It's also great when your wife wants an occasional "Corona". I sure don't want 5 gallons of that stuff around....

 

[BikerBrewer]

I have to agree with all of you, it's the perfect way to refine your technic, a good way to experiment with new recipes, and great for styles you wouldn't want alot of. Plus it's all tastes so good.

 

[Dustinj]

Another great thing about one gallon is its done on the stove top. My wife and kids are sitting around chatting with me and watching tv in the AC while I'm brewing. Even my two year old gets her step stool out and "helps" daddy make beer. I won't allow her any where near an open burner and boiling wort out side.

 

[Mooglebass]

what is this coffee wine leadgolem??

 

[Leadgolem]

what is this coffee wine leadgolem??

I finally went and just posted it in the recipe's section.

It's nothing revolutionary. Basically, cold brewed coffee, sugar, and yeast nutrient.

 

[Mooglebass]

So basically I could make one hell of a iced coffee drink. Have you tried any nibs in it? Also would some beans work better than.extract? Also would a simple syrup male the sugar dissolve better?

 

[Leadgolem]

So basically I could make one hell of a iced coffee drink. Have you tried any nibs in it? Also would some beans work better than.extract? Also would a simple syrup male the sugar dissolve better?

I have not tried nibs yet, they should be nice. I would probably add them to secondary.

If you wanted to grind your own beans that would be good. I wouldn't use whole beans for the cold brewed coffee. They won't extract very well. If you leave the coffee solids in when the alcohol is being produced the alcohol will start extracting bitter compounds from the solids. The point of doing the cold brewing is to prevent that.

A simple syrup would make it easier to mix the sugar in as the sugar crystals are already dissolved. It will also bring more water to the party, so you would be increasing the batch size a little bit and slightly diluting the coffee.

I'm thinking of adding some vanilla bean to secondary on a future batch. That should be nice.

 

[Mooglebass]

I am going to give this a try tonight. Atleast the start of the brewing. Should be good come Christmas time. I'll try it with the beans and see how that works out. Just need to find some bottles that will work better than beer bottles.

 

[Leadgolem]

Let me know how it turns out please.

 

[jgm038]

Another Gallon batch bottledd, NB Caribou Slobber...16 ounce bottles, 7 of em...Coulda had 8, but with the Mr beer fermenter for the last bottle a good amount of trub can get in, so didn't bother with it..Bottled right before the neck, apparently these 1/2 PET bottles can have bulging problems with too much sugar, shouldn't be a problem as I used 1 fizz drop for each, but better safe then sorry...

Got the fermenter cleaned..Brew day tomorrow afternoon, 1 Gal NB White House Honey Ale and 2 gal batch using Mr Beer Pilsner HME, some UME, and some hop additions...Also got an all grain american wheat kit in the mail for my first all grain brew, that should be whenever either is done fermenting, so ~3 weeks!

 

[JohnSand]

I'm a 2-2.5 gallon brewer, but the concepts translate. I bought a new stainless fermenter for $9. It's a 12 quart pot from Walmart. Boom, done.

 

[Mooglebass]

How will that work as a fermenter??

 

[Leadgolem]

How will that work as a fermenter??

Put the fermentables in the pot, put on the lid. An airlock is just a valve for relieving pressure. The lid will lift slightly with pressure and do that while keeping dust out. Practically anything that can be closed can be used as a fermentor.

 

[cheesecake]

I finally went and just posted it in the recipe's section.

It's nothing revolutionary. Basically, cold brewed coffee, sugar, and yeast nutrient.

I will be making that soon

 

[JohnSand]

Put the fermentables in the pot, put on the lid. An airlock is just a valve for relieving pressure. The lid will lift slightly with pressure and do that while keeping dust out. Practically anything that can be closed can be used as a fermentor.

Yeah, what he said.^. I've fermented a couple of batches in pots, no troubles.

 

[Mooglebass]

I've had issues with blow offs, that's why I asked. The lid don't seem like it would hold up to those to me, but I guess it does.

Also I made the coffee wine, but messed up a bit. I didn't add 2 lbs of sugar added 2 cups...and kept adding, I stopped at 10 to 12% abv

 

[JohnSand]

I haven't tried a big enough beer to fear a blow off. Maybe a weight on the lid would keep it there, though some foam might run down the side. Using stainless, you could drill the lid for an airlock or blow-off tube. These are inexpensive pots, and thin. You could also find a vented lid, or use something else as a lid.

 

[Leadgolem]

I've had issues with blow offs, that's why I asked. The lid don't seem like it would hold up to those to me, but I guess it does.

Also I made the coffee wine, but messed up a bit. I didn't add 2 lbs of sugar added 2 cups...and kept adding, I stopped at 10 to 12% abv

Sounds yummy.

Generally speaking, the lids allow pressure to escape so rapidly that you don't need a blowoff. Part of the reason you get a foam over is that co2 builds up in the brew faster then the airlock can allow it to escape. If the whole lid burps, it releases a whole lot more co2. Sort of the difference between stirring soda in a punch bowl, and shaking up the bottle.

I guess you could get a foam over in a pot, but I think you'd have to have left practically no head space.

I haven't tried a big enough beer to fear a blow off. Maybe a weight on the lid would keep it there, though some foam might run down the side. Using stainless, you could drill the lid for an airlock or blow-off tube. These are inexpensive pots, and thin. You could also find a vented lid, or use something else as a lid.

You could also do this, they are cheap pots.

 

[Ivypunx]

I love one gallon brewing. Best way to work on experimental batches. And pretty mush the only way I do things like barley wines.

 

[ericbw]

I love one gallon brewing. Best way to work on experimental batches. And pretty mush the only way I do things like barley wines.

My only problem is that I don't always have success scaling up. Great 1 gallon, then the 3 gallon version is just ok. Or not good at all. It might be easier to sanitize the 1gal glass jug than the bigger plastic.

 

[Ivypunx]

My only problem is that I don't always have success scaling up. Great 1 gallon, then the 3 gallon version is just ok. Or not good at all. It might be easier to sanitize the 1gal glass jug than the bigger plastic.

As long as your grain bill comes our the same, and you hop chart balances you should be good. If your interested, Beersmith 2 has a auto scale in the program that will scale it for you. I always plug my grain bill and hop chart into beer smith and scale it. I also plug it into the system as a 1 gallon, then as a 5 gallon. Just compare your gravities and your grain bill and hop chart

 

[bleme]

My only problem is that I don't always have success scaling up. Great 1 gallon, then the 3 gallon version is just ok. Or not good at all. It might be easier to sanitize the 1gal glass jug than the bigger plastic.

I can't see sanitization being the problem. More likely it is a problem with the mash or boil. I'm betting one of those processes changes when you scale up.

 

[Mooglebass]

Picked this up today, was 7 bucks at meijer. Was thinking possibility of it.being dual purpose. Fermenting and bottling. I know the spigot wouldn't he great for fermenting, but I can always plug it.

 

[Dustinj]

Thanks to my lhbs Amarillo Brew Supply I've got an all grain biab 1 gallon American IPA With maris otter and american 2 row, with a bit of crystal 20 and hopped with sorachi

Can't wait!

 

[BikerBrewer]

Thanks to my lhbs Amarillo Brew Supply I've got an all grain biab 1 gallon American IPA With maris otter and american 2 row, with a bit of crystal 20 and hopped with sorachi

Can't wait!

That sure does sound like a winner, let us know how it turns out.

 

[shoreman]

I'm a 5 & 10 gallon brewer but want to do more experimentation this winter - I can just do BIAB for these batches but what's the easiest setup to go from grain to glass?

Is there an all in one fermenter that has a bottling spigot? Would one of those glass ice tea jugs work?

I'm worried about the whole racking and bottling taking too long. Do you use carbonation drops?