1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[Ivypunx]

#6

Thank you. I have grown to dislike the screw caps

 

[Leadgolem]

#6

It really is amazing how fast the nice people on here come back with exactly that piece of obscure information you need.

Cheers HBT crew.

 

[stratslinger]

Thank you. I have grown to dislike the screw caps

Can you share any details of why you've grown to dislike them? As I said above, I'm only just about to do my first 1 gallon batch, and picked up a couple 1 gallon jugs with screw on caps, and now you've got me wondering if I might've made a mistake...

 

[cheesecake]

I like the screw caps but I did have one that cracked. ...I use both stoppers and screw caps

 

[Ivypunx]

Can you share any details of why you've grown to dislike them? As I said above, I'm only just about to do my first 1 gallon batch, and picked up a couple 1 gallon jugs with screw on caps, and now you've got me wondering if I might've made a mistake...

They arent as reliable to get a good seal out of as stoppers are. I would recommend stoppers. I have used screw caps as well. But if it doesnt seal onto a bottle right then your kind of just out. Thats why I am switching to stoppers.

 

[TheLudditeBrewer]

Hey all!
I just started my first beer on Thursday, and already I think I've run into a problem. I'm using the 1 gallon small batch kit from Northern Brewer, and it came with their 1-gallon American Wheat kit. The kit is great, and very easy to use. The problem is that it's been extra hot here this week and what I thought felt like the coolest, darkest part of my apartment, the downstairs bathroom, actually turned out to be quite warm. The brew was boiled and pitched on Thursday night, and by Friday morning I had good bubbles going, and I went and got a "fermometer" from the LHBS just to keep an eye on it. Yikes, the fermentation was off the scale, and after I put an ordinary thermometer in the room to check the ambient temperature it topped out around 80 degrees. I've read enough and helped friends brew enough to know this is not good, and sure enough fermentation *appears* to have mostly stopped as of today.

I was initially going to let this brew sit in primary for two weeks as per John Palmer's advice, and bottle condition for two weeks, but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't go ahead and bottle after a week and let it condition for three weeks to mellow out a bit. Would it be better to let it stay in primary in the hopes that whatever yeasties are left will use the extra time to clean up a bit? The temp has gone down now to around 77, and I'll definitely be using the t-shirt wick method for the next batch I brew when the weather is this hot.

 

[Leadgolem]

Hey all!
I just started my first beer on Thursday, and already I think I've run into a problem. I'm using the 1 gallon small batch kit from Northern Brewer, and it came with their 1-gallon American Wheat kit. The kit is great, and very easy to use. The problem is that it's been extra hot here this week and what I thought felt like the coolest, darkest part of my apartment, the downstairs bathroom, actually turned out to be quite warm. The brew was boiled and pitched on Thursday night, and by Friday morning I had good bubbles going, and I went and got a "fermometer" from the LHBS just to keep an eye on it. Yikes, the fermentation was off the scale, and after I put an ordinary thermometer in the room to check the ambient temperature it topped out around 80 degrees. I've read enough and helped friends brew enough to know this is not good, and sure enough fermentation *appears* to have mostly stopped as of today.

I was initially going to let this brew sit in primary for two weeks as per John Palmer's advice, and bottle condition for two weeks, but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't go ahead and bottle after a week and let it condition for three weeks to mellow out a bit. Would it be better to let it stay in primary in the hopes that whatever yeasties are left will use the extra time to clean up a bit? The temp has gone down now to around 77, and I'll definitely be using the t-shirt wick method for the next batch I brew when the weather is this hot.

How long has it been in primary at this point? Have you taken gravity readings?

Generally speaking, 3 days is adequate for post fermentation cleanup. Though it's unlikely to hurt anything letting it sit in primary for two weeks. On the rare occasions I've had a yeast cake break down and start producing off flavors, it's usually around week 6 or 7 in primary. On the other hand, there isn't really any reason to let it sit in primary much more then 3 days past hitting your final gravity. You might as well free up the fermentor so you can start another batch if you want to.

 

[harrke]

I'm not sure how much unwanted stuff the yeast will produce at higher temperatures, but whether you bottle early or leave in primary, don't wait for your second bath to start cooling the beer down. The longer it sits at high temps, the more off tasting it will be.

 

[midlantic]

Hope I'm not repeating something that's been covered to death, but search didn't show much gallon pickle jars. Last year there was one thread on a pickle jar fermenter:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/diy-fermenter-cheap-347438/

I thought I'd follow up with my own experiences.

Looks like the original poster on that thread was using the same Mt. Olive gallon pickle jars that I've used. My grocery has been having them on sale for something like $3.50 each which is a tremendous bargain.

General observations:

The total volume is actually just a shade over 1 gallon, but realistically you want to put in about 3 quarts to 3.25 quarts of wort to leave enough head room for krausen.

I haven't gone the airlock route, just left the lid slightly loose, and that seems sufficient to let CO2 out but keep bugs out. The poster of the earlier thread went with an airlock, but I'm fine without it. After fermentation settles I can just screw the lid on tight if I want to let things go a little longer, for instance for cold crashing.

The earlier poster mentioned sunlight to kill the pickle smell in the lid. I left mine in bright sunlight for a 4-5 days and that's effective, although before that I ran a stainless steel spoon over the inside of the lid which really helped knock the smell down initially (FYI, stainless steel is also good for getting garlic smell off your hands).

I was worried at first that some of the pickling bacteria might stay behind in the lid, but that hasn't seemed to be an issue.

You get about 7-8 12 oz. bottles out of each jar. The max I've done at one time is 4 jars, which translated into 30 bottles. For experimenting or beers that I don't necessarily want a full 5 gallon batch, they're great. For example, I'm not a huge Belgian fan, but I made a 1.5 gallon batch with two jars that was just right. I also tried out several different English yeasts on the same base bitter recipe spread over 3 jars, and it was very easy. I'm thinking of making a small pumpkin spice batch for October, and again, a couple or three of these would be just right.

They're super easy to clean. Unlike a gallon juice bottle, the neck on these things is so wide I'd bet Andre the Giant could have gotten his hand inside. Getting rid of trub and krausen residue is incredibly easy. And you don't have to worry about scratching them.

I don't think the lids are going to last a really long time. I think they're going to rust at some point, and I'll need to figure out an alternative -- maybe sanitized foil, maybe big old rubber stoppers, maybe something cut out of silicone cutting boards, or just a piece of acrylic.

One plus is that I don't have a fermentation cooler, but it's very easy to stick up to 4 of these in a cooler with some ice packs to maintain low 60s during the summer. And when I cold crash, it's easy to stick a couple at a time in the fridge to drop the temperature into the 30s.

Also, top cropping yeast is extremely easy since the jar mouth is so wide. Lots of room for a sanitized spoon.

I can see how the lid issues may steer some people away from these, but I think for a lot of people, they're a great way to go, especially at such a low price.

 

[Leadgolem]

Good information. I didn't realize you could get the smell out of the lids.

I haven't gone the airlock route, just left the lid slightly loose, and that seems sufficient to let CO2 out but keep bugs out. The poster of the earlier thread went with an airlock, but I'm fine without it. After fermentation settles I can just screw the lid on tight if I want to let things go a little longer, for instance for cold crashing.

When you make rice wine, you usually just stick a tea towel or another cloth between the lid and the jar. That lets the co2 out, but makes it harder for bugs to get in. If everything was clean in the first place anyway.

I was worried at first that some of the pickling bacteria might stay behind in the lid, but that hasn't seemed to be an issue.

It isn't universally true, but most pickles are made from vinegar after it's been fully processed. So there aren't any live bacteria in the process.

I don't think the lids are going to last a really long time. I think they're going to rust at some point, and I'll need to figure out an alternative -- maybe sanitized foil, maybe big old rubber stoppers, maybe something cut out of silicone cutting boards, or just a piece of acrylic.

You could cut a balloon in half, then stretch it over the mouth of the jar and secure it with a rubber band. Then just poke a few holes with a pin to let the co2 out.

Or, you could just stick a piece of cloth over the jar and sit a plate on top of it.

 

[lomcevak]

Well it only took me a week or so to read through this entire thread. Just brewed my first batch of beer ever, an IPA from BBS. My wife and I are already planning to do an AG blue moon clone soon in addition to a few others. Tons of fun!

 

[Leadgolem]

Well it only took me a week or so to read through this entire thread. Just brewed my first batch of beer ever, an IPA from BBS. My wife and I are already planning to do an AG blue moon clone soon in addition to a few others. Tons of fun!

Welcome to your new addiction.

 

[TheLudditeBrewer]

How long has it been in primary at this point? Have you taken gravity readings?

Generally speaking, 3 days is adequate for post fermentation cleanup. Though it's unlikely to hurt anything letting it sit in primary for two weeks. On the rare occasions I've had a yeast cake break down and start producing off flavors, it's usually around week 6 or 7 in primary. On the other hand, there isn't really any reason to let it sit in primary much more then 3 days past hitting your final gravity. You might as well free up the fermentor so you can start another batch if you want to.

I did not take any gravity readings (no hydrometer yet), but after a week of primary I bottled it today. There was a very small bit left in the fermenter after I got 8 bottles filled, and it tasted and smelled just fine. I think it'll be okay. I'm washing the yeast now because if they can handle the conditions here they're worth saving!

Oddly enough, I was going to start a saison this week, and the kit says the warmer the fermentation the better. Wouldn't you know it's been in the high 60s here all week? :cross:

 

[lomcevak]

I know I just spent a week or so reading through this whole thread, but I can't remember seeing a Cream Ale recipe. My wife is from Wisconsin and loves New Glarus's Spotted Cow (I'm a fan too) and I'd love to make her a beer similar to that. Anyone have a favorite Cream Ale recipe?

 

[jtd_419]

I know I just spent a week or so reading through this whole thread, but I can't remember seeing a Cream Ale recipe. My wife is from Wisconsin and loves New Glarus's Spotted Cow (I'm a fan too) and I'd love to make her a beer similar to that. Anyone have a favorite Cream Ale recipe?

Cream of three crops is a very Popular one on this site and with my friends

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Cream of three crops is a very Popular one on this site and with my friends

+1 that a good recipe and it scales down just fine.

 

[stratslinger]

Another vote for cream of three crops - I haven't scaled it down yet though. I'm maybe halfway through keg #2 this summer. One thing to be careful of on that recipe, I've found, is that I get way higher than normal efficiency. I think it's from the flaked corn.

 

[shoreman]

Made my first small batch this week and I gotta say I'm pretty hooked.

How about those that have wort chillers? Any way to use them to chill?

 

[JohnSand]

Small batches are easier to chill. I use ice-water in the sink.

 

[badlee]

Just into the mash of my first 1 gallon brew in a year and I am stoked.
1kg pilsner malt
85gr flaked tritticale
15gr flaked oats
5gr Glacier@60
10gr@20
15gr@5
Saison Dupont yeast

 

[shoreman]

Small batches are easier to chill. I use ice-water in the sink.

Ya that's what I used but it still took longer than I wanted to.

 

[Jsslack]

Ya that's what I used but it still took longer than I wanted to.

It helps tremendously if you stir both the wert and the ice water.

 

[shoreman]

It helps tremendously if you stir both the wert and the ice water.

That will help your cooling but you are stirring up the cold break (the material that makes your beer hazy & not clear in the bottle) - that's fine it's just you get a really nice cold break with an immersion chiller - I highly recommend them, I got mine for $30 or so bucks and its made for 3 gallon batches.

 

[JohnSand]

It does take a while to chill. I use plenty of ice, 16lbs for a 2.5g batch. Part of the reason I do small batches is to limit equipment. Also, my summer tapwater temps are in the seventies, so I need ice anyway.

 

[Gdog]

For 1 gallon batches ,I just freeze up 2 of the 1 gallon ziplock bags full of water the day before. That's plenty of ice to cool the wort in the sink. For bigger batches I would use an immersion chiller.

 

[FatsSchindee]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I haven't had time to read ALL the posts on here yet...

What do you guys use to make up for the headspace that results after racking off the trub in one gallon jugs? I have a Brown Sugar Bohemian Pilsener that I just racked to lager, and it definitely has more head space than I'd like (see pics - that's it after racking, by itself; and before racking, with my JAOM next to it). It's an original recipe that I came up with (too dark for style, I know), and it tastes great so I don't want to lose it to oxidation too soon! It's currently in my ferm chamber at 1* C (33.8* F) to lager... Will the cold temps help reduce the O2 reaction? I've heard of people using sanitized marbles to fill space, would that be my best bet (or something similar; seems like that would be a ton of marbles!)?

Thanks for any help...

 

[ariaya]

I've just brewed my second batch of beer .. the first batch was 1 gallon of an Amber Ale and was yummy. Yesterday I did a 2 gal batch of a tweaked recipe. So far I've been doing extract brewing, but I find the extract messy to work with. I've got enough extract for one more batch and I'm debating if my next batch will be all-grain and just use the extract for starters or not.

I used a 5 gallon food grade bucked for the 2 gallon batch and had a glass carboy for the one gallon batch. What do folks think about using water bottles for the 1 gallon batches?

 

[ariaya]

it's very easy to stick up to 4 of these in a cooler with some ice packs to maintain low 60s during the summer.

How often do you swap out the ice packs? This sounds like a potential way for me to keep temps down a bit lower than I have been (currently around 76, but I'm brewing ales so it's working okay)

~ v

 

[Leadgolem]

I've just brewed my second batch of beer .. the first batch was 1 gallon of an Amber Ale and was yummy. Yesterday I did a 2 gal batch of a tweaked recipe. So far I've been doing extract brewing, but I find the extract messy to work with. I've got enough extract for one more batch and I'm debating if my next batch will be all-grain and just use the extract for starters or not.

I used a 5 gallon food grade bucked for the 2 gallon batch and had a glass carboy for the one gallon batch. What do folks think about using water bottles for the 1 gallon batches?

I don't see a real problem with that. I do small batches in reused juice bottles all the time. Just keep in mind the plastic is going to hold onto some flavors and aroma. So, you might want several.

 

[Jsslack]

That will help your cooling but you are stirring up the cold break (the material that makes your beer hazy & not clear in the bottle) - that's fine it's just you get a really nice cold break with an immersion chiller - I highly recommend them, I got mine for $30 or so bucks and its made for 3 gallon batches.

Correct me if i'm wrong but, i usually dump the wert into a fermentation vessel after i chill it mixing all the cold break into solution, then shake to aerate, further mixing cold break into solution, so the cold break falls out during fermentation not during the cooling process.