1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[Lepetitnormand]

Brooklyn Homebrew shop recipes at Bed Bath and Beyond.

Stopped in bed bath and beyond to pick something up and to my suprise 1 gallon recipes displayed at BBB.

$14.99 list. 20% off coupon made it 11.99. Cashier took $5 off coupon eventhough price was .01 short of $15. Made final price $10.

Picked up two of their rendition of Evil Twin Bikini Beer.

I was wondering if there is a visible date for when the kit was packaged knowing that I am down here in texas and yeast might not enjoy staying out and about in the shop for too long

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

I was wondering if there is a visible date for when the kit was packaged knowing that I am down here in texas and yeast might not enjoy staying out and about in the shop for too long

You can always go to your local home brew shop and pick up some yeast. I have done that with other kits I purchased.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

Saturday was a 1st for me, I brewed an All Grain 1 Gallon Recipe, it's a BIAB Amber Lager recipe from Bigtimberbrewingsupply. It's a Lager recipe but I'm going to ferment it close to the ale temperature range, high 50s to the low 60s, it's in a cooler with an ice bottle so we'll see how that goes. It's fermenting in the 1G bottle with a blow-off tube, I'm supposed to put an airlock on it in 2-3 days or so. This is the equipment/recipe kit my daughter bought me and that got me interested enough in brewing to buy the Mr. Beer LBKs and the BrewDemon LBCs and start there.

I control fermenting temperature the same way. I moved from water bottles to blue ice. I have various sizes at my disposal. This allows to me to cool down the water at different rates. Do you fill your cooler with water? If yes, where is your waterline in comparison to your fermenter?

 

[TonyKZ1]

Nah, I don't add any water to my cooler. I just use the ice bottles, they seem to keep it cold enough. However, from what I've read people that do add water to their coolers, add it up to or close to the level of the wort in the fermenter.

 

[Opiate42]

Excited to find this thread! Been brewing 1 gallon batches for about 8 months. No room for bigger equipment. Today is a big day for me as I have ventured past kits and am brewing a recipe that I created! Didn't venture far from scaling down something, but a big step.

Welcome to the club!

Once you go with your own creations, you may never go back to kits (not a bad thing either)

I am looking for a quick recipe critique. 1gal English barleywine:

2.25 pound Marris Otter
1.00 pound Pale LME
0.15 pound C10
0.10 pound Chocolate

.40 oz Willamette 7.1% @ 60 min
.20 oz EKG 4.3% @ 15 min
.20 oz Fuggle 5.1% @ 5 min

EST OG: 1.103
EST FG: 1.026
EST IBU: 44.6
EST ABV: 10.12%

Debating either WLP002 English ale yeast, or Nottingham. Will be fermented around 60F

Brewmate says its a perfect style match, but what do you guys think?

All I can say is it looks yummy. No experience with WLP002, but Notty is one of my regular workhorses and has never let me down.

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Well I have been looking at my tracking info for my Northern brewer kit and it should arrived tomorrow, I will then have to find a place out of the way and cool to ferment it (it's texas and the house is kept at 78) and hopefully sometimes on monday it will be bubbling away. I got some knock knock off oxy clean from dollar tree and a small plastic pail to store equipment and clean bottles. tomorrow evening I will stop by bed bath and beyond and will get a thermometer and hopefully sunday will be my first brew day.

Hard to believe I started thinking about it in february and only pulled the trigger on monday …

How well better late than never

Cheers

 

[SanPancho]

1 gallon is awesome. not in terms of time. but being able to do variety. which im sure everyone here already knows.

but for anyone with some extra dough I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET AN ANOVA SOUS VIDE PRECISION COOKER. its design lets you put it right into your kettle.

its rated for up to 5 gallons, you can put the unit right into your kettle and it will heat and recirc your wort. keeps your mash at exact temp for as long as you want. add in a BIAB setup and its idiot-proof. (mostly). also is perfect for doing hopstand/whirlpool when boil is over. just pick a temp and set a timer. easy to clean. use it to run a hot water bath for mash/kettle souring, etc.

not to mention how badass it is for actual cooking in the kitchen. 36 hour short ribs anyone?

seriously, i wholeheartedly endorse the product. especially for 1 gal batches.

 

[scottholtog]

I was just thinking what if a sous vide cooker could work for a mash! Glad to see it works.

I'm finally making the move to 1 gallon brewing and it comes at perfect time. My Whole Foods is having a 50% sale on all their grain. It seems not a lot of people buy home brewing supplies from them. $1.75 a pound now $.85 a pound. I'm stocking up!

 

[Opiate42]

Hard to believe I started thinking about it in february and only pulled the trigger on monday …

How well better late than never

Cheers

Started thinking about it at 25.

Didn't start doing it until 33.

Never too late!!

I'm finally making the move to 1 gallon brewing and it comes at perfect time. My Whole Foods is having a 50% sale on all their grain. It seems not a lot of people buy home brewing supplies from them. $1.75 a pound now $.85 a pound. I'm stocking up!

Whole Foods? Seriously?

Had no idea....
____________
Still debating on what to brew on this Canuckistani long weekend. Attempt a repeat of a brew I made that I really enjoyed? Or try a new recipe?

Decisions decisions decisions...

It's damn hot here right now and thinking of repeating an experiment that went wayyyy better than I'd hoped to see if I can duplicate my stupid luck:

420 grams maris otter
371 grams golden promise
125 grams vienna
mashed 60 minutes at 154 (as best as one can on a crappy apartment electric stove)

5 grams of tettnanger at 60 and 30 in a 60 minute boil.

T58 re-hydrated.

Came out fantastic and with this odd pinky colour.

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Well my small batch kit from Northern brewer finally made it here after spending a full week end in the UPS warehouse in Dallas. Sounds like Tuesday will be a brew day. I do have 2 question though.

1) I have an Irish red ale kit, the best I can do for fermenting is 69.5 to 73 F defending on the time of day and if the kids remember to close the door of the cabinet, I guess the yeast should do OK I will try to get a wet rag over the jug to ferment and bring down the temp a bit.

2) The yeast packet was overly warm, a full day in a truck and outside by the door was sure not make it cool here in Austin in August, I put it in the fridge this evening but I was wondering if it was normal that the package was feeling solid (just used to the bread yeast from the grocery store that you can easily bend) in this case the package is really firm, I supposed the fact that it is vacuum packed and fairly full is the reason.

Kind regards and happy brewing

 

[MaddDogg84]

the best I can do for fermenting is 69.5 to 73 F defending on the time of day and if the kids remember to close the door of the cabinet, I guess the yeast should do OK I will try to get a wet rag over the jug to ferment and bring down the temp a bit.

Sorry if someone else suggested and I missed it. I live in the heat of central Texas so i understand. Have you considered using a swamp cooler?

Also all the dry yeast packs I have had are flexible.

 

[Derek1985]

I'm using a 2 gallon Coleman "stacker" cooler as my mash tun and am currently working out the details for a small batch Countertop Brutus 20.

 

[divrguy]

1 gallon is awesome. not in terms of time. but being able to do variety. which im sure everyone here already knows.



but for anyone with some extra dough I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET AN ANOVA SOUS VIDE PRECISION COOKER. its design lets you put it right into your kettle.



its rated for up to 5 gallons, you can put the unit right into your kettle and it will heat and recirc your wort. keeps your mash at exact temp for as long as you want. add in a BIAB setup and its idiot-proof. (mostly). also is perfect for doing hopstand/whirlpool when boil is over. just pick a temp and set a timer. easy to clean. use it to run a hot water bath for mash/kettle souring, etc.



not to mention how badass it is for actual cooking in the kitchen. 36 hour short ribs anyone?



seriously, i wholeheartedly endorse the product. especially for 1 gal batches.

I've never heard of that thing but just looked it up and that is absolutely Bad Ass! Wow never thought I would get so excited about something to cook with lol [emoji3]

 

[phug]

When I get Nottingham it is vacuum packed and firm

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Sorry if someone else suggested and I missed it. I live in the heat of central Texas so i understand. Have you considered using a swamp cooler?

Also all the dry yeast packs I have had are flexible.

hey don't be sorry at all I was looking for some answer to my situation and appreciate your comment.

 

[Lepetitnormand]

When I get Nottingham it is vacuum packed and firm

Thanks looks like I am in good order in that case

 

[MaddDogg84]

I do 1 or 2 gallon batches BIAB. I have one dedicated cooler that holds four 1g carboys and I try to keep it full bw brews in primary or secondary fermentation. I fill it up with about 6 inches of water or starstan and swap out ice packs every 8-24 hrs depending on my temperature needs. It's low tech but have made some great brews this way. Pictures to illustrate. I have an overflow cooler due to my intense Belgian Brettanomyces project. 🍻🔬

4 pack cooler: Dubbel w Brett, Gose, Tripel, Tripel w Brett

Overflow cooler: Gose, 2x Pumpkin Russian Imperial Stout

View attachment 1438737262677.jpg

View attachment 1438737283020.jpg

View attachment 1438737296766.jpg

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Thanks guys for your answers. I have brewed my first batch tonight, it is in a gallon jug in 5 gal bucket with cold pack and a blaket around, lets hope for the best.

 

[MaddDogg84]

Thanks guys for your answers. I have brewed my first batch tonight, it is in a gallon jug in 5 gal bucket with cold pack and a blaket around, lets hope for the best.

Congrats! Welcome to the obsession...I mean hobby.

 

[Birchrun_brewery]

Kit included
2 lbs dry golden light malt extract
2 oz willamette hoppes 5%acid
a bag of carb drops
6 grams mutton ale yeast
grain bags
4oz caravienne malted barley crushed on the spot and bagged.

Was thinking of gifting this to a friend who mr beers.or making it one myself in a make shift 2-1gallon fermenters.

I really wonder what 4 oz of malted barley looks like I'm a bag. It sounds so cute, is that correct ?? There's only 4 oz in your recipe ? I don't understand how this fits in ... ?

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Congrats! Welcome to the obsession...I mean hobby.

Thanks,

The beer is slowly starting to bubble away, the cider next to it is not showing any activity, interesting how thing works out, same temp, same yeast...

 

[ericbw]

Thanks,

The beer is slowly starting to bubble away, the cider next to it is not showing any activity, interesting how thing works out, same temp, same yeast...

Cider has fewer nutrients than wort, so it can take longer to start working. It also tends to have less krausen than wort, but will still be bubbling.

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Well, apparently after 5 days I can't see any bubble anymore, I guess in a week I will be bottling, as for the cider it's chugging at its own pace, farting at my face according to the cider forum guys ... Now I am thinking of washing the yeast and do it all other again ... any good easy to drink extract recipe with notthingam yeast which is not too hoppy ?

 

[ericbw]

Well, apparently after 5 days I can't see any bubble anymore, I guess in a week I will be bottling, as for the cider it's chugging at its own pace, farting at my face according to the cider forum guys ... Now I am thinking of washing the yeast and do it all other again ... any good easy to drink extract recipe with notthingam yeast which is not too hoppy ?

I wouldn't bottle cider after 5 days. I would give it at least 2 weeks to clear some more. Also, check your gravity twice to be sure it's stable.

I go 4 weeks, but plenty of people will tell you that's too long.

 

[Lepetitnormand]

I wouldn't bottle cider after 5 days. I would give it at least 2 weeks to clear some more.

sorry I wasn't clear, the beer seems to be done (to my untrained eyes) and will not be bottled for another full week at least, as for the cider, it's gently bubbling and will stay put for a while I guess

 

[Lepetitnormand]

Well I bottled the beer last night, 8 full bottle and the ninth saw some bubble of air going through the bottle filler, without that almost pint of beer lost during blow off I would have made nine beer without trouble. The taste sample smell and tasted like beer, I was a bit surprised to feel some fiz in it .... now lets wait for the bottle to carbonate .... two more weeks , it down on me yesterday that I should be able to pop one up on my birthday .. lets wait and see.

 

[TonyKZ1]

This past Saturday, along with a couple of 2G batches, I also brewed a 1G batch of BrewDemon One Evil Pilsner and a 1G batch of Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber Brown Ale, so it was a pretty busy day along with chores and then picking up feed this morning before being able to start brewing. And I've still to do some minor work on my bike and mow some on the lawn.

 

[flipfloptan]

I was wondering if there is a visible date for when the kit was packaged knowing that I am down here in texas and yeast might not enjoy staying out and about in the shop for too long

I haven't had any issues or looked on the box for a date. Logic seems to say they have a date on them, if we can understand the dating is another issue. I have asked our BBB manager when the shipment came in to them. It seems to turn around every 2-3 weeks.

I am beginning to harvest the yeast on my 1 gallons now and reusing in case yeast in box is old. I live in SC and have heat issue for about 5-6 months too.

 

[MrG]

If I want to do a BIAB for a 1-gallon batch, what is the recommended size of brew pot? Would it be 8quart, or can I get away with 6?
My apartment has fairly small shelves, so trying to go with the smallest possible.
Cheers

 

[MaddDogg84]

If I want to do a BIAB for a 1-gallon batch, what is the recommended size of brew pot? Would it be 8quart, or can I get away with 6?
My apartment has fairly small shelves, so trying to go with the smallest possible.
Cheers

I make my 1 gal BIAB batches in a 3 gal kettle. Plenty of room and add about 1.5 gal of water.