1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[TonyKZ1]

With my 1G batches, I started transferring/siphoning/racking the beer from the 1G jug using a racking cane and a siphon hose to a 2G bucket with a spigot & bottling wand installed on it. While it's siphoning into the bucket, I then add my sugar mixture for batch priming, and then use that for bottling. That's worked out the best for me. A lot less mess and I do have another container to wash afterwards, but that's not really a big deal either.

 

[Brentski]

Wow, Very Well Said

 

[Big Monk]

2 gallon bucket primary with spigot. Bottle right out of there.

I've been contemplating trying to rig a bottling spigot into a gallon jug cap but I doubt the dimensions will work out

 

[ba-brewer]

2 gallon bucket primary with spigot. Bottle right out of there.

Do you prime each bottle individually or mix your priming sugar into the primary, if you prime in the primary do you get much extra sediment?

I have bottle directly from the primary before by priming each bottle individually but even for 10 or 12 bottles it is a bit tedious. Much easier to use siphon into another bucket to prime.

 

[ohiobeer29]

Mix into primary slowly no sediment long as you mix slowly I've had no priming issues this way

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

5-10gal brewer here, bought a BBS kit on clearance sale at Bed Bath and Beyond, figured for the low low price of $15 it was worth it just for the equipment. It was quite fun actually, I have already scaled down some recipes I have wanted to try but didn't want 2.5/5/10 gallons to drink.

I can brew on a week day now: Come home for lunch, heat water, mash in, place in 150deg oven. Get home from work finish the sparge and boil while cooking dinner. Chill in ice bath while eating dinner.

 

[fuzzy2133]

5-10gal brewer here, bought a BBS kit on clearance sale at Bed Bath and Beyond, figured for the low low price of $15 it was worth it just for the equipment. It was quite fun actually, I have already scaled down some recipes I have wanted to try but didn't want 2.5/5/10 gallons to drink.

I can brew on a week day now: Come home for lunch, heat water, mash in, place in 150deg oven. Get home from work finish the sparge and boil while cooking dinner. Chill in ice bath while eating dinner.

Welcome to the dark side young Anikin.

 

[FatsSchindee]

I'm still having issues with my small batch setup for bottling. I tried the regular autosiphon and have not been able to do it without significant oxygenation. How do you guys use your autosiphon, to a bottling bucket, or straight to a bottle wand?

I need to bottle about 4-5 bottles of a CAP I have lagering now, but want to then lager the rest of it for a few more weeks. So I'm wondering about bottlin this few bottles as well. I usually use my 5 gal bottling bucket for even 1 gal batches, but that's when I rack all of it for bottling. I don't have a 2 gal bucket.

So I was thinking about using the auto-siphon attached to tubing directly to a bottling wand also. Any one else do this? Would then get some coopers tabs or sugar cubes for priming per bottle...

 

[hehawbrew]

5-10gal brewer here, bought a BBS kit on clearance sale at Bed Bath and Beyond, figured for the low low price of $15 it was worth it just for the equipment. It was quite fun actually, I have already scaled down some recipes I have wanted to try but didn't want 2.5/5/10 gallons to drink.

I can brew on a week day now: Come home for lunch, heat water, mash in, place in 150deg oven. Get home from work finish the sparge and boil while cooking dinner. Chill in ice bath while eating dinner.

Yes! It is instant gratification brewing. I can brew every week now without having to neglect my family! Lol

 

[hehawbrew]

Just to let everyone know someone did just start a small batch brewing Facebook group and they are trying to grow the group. The group is: small batch home brewers hope to see some of you join the group.

Just joined

 

[chrisisnapping]

Just did BBS's every day IPA this evening as a BIAB without a sparge, it's my second brew and first non-Mr. beer. I aimed to use it as a trial run before doing a 3g smash i put together this weekend. Definitely liked it and 1 gallon jugs are much easier to store. I think I'll be doing more 1g test batches as I get used to home brewing. Next i gotta find a simple stout I can rack over some cold brew during bottling before St Patrick's day.

 

[fuzzy2133]

So I was thinking about using the auto-siphon attached to tubing directly to a bottling wand also. Any one else do this? Would then get some coopers tabs or sugar cubes for priming per bottle...

I do this all the time. I bottle over my dish washer so your set up may need tweaking.

The tubing between the auto siphon and wand drops 2" below the counter top befor the bottling wand is attached with the auto siphon pushed all the way down.

I use a siphon clip the hold the auto siphon in place. Had issues previously with the siphon moving and sucking in yeast and trub.

To get the siphon going you just hold a bottle up to the bottling wand to keep its valve open while you start the auto siphon. Most of the time I get it in one try unless I move the bottle and close the bottling wands valve.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[RevA]

Just bottled a 1 gal scottish gruit batch. I think I have the most fun when I brew 1 gal batches, the larger batches feel like work...

 

[FatsSchindee]

I do this all the time. I bottle over my dish washer so your set up may need tweaking.

The tubing between the auto siphon and wand drops 2" below the counter top befor the bottling wand is attached with the auto siphon pushed all the way down.

I use a siphon clip the hold the auto siphon in place. Had issues previously with the siphon moving and sucking in yeast and trub.

To get the siphon going you just hold a bottle up to the bottling wand to keep its valve open while you start the auto siphon. Most of the time I get it in one try unless I move the bottle and close the bottling wands valve.

Hope this makes sense.

It does, thanks! Was wondering if I'd need someone to help with keeping the valve open while I did the pumping to get the siphon started, but I get what you're saying about using one hand to hold it down against the bottle, and use the other hand to pump against the clip. Appreciate the info, gonna give it a try!

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

2 gallon bucket primary with spigot. Bottle right out of there.

I've been contemplating trying to rig a bottling spigot into a gallon jug cap but I doubt the dimensions will work out

I thought about this also. My issue would be if you had any trub on the bottom. Will it plug up the spigot? Will I have to discard the first bottle because of the trub, yet I probably could use it for testing FG etc.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

With my 1G batches, I started transferring/siphoning/racking the beer from the 1G jug using a racking cane and a siphon hose to a 2G bucket with a spigot & bottling wand installed on it. While it's siphoning into the bucket, I then add my sugar mixture for batch priming, and then use that for bottling. That's worked out the best for me. A lot less mess and I do have another container to wash afterwards, but that's not really a big deal either.

I also use this method. By mixing priming sugar with some boiled water and cool it down, I gain back some volume that I lost during fermentation. I usually use a 8oz arrowhead bottled water for this task.

 

[fuzzy2133]

I thought about this also. My issue would be if you had any trub on the bottom. Will it plug up the spigot? Will I have to discard the first bottle because of the trub, yet I probably could use it for testing FG etc.

If you use the trub cap on the auto siphon you will not need to discard the first bottle. Worst case once you bottle condition it will be slightly more at the bottom of the bottle in comparison to the others.

It takes a large amount of dry hop floaters to plug the siphon and bottling wand. I had a 5gal batch where all the dry hops never settled out, looked like they all made it from fermenter to bottle other than what was left in the bottling bucket.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Was wondering if I'd need someone to help with keeping the valve open while I did the pumping to get the siphon started.

It's not absolutely necessary to have someone to help, but it is really nice. My wife holds the bottling wand and fills the bottles while I run around preparing a new bottle and re-arranging stuff like the auto-siphon. It also helps that she never puts down the bottling wand (contamination) and if you leave the wand unattended in a bottle gravity opens the valve just enough to cause it to overflow after a minute or so. She only needs to stand around and help me for 15 or twenty minutes. I prep everything before I call her in.

 

[hehawbrew]

Just did BBS's every day IPA this evening as a BIAB without a sparge, it's my second brew and first non-Mr. beer. I aimed to use it as a trial run before doing a 3g smash i put together this weekend. Definitely liked it and 1 gallon jugs are much easier to store. I think I'll be doing more 1g test batches as I get used to home brewing. Next i gotta find a simple stout I can rack over some cold brew during bottling before St Patrick's day.

That was the first beer I ever made. Check out there simco IPA. Hands down my favorite IPA and a great recipe to tweak and play around with.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

If you use the trub cap on the auto siphon you will not need to discard the first bottle. Worst case once you bottle condition it will be slightly more at the bottom of the bottle in comparison to the others.

It takes a large amount of dry hop floaters to plug the siphon and bottling wand. I had a 5gal batch where all the dry hops never settled out, looked like they all made it from fermenter to bottle other than what was left in the bottling bucket.

To clarify, I was talking about if you put a spigot in place of the cap on the jug.

 

[fuzzy2133]

To clarify, I was talking about if you put a spigot in place of the cap on the jug.

Interesting idea. You would also need some sort of vent tube to prevent the vacuum created. Otherwise the bubbles going back through the beer will oxygenat while you bottle.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I just ordered a few of Northern Brewers 1 gallon kits. I believe their partial mash. Will write up reviews of them when I brew them. Got the rum runner stout and bourbon barrel porter. Plan on adding local Cleveland Whiskey soaked cubes to the porter.

 

[slym2none]

How do you 1 gallon brewers take hydrometer readings without wasting a significant part of your batch?

I make 2.5 gallon batches, so not quite as dire, but still - I sanitize the hell out of my hydrometer, for OG, & just pour it back in the fermentor. For FG, I also use my dregs and then use that in my last bottle that I use for carb-testing.

 

[Azbrewboy77]

I just ordered a few of Northern Brewers 1 gallon kits. I believe their partial mash. Will write up reviews of them when I brew them. Got the rum runner stout and bourbon barrel porter. Plan on adding local Cleveland Whiskey soaked cubes to the porter.

Already brewed several , but the caribou slobber was the best I thought , the German blonde was my 2nd fav

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day
One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

 

[bransona]

How do you 1 gallon brewers take hydrometer readings without wasting a significant part of your batch?

I sanitize REALLY well when I take the sample and then just return it to the batch carefully. Haven't had any infections or oxidation issues. Make sure to sanitize the hydrometer tube top to bottom, inside and out (just in case some beer runs down the side). Obviously sanitize the thief too. I also like to make sure the hydrometer is sanitized to the very top in case it falls in too quickly and goes under. I even sanitize my fingertips when I work with it. Hope this helps!

 

[PiCzech]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day

One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

Thanks for sharing the pics. That's a nice straight forward setup, another great reason for small batches, experimenting and simplicity!

 

[flyfishnevada]

I'm just throwing this out there. I've got two 1 gallon batches going right now. One cider and one beer. The cider is very easy. A couple of bottles of apple juice and Notty yeast. Done.

The beer? What a PITA. I did all grain. Took 4 hours or more to mash, sparge, boil, cool, clean up, etc. I thought I'd be drinking my previous 5 gallon batch forever. Nope. I'm down to less than a twelve pack a month later. When I finish the gallon batch, I'll get 9 or 10 bottles. I'll be done with that before the next batch is fermented!

I'm going back to five gallon batches for beer. But the one gallon set ups (two 2 gallon bucket and two glass 1 gallon jugs) are going to be for cider. YMMV

 

[hehawbrew]

Pliney The Elder and Heady Topper Clones Brew Day

One reason I do 1 gal batches , didn't want 2.5,3, or 5gal of each to drink. I'm not an IPA fan, but wanted to see what these are all about, plus I try any beer at least once. Cant buy them here so have to make them.

I did a heady topper clone once. Amazing. I've never seen so many hops in my life!

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

I did a heady topper clone once. Amazing. I've never seen so many hops in my life!

It was difficult keeping the hops and additions straight for both batches, hence the snack bags with name amount and addition. Also took awhile to weight them out, bag and label. Dry hops are yet to be weighed out. Total boil/steep/dry hops for heady was 3oz, Pliney was 2oz. The wife usually doesn't mind me brewing in the kitchen, mostly because she can't smell, she could smell the hops and complained.