1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[bransona]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

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

I just brewed my first one gallon batch, I typically do 5 gallons. I just sanitized the hell out of the hydrometer and my test tube and poured the beer back... No way I would waste that much in a one gallon batch like you said.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I actually enjoyed doing a 1 gallon batch. I first I thought why spend the time and only get 9 bottles of beer. But...I learned why quickly. First my brew day was significantly shorter with a one gallon batch, I tried a beer that I am not sure I will like but I wanted to get the style under my belt. Overall I think I will do another 1 gallon batch again.

 

[Pantherjon]

I actually enjoyed doing a 1 gallon batch. I first I thought why spend the time and only get 9 bottles of beer. But...I learned why quickly. First my brew day was significantly shorter with a one gallon batch, I tried a beer that I am not sure I will like but I wanted to get the style under my belt. Overall I think I will do another 1 gallon batch again.

So did I! AND got me exposed to 'all grain' brewing quickly..Finding it isn't as hard as my imagination portrayed it to be! Previous brews had been all extract...

 

[pricelessbrewing]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

I harvest, and it's only way I can justify doing small batches, without it there's no way I could justify the cost vs return on doing such small batches.

I harvest from starters , usually I try to reuse liquid media stored yeast by 3 months or so, just to keep good viability. I also boil my starters for 10 minutes, then throw microwave them for a minute to attempt to sterilize. A better approach is to use a pressure cooker to actually sterilize, but I don't have one.

I store my liquid media samples in 50mL centrifuge tubes I got on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018MQ9TK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


I also keep 2mL frozen yeast cultures, with a portion of glycerin to act as a cryoprotectant in my freezer. These are held in a ziplock bag, which is contained in a small tuperware container, which is burried beneath food and frozen ice packs. Those layers keep the yeast from thawing during the freezers defrosting cycles. Every ~10 months, I reculture my liquid cultures. This keeps the strains pure, and anytime I have a bad batch (hasn't happened yet in 2 years) I dump the liquid cultures and reculture from a frozen sample. These act as my long term storage.


I have ~22 strains of yeast on hand at any time, multiple english ale, belgian trappist, saison, bretts, and I use a lacto probiotic whenever I want to make some sours. I'll probably not buy a new yeast strain in over a year unless something interesting shows up I want to try out.

By reusing my yeast, I've decreased my small batch costs substantially, and I pretty much never have to visit the lhbs unless I'm out of a specialty malt.

Also keeping a healthy stock of yeast lets me do split batches, which increases beer diversity and teaches you about different yeast profiles. I love split batches

 

[hehawbrew]

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.

Your wife can't smell?

I would have screwed up doing all the different schedules. The heady clone I did actually came with hop oil syringes!

Do you have a copy of the pliney clone?

 

[ayrlander]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

Personally, I just pitch a whole vial/pack. From what I've learned from Jamil's shows and from the Starter tab on BrewSmith, the vial is best for about 2.5gal anyway if you don't make a starter. So I figure if I'm doing a 1 gallon batch, I'm just overpitching, which has never given me a problem.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Personally, I just pitch a whole vial/pack. From what I've learned from Jamil's shows and from the Starter tab on BrewSmith, the vial is best for about 2.5gal anyway if you don't make a starter. So I figure if I'm doing a 1 gallon batch, I'm just overpitching, which has never given me a problem.

Would likely be fine for most brews, I just prefer to be as consistent as possible so I always do a calculatIon and make an appropriate sized starter.

FYI wyeast guarantees at least 100B cells, while I have a white labs pure pitch in my fridge that only has 31B cells... Emailed them but haven't gotten a response yet. You can get accurate cell counts at the white labs website "yeastman" qc reports.

For small batches I usually pour some of the smack pack into a 50mL vial and two 2mL tubes to be frozen for later. The rest goes into a starter to be pitched at high krausen ~8 hours.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Your wife can't smell?

I would have screwed up doing all the different schedules. The heady clone I did actually came with hop oil syringes!

Do you have a copy of the pliney clone?

Nope she can't smell, I can fart in the car on a hot summer day and she can't smell it.


Recipe: The Plinian Legacy Double IPA AGK 1g
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 1.79 gal
Post Boil Volume: 1.04 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 1.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 1.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.080 SG
Estimated Color: 7.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 195.6 IBUs
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
2 lbs 13 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
2.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM)
2.0 oz Carastan (35.0 SRM)
0.04 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Mash Hop
0.30 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 90.
0.14 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 45.
0.14 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min
2.3 oz Corn Syrup (1.0 SRM) Flame Out
0.36 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20min
0.21 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20min
0.29 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop
0.19 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days
0.19 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days
0.10 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop
0.10 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.05 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.05 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

I took the NB Pliney Clone scaled it with BeerSmith and subbed the Hop Shot with Columbus to match IBU.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

Recipe: Off the Topper AGK 1g
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 1.79 gal
Post Boil Volume: 1.04 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 1.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 1.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.084 SG
Estimated Color: 11.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 189.2 IBUs
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM)
2.0 oz Caramel Malt - 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM)
2.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
5.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Flame out
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 90 min
0.38 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - flame out let rest for 20 min
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.19 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.19 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.10 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool at 180deg for 20 min
0.38 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.19 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
0.10 oz Galena [12.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

Same here took a NB clone and scaled it down. Subbed Galena hops for Apollo sine the store I was at didn't have Apollo. Subbed some biscuit malt along with the 2 row for Pearl Malt and subbed c20 for for light carastan.

 

[PiCzech]

How do you guys use liquid yeast for small batches? I really want to get into a lot of yeast-dependent beers but have stuck to dry yeast because of simplicity of storage and cost. I've seen some people harvesting yeast from starters to keep it clean. How does this work on the small batch scale?

I used White Lab's vials and marked it into 5 divisions and poured in a 1/5 each batch. I've never had an issue. But now I guess they're going to plastic packages. I used a wyeast smack pack, poured it into a flask and poured in about half. Worked well too.

 

[DurhamUK]

Going to do my first 1 Gallon Batch, is it ok to put the mash in the oven on low to keep temp? (Goint to use a grain bag)

I have a 5 Gallon Tun but dont want to waste Wort in the bottom.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

is it ok to put the mash in the oven on low to keep

Yep nothing wrong with that, may want to turn the oven off after it warms up if your lowest setting is too hot for the mash.

I have a 5 Gallon Tun but dont want to waste Wort in the bottom.

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

 

[DurhamUK]

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that.

Is it better to mash then sperge then Lift the bag in Single Vessel or just Mash in the Total water volume (assuming 1.5gal for 1gal brew?)

 

[bransona]

IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

Thanks for that.

Is it better to mash then sperge then Lift the bag in Single Vessel or just Mash in the Total water volume (assuming 1.5gal for 1gal brew?)[/QUOTE]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

 

[DurhamUK]

Thanks for the help, about to get my 1st 1gal batch brewed, cant wait.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

I think everybody does this slightly differently. I'm too lazy to squeeze, after the mash I put the bag, or in my case basket, on a grate over the kettle and pour room temp water over till I get my boil volume. A lazy man's sparge.

 

[bleme]

I personally mash, lift bag, squeeze, sparge, squeeze. I almost always get above 80% efficiency, depending on the grain crush.

This is what I do too, even on my 5 gallon batches, and I am regularly between 85-91% efficiency.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

Yep nothing wrong with that, may want to turn the oven off after it warms up if your lowest setting is too hot for the mash.




IMO, single vessel is the way to go for batches less than 2.5gal

I mash my one gallon recipe in the oven for 70 minutes and have the temp set to the lowest setting which in may case is 170. I stir the mash every 20 minutes. So far, temp may go up or down 1 degree depending upon your target mash temp. With 152, it remains the same.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

Wow, 70min is a long time to mash.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I'm doing northern brewers bourbon barrel porter this week!

 

[srusinko]

I'm doing northern brewers bourbon barrel porter this week!

Nice, that's the second one I did. Just be careful about the amount of water they tell you to use. I think my instructions said to boil 1.25 gallons but, as I later discovered, my boil off rate is about half a gallon per hour. I did not end up with much beer.

Also, if you're going to be like me and add a vanilla bean to the bourbon for some extra flavor, do not use a whole bean. Start with maybe a third. I'm aging my few remaining bottles while I wait for the vanilla flavor to mellow a bit.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Nice, that's the second one I did. Just be careful about the amount of water they tell you to use. I think my instructions said to boil 1.25 gallons but, as I later discovered, my boil off rate is about half a gallon per hour. I did not end up with much beer.

Also, if you're going to be like me and add a vanilla bean to the bourbon for some extra flavor, do not use a whole bean. Start with maybe a third. I'm aging my few remaining bottles while I wait for the vanilla flavor to mellow a bit.

Thanks for the advice. Yeah I thought 1.25 was a little long, but it's only a 45 minute boil. I'l probably start with 1.5 gallons and then top up if I need to.

What kind of bourbon did you use? Did you soak the oak cubes in a jar with a little bit of the bourbon and dump everything in or did you just add the cubes after they soaked?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Nice, that's the second one I did. Just be careful about the amount of water they tell you to use. I think my instructions said to boil 1.25 gallons but, as I later discovered, my boil off rate is about half a gallon per hour. I did not end up with much beer.

Also, if you're going to be like me and add a vanilla bean to the bourbon for some extra flavor, do not use a whole bean. Start with maybe a third. I'm aging my few remaining bottles while I wait for the vanilla flavor to mellow a bit.

Yup. Another reason I always recommend doing your own calculations for water volumes, and not relying on general instructions that are meant to sort of kind of fit most brewers.

 

[srusinko]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah I thought 1.25 was a little long, but it's only a 45 minute boil. I'l probably start with 1.5 gallons and then top up if I need to.

What kind of bourbon did you use? Did you soak the oak cubes in a jar with a little bit of the bourbon and dump everything in or did you just add the cubes after they soaked?

I think I used Bulleit Bourbon, I just put the cubes in a glass and enough bourbon to cover them (along with the vanilla bean). I added the whole thing when I racked to secondary (I also probably wouldn't do a secondary fermentation if I brewed it again). Oh, be careful if you're pouring the cubes through a funnel, they got stuck in mine.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I think based on some of the directions I've seen that the writer didn't even brew the small batch, but thought that they could just extrapolate based on how cool they are as a 5g brewer.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Would I be an idiot to primary ferment a 1 gallon batch in a 1 gallon jug? I have a 3 gallon carboy but not sure what to do.

 

[ayrlander]

Would I be an idiot to primary ferment a 1 gallon batch in a 1 gallon jug? I have a 3 gallon carboy but not sure what to do.

I've done so, but you really need a blow off tube instead of using an airlock. There's still some headspace in the jug, but the krausen usually fills that up. I've switched to 2 gallon buckets instead.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I usually ferment in a 3gal better bottle or 5gal corny keg

 

[PADave]

Would I be an idiot to primary ferment a 1 gallon batch in a 1 gallon jug? I have a 3 gallon carboy but not sure what to do.

Nope, do it with all my 1 gallon batches. Just use a blow off tube for the first few days or week.