1-Gallon Brewers UNITE!

[dwightr8]

Maybe this: Silicone Rubber Sheet 6x6-inch

Thanks. That might just be the ticket.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Maybe this: Silicone Rubber Sheet 6x6-inch

I bought something similar for my 1.4 gallon Little Big Mouth fermenters. I work at a school district and had one of the Tech teachers laser cut new gaskets for me. They now seal much better and are less problematic.

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

Yes, I am replacing my bucket, lid and cleaning sponge. Going to clean the heck out of funnel, spigot and coil (SSBrewtech FTS) I use for temperature control.

I brewed a brown ale with rye this past weekend. Brew day went okay. After 2 days, I noticed that my airlock was not showing any signs of fermentation. Great now what! I checked my bucket lid to make sure it was on and sealed properly. That checked out. I did get a shorter thermowell because my other one went to the bottom of the bucket. My new one stops about the middle of the batch. I am hoping to get a more accurate temperature reading. Any ways, the previous thermowell used a larger hole. The new one was loose however each nut has a rubber o-ring and covered the existing hole. I thought I tightened it enough. I took a gravity reading to see if the yeast was doing its job. I started at 14.8 and the reading was 10.6, so I know its doing something. I also took out the airlock and saw krausen on top. Crossing my fingers.

 

[Griffin495]

Yesterday I brewed a gallon batch of Classic American Pilsner from Brewing Classic Styles, along with 2.5G batch of American Lite Ale. Used yeast I harvested from the day before when I bottled a Standard American lager and a Dark Lager. Love these small batch sizes. Much easier on the back to lug around than a 5 gallon batch.

 

[PCSharkynose]

Although I have not yet brewed anything smaller than 5 gallons in my entire 25 year brewing odyssey, that may be changing. My SIL just called to tell me she was organizing a yard sale for the VFW where she works and today someone dropped off this...

https://m.kohls.com/product/prd-3430495/hammer-and-axe-beer-brewing-kit.jsp

It may be too good to pass up and should be about ten bucks.

Score!

I'm not a big beer drinker because good rum is my kryptonite. However I do like good beer on occasion so that's why I do 1 gal batches. I yield about 9 bottles per batch which is perfect for me as I can stretch those out for months and experience how the taste of the beer changes with age.
I enjoy experimenting with infusing stuff in my recipes for flavor and "effect". I figure if I screw up there is not much loss.
So far so good, as my judges (test dummies) have all given me good reviews.
In the fermenters right now are an ale called Innkeeper Recipe and a Bourbon Barrel Porter that I'm about to put in the second fermenter.
I have an infused porter and a Caribou Slobber clone bottle conditioning as I type.
In the fridge is a honey porter and an a infused Hemp Ale that is getting good reviews.
1 gallon brewing is a fun hobby.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Had a big blow off. Filled up my whole blow off glass. Going to cold crash and see how the beer tastes.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Had a big blow off. Filled up my whole blow off glass. Going to cold crash and see how the beer tastes.

To anyone that read this post and didn’t warn me not to do this, you’re not cool. If this could be considered beer, it is the number one worst sip of beer I’ve ever had. I am not very picky when it comes to beer and the taste of this actually made me queasy.

 

[ba-brewer]

To anyone that read this post and didn’t warn me not to do this, you’re not cool. If this could be considered beer, it is the number one worst sip of beer I’ve ever had. I am not very picky when it comes to beer and the taste of this actually made me queasy.

I recall the post but did not think you were going to drink the stuff in the glass. I thought you would talking about crashing the beer you were fermenting.

If you had starsan in the blow off glass I would expect the taste to be tart and soapy.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I recall the post but did not think you were going to drink the stuff in the glass. I thought you would talking about crashing the beer you were fermenting.

If you had starsan in the blow off glass I would expect the taste to be tart and soapy.

Aha! I thought the same thing. I remember reading the post but didn't think anything of it.

 

[Immocles]

Yep, I thought the same myself. Didn’t realize it was the blown off beer itself haha

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Yep, I thought the same myself. Didn’t realize it was the blown off beer itself haha

It was extremely bitter, but not in a good way and it seemed like there were fusal alcohols, it was very hot. Then there was a deep and insidious funk, like rotten flesh.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Wait, you drank the blow-off bottle filled with sanitizer and krausen?

 

[InspectorJon]

It was extremely bitter, but not in a good way and it seemed like there were fusal alcohols, it was very hot. Then there was a deep and insidious funk, like rotten flesh.

I'm not sure why it never occurred to me to try the beer in the blow off glass.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

No @RPh_Guy, I put a splash of rum in the bottom of my blow off glass, not sanitizer. I remember reading in The Complete Joy of Homebrewing that a blow off slightly benefits the beer. I can believe it since what leaves is so awful.

 

[Immocles]

@CascadesBrewer Have you had a chance to try your lemondrop sampler? I recently made a simple ale with it as well, just tried the first one. Not too bad imo.

 

[treacheroustexan]

This weekend is filled with doing FIVE 1 gallon hop sampler batches to present at my homebrew clubs meeting on hops next month. Should be fun!

Did lemondrop last night.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

@CascadesBrewer Have you had a chance to try your lemondrop sampler? I recently made a simple ale with it as well, just tried the first one. Not too bad imo.

I have opened a few. I get a solid "lemon candy" hit on the aroma but not a ton of lemon on the flavor. I had a NEIPA-style beer with Lemon Drop + Azacca + El Dorado so that was my motivation for picking those 3 hops for samplers. The El Dorado was in a fermenter that was not air tight so came out a bit oxidized, but Lemon Drop and Azacca mixed is a nice combo. I have heard that Sorachi Ace has a stronger lemon character so I am interested in trying that hop.

 

[Immocles]

I have heard that Sorachi Ace has a stronger lemon character so I am interested in trying that hop.

Hmm, I may have to look into that also. I’m doing a bigger batch of an azacca ale this week, then back to some experimentals.

 

[Jordan Logo]

What are your guys’ solution to controlling your fermentation temps?

 

[Immocles]

What are your guys’ solution to controlling your fermentation temps?

Until I get my hands on a dedicated fridge, I use the coldest part of my basement (~55F right now). Some yeasts I can get away with just wrapping a retired bath towel around the jug to keep it a few degrees higher, others that need a bit more warmth, I wrap a small seedling mat hooked up to an inkbird controller. The mat is 2 or 3in x 10in. It wraps around the jug a bit more than I'd like, but it works for me. I change my routine with the seasons.

 

[BongoYodeler]

What are your guys’ solution to controlling your fermentation temps?

Until I get a fermentation fridge I use one of these. Easily fits my three 1.25 gallon LBM Bubblers, and when I brew 5 gallon batches my 7.9 gallon Speidel fermenter fits as well.

 

[Jordan Logo]

Until I get a fermentation fridge I use one of these. Easily fits my three 1.25 gallon LBM Bubblers, and when I brew 5 gallon batches my 7.9 gallon Speidel fermenter fits as well.

I was actually thinking about just getting a small mini fridge from Craigslist. I have a 3 gallon fermonster container for fermentation so I wouldn’t need anything too big. You like the cooler bag? Do you just keep switching out ice packs? How many ice packs do you usually go through?

 

[BongoYodeler]

I was actually thinking about just getting a small mini fridge from Craigslist. I have a 3 gallon fermonster container for fermentation so I wouldn’t need anything too big. You like the cooler bag? Do you just keep switching out ice packs? How many ice packs do you usually go through?

I like it but I'll eventually pickup another fridge or freezer to use, the time just isn't right right now. Until then the bag is doing me fine. One thing I like about the cooler bag is when it's not in use I can fold it up and stick it on a shelf in the garage.

I use a bunch of 1.5 liter Trader Joe's plastic water bottles that I freeze. How many I use depends on how much I'm fermenting. When I've got 5.5 gallons in my 7.9 gallon plastic Speidel fermenter I typically start out by swapping out 3 frozen water bottles every 12 hours. This will easily hold temps around 65-67° during active fermentation. After things slow down I back off to 1 or 2 bottles, and then finally ditch the bottles completely and just let it rise to room temperature.

When I have one Little Big Mouth Bubbler in there one frozen bottle switched out every 18 hours keeps active fermentation around 64°, (not thinking I mistakenly put in three frozen bottles on my first one-gallon batch and overnight the temp dropped to 52° within about 7 hours). When I ferment using two LBM Bubblers one ice bottle keeps them around 67°

 

[InspectorJon]

I use an ice chest with water in it. Throw ice or frozen gel packs in as necessary. If I need heat I just keep it somewhere in the living space.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

When I need to ferment below ambient temperature, I also use an ice chest with water for my Little Big Mouth Bubblers and two gallon food grade pails. Some additional resources:

• Brew Files - Episode 59 - Keeping Cool. (One additional idea from the podcast: with larger FVs, people cut holes in the top of the ice chest to make room for the air lock).

• Given the limited space of an apartment, what do you do to maintain a steady fermentation?

• How to Cold-Crash? Limited space and money method.

With my cool basement (55-ish in the winter), I'm also learning to vary my yeast selection to "brew with the seasons".

 

[ESBrewer]

I have been using an insulated water bath with 4-5 liter batches. It works very well for ale beers when you need a 6X-70F gradients over 3-6 days at typical room temperature and the water volume is ~10 X the volume of fermentation. No need to cool it down by any means during the fermentation (no ice etc). But you can replace some water If ambient temp gets high. Next time I'll brew in 2 x 5.5 liter vessels simultaneously. 1,5 gal size is getting a bit annoying now that the recipes are already refined. I need to get more bottles for maturation & drinking, too..

 

[Jordan Logo]

Thanks for those that answered my question! I decided to go the mini fridge route which was much cheaper (surprisingly) than doing anything else. $40 for the fridge on Craigslist + $36 for the Inkbird Controler!

 

[LostHopper]

For those using frozen water bottles I would suggest this "Ice Extender". I thought it sounded hokey but it works great and the bottles are refrozen after it eventually melts so I have a regular stream of bottles to use which is much less frequently. I started using it on extended hunting trips and now use it in my roto-molded ice chest fermentation chamber. I have 4 gallons of Altbier sitting at 52 degrees right now. Follow the directions closely on volumes when mixing at first. It expands into a gel.

https://www.amazon.com/TBK-Industri...=ice+extender&qid=1555939949&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

[Sharkbrewingco]

What are your guys’ solution to controlling your fermentation temps?

In the past, my fermenter was just a basic 2 gallon bucket. The lid had 2 holes with grommets inserted to hold an airlock and a thermometer. I filled up an ice chest with water to just below the level of the wort in the fermenter. During the winter, I would use an aquarium heater. I would set the temperature 68 (lowest setting). During the summer, I just froze several water bottles. Ambient temperature will dictate how many bottles you put into the ice chest. This is a labor intensive because temperatures can vary quickly. I have since adapted SSbrewtech's FTSs to my bucket. Now I just set the temperature and check out the frozen water bottles or inserted the heater if needed into the ice chest that feeds the FTSs.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

This is a labor intensive because temperatures can vary quickly.

MMDV (my mileage did vary ) on this one.

My basement has a "stable" ambient temperature - it rises and falls with the seasons - and doesn't change quickly. If I choose to ferment above or below ambient temperature, it's a couple of minutes twice a day for a couple of days to maintain the desired temperature. For me, that's not labor intensive.