1 Galon brewers, small batch brewers?

[aamcle]

I know there is a huge thread some were on the board but to my amazement search failed!

If your willing to share I'd like to ask what equipment small batch brewers are using.

General decrepitude is pushing me towards smaller batches but smaller batch size doesn't equate to an equal reduction in effort and time.

So far full volume no sparge BIAB seems like the least effort but I'd still very much value your advice.

Atb. Ora

 

[MaxStout]

You're probably thinking of 1-Gallon Brewers UNITE! Over 7600 posts and still active. Might be better to post there, rather than starting a thread on a duplicate topic.

 

[mac_1103]

I know there is a huge thread some were on the board but to my amazement search failed!

Search often fails me too. Operator error no doubt. I have better luck if I check the "search titles only" box when I'm looking for a specific thread.

 

[AlexKay]

Full-volume no-sparge BIAB is definitely the way to go for gallon batches.

I use a Wilser bag fit to my kettle.

Since I do both 2.5- and 1-gallon batches, I use an SS Brewtech mini kettle. If I just did gallon batches, I'd get a heavy-ish stainless steel stock pot, but it's probably worth the effort to ac-voltage salt-water-etch some volume markings.

All brewed on the stovetop, of course.

A refractometer is a must-have, since filling the hydrometer sampler would use up a significant part of your batch. (Remember to use an online refractometer if you want to calculate ABV, otherwise you'll be posting a "why is my fermentation stuck?" thread in a few weeks.)

Also pick up a good high-precision scale for salts and hops. I recently got this one and love it. (And for the pedants -- you know you're out there -- precision is what's important when you're shooting for repeatability on your own system.)

I use a Jaded Brewing Mantis immersion chiller. (Check kettle ID before pulling the trigger on a chiller purchase.)

My favorite small-batch carboy is the plastic LBMB with spigot from Northern Brewer. There's nothing wrong with the 1-gallon Fermonster (though always buy the lid wrench so you'll have it when you will need it). Be obsessive about keeping them out of the light.

But now I almost always ferment in kegs, and 1.75-gallon kegs are pretty much ideal for 1-gallon batches, even ones with huge krausen. You'll need a floating dip tube, and FlotIt 2.0 is, for my money, 100% the way to go. It's obnoxious to pay as much (or more) for a 1.75-gallon keg as a full-size one, but it's not actually that expensive compared to getting a too-big-anyway stainless-steel fermenter.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

FWIW: I started writing this before @AlexKay posted (above).

The "sweet spot" between 5.0 gal batches and 1.0 gal batches may be 2.5 gal batches.

If your willing to share I'd like to ask what equipment small batch brewers are using.

Over time, I've ended up with a collection of equipment so I can do full volume boils up to 2.5 gal.

Induction cook top (120v, 1800w),

.. a 3 & a 4 gal kettle

... a couple of 1 gal carboys (currently holding 2 different sanitizers)
... a couple of 1.4 gal "Little Big Mouth Bubblers",
... a couple of 2 gal pails,
... a couple of 3 gal fermenters

... and bottles.

So far full volume no sparge BIAB seems like the least effort but I'd still very much value your advice.

Stable mash temperature is a much easier problem to solve with 2.5 gal (vs 1.0 gal) batches.

With my 4 gal kettle, I typically do a "pour over" or "dunk" sparge.

Tagging @doug293cz and @IslandLizard as they may be able to help with kettle sizing for 2.5 gal full volume no sparge BIAB.

General decrepitude is pushing me towards smaller batches but smaller batch size doesn't equate to an equal reduction in effort and time.

A 2..5 gal batch size may be what you are looking for.

 

[AlexKay]

A 2..5 gal batch size may be what you are looking for.

For a 2.5-gallon batch, the 5.5-gallon SSBrewTech mini kettle is just about perfect. For very big beers (8+ pounds of malt) it gets crowded, but otherwise no problems.

 

[fatjay]

I can't remember the last time I just had one beer

I do have 12 1gal carboys for experimentation of recipe's. Then once I have something I like, it goes to the 5-8gal carboys for mass production.

 

[doug293cz]

FWIW: I started writing this before @AlexKay posted (above).

The "sweet spot" between 5.0 gal batches and 1.0 gal batches may be 2.5 gal batches.


Over time, I've ended up with a collection of equipment so I can do full volume boils up to 2.5 gal.

Induction cook top (120v, 1800w),

.. a 3 & a 4 gal kettle

... a couple of 1 gal carboys (currently holding 2 different sanitizers)
... a couple of 1.4 gal "Little Big Mouth Bubblers",
... a couple of 2 gal pails,
... a couple of 3 gal fermenters

... and bottles.


Stable mash temperature is a much easier problem to solve with 2.5 gal (vs 1.0 gal) batches.

With my 4 gal kettle, I typically do a "pour over" or "dunk" sparge.

Tagging @doug293cz and @IslandLizard as they may be able to help with kettle sizing for 2.5 gal full volume no sparge BIAB.


A 2..5 gal batch size may be what you are looking for.

My rule of thumb for BIAB kettle sizes is a minimum of 2.5X the batch size, up to about 3X the batch size.

Brew on

 

[MaxStout]

I do BIAB and mostly 5-6 gal batches. In warm WX I brew on propane in the garage in a 15 gal BK. Winter months I brew indoors on the stovetop in an 8 gal Megapot (with a 1000W elec heat stick to assist). I just need to hold back a couple gallons of water which I add after the mash.

I rarely brew smaller batches because the brew day is the same, regardless of size, and I usually like the beers enough to have ~50 bottles.

However, I might figure out a workflow system where I brew two 2.5 gal batches back-to-back, since I already have all the gear out. Like @BrewnWKopperKat mentioned, that's kind of the sweet spot. I have a couple glass 3 gal carboys for half batches. Having a case each of more styles on hand would be a good thing.

I have several 1 gal glass jugs, but never did lone 1 gal batches. Too much work for 10 bottles of beer. Just used them a few times to split up a full batch into 5 little ones to experiment with yeasts, dry hops, etc.

Some day my back will tell me to stop lugging large vessels around and 2.5 gal batches will become the norm for me.

 

[kevin58]

I recently scaled down to small batches of around 2.5 gallons and bought an Anvil Foundry 6.5. It is made for this size batch and works like a champ. I also bought a couple of second hand 3 gallon corny kegs and a brand new mini fermenter from SS Brewtech when they had them on sale a while back.

 

[IslandLizard]

My rule of thumb for BIAB kettle sizes is a minimum of 2.5X the batch size, up to about 3X the batch size.

2.5-3x batch size would be for full volume mashes, to hold all the water/wort as well as all the grist at the same time. Especially when brewing higher gravities, say 1.090 OG and up, the 3x batch sized kettle will come in handy.

If you do a dunk or pour-over sparge using a separate vessel, such as a bucket, or a pour-over on a bag raised above the kettle, the kettle can be somewhat smaller. In that case an 10-12 gallon kettle for a 5 gallon batch will be about the minimum size, because the bag with grist will be removed from the kettle, leaving the extra volume for adding the lautered wort from the sparge.

There are online calculators specifically designed for estimating needed (kettle) volumes for BIAB.