2.5 gallon equipment help

[CrixusOfCapua]

I currently have the Brewer's Best 1 gallon kit found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD7CY1G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Currently I am doing extract brewing. If I wanted to upgrade to 2.5 gallons for beer that I like (no room for lots of 5 gallon tubs), what would I need to upgrade?
What size for primary and secondary? Any place you can recommend to purchase from?
Would a 1 gallon size auto siphon work?
What size pot should I use?
Are these paint strainer bags good to keep reusing? If not, any recommendations? http://www.menards.com/main/paint/p...4445227111-c-8076.htm?tid=3348147816876804900


Any other recommendations?

 

[theowlman16]

Minimum for 2.5 gallon extract: 4-5 gallon pot. Primary 3 gallon - You might be able to find a cool 3 gallon glass jug. But I think they sell 3 gallon plastic fermenters. Secondary is not necessary. Auto siphon can be the standard diameter. Not sure why you need a paint strainer? I would strongly consider making the jump to 5 gallon - It really isn't that much more expensive. A 6 gallon bucket is not that big. Most recipes you find will be 5 gallon or 10 gallon. (Eventually you will start building them yourself instead of ordering "kits".) Spend some time on this site, take notes, watch videos, do your homework...it will all fall into place. I just couldn't see putting all the effort of sanitizing equipment, brewing, fermenting, bottling, etc... and then only having 120 ounces of beer to drink and share.

 

[phyllobeddo]

I brew 2.5 gallon batches. All grain. Mash in a bag in a cooler. I started out with a $4 voile sheer curtain from Wal-Mart and eventually went with a Brew Bag. The curtain would still work. I should get a Wilserbrewer bag next. 5 gallon pot. 3 gallon fermenters, mostly Better Bottle 3 gallons. No secondary. If I had it all to do over again, I would start with a fermentation chamber for temp control first. I currently use a wine fridge with an STC1000 controller.

 

[z-bob]

Menard's sells 4 gallon plastic carboys full of water for about $5.50. I used them for fermenting 3 gallon batches.

Those paint bags are reusable. They will wear out eventually but you should get several uses out of them before they start getting holes. I assume you're talking about using them for grain bags (BIAB)

You don't really need a secondary if you ferment in a carboy. Next thing I'm going to try is primarying in a bucket and then I'll transfer that to a secondary to finish, but the reason for a secondary in this case is because my primary will be open to the air.

Are you going to boil this on your kitchen stove, or outside on a propane burner? That might determine your batch size.

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

I live in a small apt with wife so space is minimal. So cant do the 5 gallon batches then store those and store all the bottles that comes from them. Starting 3rd beer (american pale ale) this weekend.

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

Why better bottle?

 

[soccerdad]

Menard's sells 4 gallon plastic carboys full of water for about $5.50. I used them for fermenting 3 gallon batches.

QUOTE]

Sam's has those too (some sam's stores) .. various grocery stores too

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/member-s-mark-spring-water-4-gal/prod1180623.ip

 

[phyllobeddo]

Why better bottle?

After deciding to go from 5 gallon batches to 2.5 gallon batches, I happened upon 3 gallon Better Bottles and liked them. I have several of them. They are not glass, lightweight, that was one of the options at the time, easy to clean using hot water and Oxi-Clean, and two of them sit perfectly side by side in the wine fridge!

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

How hard is it to make a temp controlled compartment to store?

 

[Weezy]

Brewdemon's quasi conicals really are perfect for 2.5 gallons. Big opening for hopping and cleaning. Spigot is above the trub. I top crop out of mine.

https://www.brewdemon.com/equipment...tion-equipment/conical-fermenting-system.html


Here's some cost effective options for other gear:

16-quart $12 Walmart SS pot is big enough too. I'd recommend adding a spigot though.

Temp control? Get yourself a bar fridge. Get an inkbird itc-308 temp controller. I'm not sure what other option there is for real temp control, besides a fridge, that is something you could store. I don't know if those cool jackets would work for you.

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

What about this for a primary? http://www.northernbrewer.com/siphonless-big-mouth-bubbler-ported-5-gallon
Too big?

 

[jekeane]

I do 2 gallon brew in a bag on my stove top a couple times a month when I'm not using my eherms system. I use a mix of 3 gallon better bottles and 3 gallon glass carboys.

I purchased a couple of small kegs and absolutely love doing stove top small batches.

You can find a kettle a lot of places I got a really nice kettle from TJ Maxx of all places for $40. Fits my stove perfectly and also fits in the oven so I can keep mash temperatures easily.

 

[McKnuckle]

That 5 gal Big Mouth Bubbler is fine. I ferment 2.5 gallon batches in these 3 gallon plastic carboys:

https://www.williamsbrewing.com/3-GALLON-VINTAGE-SHOP-CARBOY-P2825.aspx

An auto-siphon with a plastic clip attaches nicely to the opening, and sits in the small recess in the bottom, leaving less than a quart of trub behind. Not quite as slick as a spigot, but very easy to use and priced right.

 

[JohnSand]

The MrBeer fermenter is about 2.5 gallons, with a little headspace I think.

 

[Oginme]

Mr Beer kegs are 2.5 gallons to the brim, they work well if you want to cut the batch size back a bit. I prefer the 3 gal better bottle carboys or similar available. They use a standard sized stopper to accommodate an airlock.

The paint filter bags from Menards will be fine to start with. The mesh size is a little big for finer grinds of grain. I graduated to a Brew Bag and am extremely happy with it -- more durable and finer mesh.

For a temperature controlled fermentation chamber (best investment I have made), look for a used refrigerator. There are several good dual stage temperature controllers available or you can fashion your own system with a STC-1000 or equivalent.

For pot size, if you want to do a 2.5 gallon batch to the fermenter, plan on at least twice that size for the kettle. A 22-qt or higher will service you well.

 

[Toadies]

I went with the ss brewtech 5 gallon kettle and 3.5 gallon brew bucket. Only 1 batch in, but I seem happy.

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

If my kettle is 16quarts, can I just use that then add clean water to bring it up to 2.5 gallons after the wort has been cooled to 70 degrees?

 

[McKnuckle]

Sure you can. But you can probably get pretty close to a full boil of a 2.5 gallon batch in a 4 gallon kettle, you just have to be very careful at hot break time to avoid a boil-over. But that lasts just a few moments, then you're good to go.

A small kettle on a stovetop usually has a light boil-off rate, maybe in the vicinity of 0.6 gal/hr. So you might only need around 3.25 gallons in the boil to end up with 2.5. And of course, if you are bottling, the precise final volume is not critical anyway.

 

[z-bob]

If my kettle is 16quarts, can I just use that then add clean water to bring it up to 2.5 gallons after the wort has been cooled to 70 degrees?

Yes. Actually, add the water *before* you cool it. But you should be able to boil 3 gallons in a 4 gallon pot if you're careful. I boil a little over 4 gallons in a 22 quart canner. It's not a vigorous boil, and it seldom tries to climb out at hot break.

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

Yes. Actually, add the water *before* you cool it. But you should be able to boil 3 gallons in a 4 gallon pot if you're careful. I boil a little over 4 gallons in a 22 quart canner. It's not a vigorous boil, and it seldom tries to climb out at hot break.

Why before? Most of what I have read its been after because you mix it together in the fermenter and then pitch yeast.

 

[z-bob]

Why before? Most of what I have read its been after because you mix it together in the fermenter and then pitch yeast.

Just my opinion, but you're not adding that much water. Add it before and the hot wort will sterilize it, and it will help cool down the wort a little.

If the dilution water won't fit in your kettle, by all means add it to the fermentor. But in your case it will fit.

 

[bkboiler]

i have done 2.75 gal batches for over 3 years. Love it. just enough for me to drink a batch while it's still fresh, share some and get to brew more often, which is why i do the hobby in the first place.
i use a 5 gallon igloo mash tun (with SS sock) and no-sparge for beers under 6.5% and batch sparge for anything stronger than that. a 4 gallon SS pot from amazon (induction compatible) works and i can adjust the boil length to be longer for better efficiency or shorter if im lazy and the beer doesnt require a longER boil for DMS reasons. Full length brew day typically takes 3ish hours if i shorten mash (check for conversion/depending on grains) and boil.
Just got a couple craigslist fridges and one temp controller for around $100 total (johnson analog that i can reconfig to be a heat or coolside controller by switching one screw. usually only in winter).
works out really well, the other fridge is of course the kegerator. i fit all my fermenters/mash tun on a shelf in the garage and hang my brewing tools on pegboard.
you can fit all this under/on top of a 6'x4' footprint, which i got an adjustable height table from IKEA to be the brewing workbench. the fridges, trashcan, propane burner and tank fit underneath. a very tidy setup! also, get an induction burner to mainain the boil, 1500-1800W should do it....saves a lot of $$ on propane. especially if you are ASKED to move to the garage). the propane burner works well to bring up to boil and heat strike water too.
You can store all your brewing stuff in sealable bins on the table, and even hang your glasses under the shelf if you want!

 

[CrixusOfCapua]

hmm I just had a thought. If I took the ingredients that are for a 5 gallon recipe (Example this kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AC5WM6I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) and used them on the 2.5 gallon recipe, water converted for a 2.5 gallon recipe only, would it just be a really strong beer?

 

[slym2none]

4-gallon pot and a Mr. Beer LBK is what I use for my beers (AG, natch).

 

[McKnuckle]

If I took the ingredients that are for a 5 gallon recipe...and used them on the 2.5 gallon recipe, water converted for a 2.5 gallon recipe only, would it just be a really strong beer?

No. It would certainly be more alcoholic, but it would also be a really SWEET beer and extremely bitter as well. Not a particularly good idea. Best to construct a recipe that balances properly.