2 gallon batches

[dtfleming]

My guy at the local brew supply store gets on my nerves. I told him yesterday I found a thread where lots of people brew small batches for quicker brewing and more variety of brews. He still acts like I am a idiot for brewing 2.5 gal batches. Personally I think it's cause he only sells for 5 gallon batches he really pissed me off. Makes me just want to order supplies on line

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

Ignore the LHBS guy. I have been brew 2.5 gal AG batches for a year. My wife doesnt really like beer, so it's just me drinking homebrew. I cut down from 5gal to 2.5 gal as that gives my around a case of beer. It works well for me, you gotta do what works for you.

 

[beerlover87]

My wife only drinks about three three times a year and only drinks grey goose. She swears by it says its the only thing that don't give her a hangover. I like my beer tho

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[bgm1961]

My wife typically doesn't like any of my beers... so there's another part of my problem. She drinks only Lambics. I don't see myself tackling one of those anytime soon!

Though she recently did show an interest in a local brew pub's coffee brown ale... so guess what's in the (1 gal) fermenter right now???!

 

[beerlover87]

Bet its what she likes happy wife happy life

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Croyzen]

Get a copy of Beersmith and learn how to use it. It's the best way to master your small recipes. You can design them and scale larger batches down. I do this all the time with great results.

 

[beerlover87]

Get a copy of Beersmith and learn how to use it. It's the best way to master your small recipes. You can design them and scale larger batches down. I do this all the time with great results.

Awesome will have to do that thanks

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Oginme]

Get a copy of Beersmith and learn how to use it. It's the best way to master your small recipes. You can design them and scale larger batches down. I do this all the time with great results.

Second this! Take the time and a couple of brews to get the software set up to your process and it will perform remarkably well.

 

[hehawbrew]

I started doing 2 gal AG batches. I switched to 5 eventually bc so many ppl wanted my beer!

Not sure how you guys brew with those kids! My wife and I just had our first. He's only two months, but man, he added an extra step to my brew day!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[beerlover87]

I started doing 2 gal AG batches. I switched to 5 eventually bc so many ppl wanted my beer!

Not sure how you guys brew with those kids! My wife and I just had our first. He's only two months, but man, he added an extra step to my brew day!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Not so bad kids are my life brewing is a stress revival. I wait until bedtime then brew


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[bgm1961]

Get a copy of Beersmith and learn how to use it. It's the best way to master your small recipes. You can design them and scale larger batches down. I do this all the time with great results.

This is true... as I mentioned earlier, it makes it easy (1 button-click easy, that is) to adjust recipes for small batches given that the typical recipe is for 5 gals.

HOWEVER, I found learning the program to be counter-intuitive. Any recipe is built around its water volume and Beersmith really doesn't work its magic till the volume calculations are correct. So I say, "counter-intuitive" because never having used brewing software before, and going-in with misconceptions of what to expect, it took me a while to understand that your "Equipment Profile" is the key to proper volume calculations. Who would've thunk?

So to expand, my frustration was in realizing that nothing would come out right till BeerSmith had proper volumes to work with, and my struggle was in figuring out that achieving correct volume calculations all relied on properly setting-up an equipment profile. That was the counter-intuitive part that I didn't expect. When I first started using the software, I ignored the equipment profile tab, thinking that I would probably make use of it later, as I became more advanced and actually had "Equipment" worthy! But it didn't dawn on me that the software builds the recipe based on the equipment profile. Once I figured this out and learned how to set-up my equipment profile, everything else fell into place.

 

[beerlover87]

Not so bad kids are my life brewing is a stress revival. I wait until bedtime then brew


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

Yea it is a stress reliever for me as well

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[sumbrewindude]

^^^^ How do you know the kids have gotten the best of you? ^^^^

You quote yourself on HBT and agree without realizing it.
(Dad of 2 here also, I know..)

 

[hehawbrew]

Lol


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[JohnnyC138]

Northern Brewer has many good 1 gallon kits, both all grain and extract. I make a 1 gallon batch and see what I think. If I like it I will get a 5 gallon batch. I like small batches. Very manageable and take up very little space.

Go for it man!!



Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[Weezy]

I just wanted to chime in real quick to thank beerlover for the thread. I ordered a couple of these demon brew demi-conicals. I've been brewing 3 gal batches with ~2.5 gal going into 2.5 gal legs for a long time. Buy lately I've been doing 2-2.5 gal batches. I think these little suckers might work out well for me, especially for aging sours with fruit additions (that big hole helps).

 

[beerlover87]

I just wanted to chime in real quick to thank beerlover for the thread. I ordered a couple of these demon brew demi-conicals. I've been brewing 3 gal batches with ~2.5 gal going into 2.5 gal legs for a long time. Buy lately I've been doing 2-2.5 gal batches. I think these little suckers might work out well for me, especially for aging sours with fruit additions (that big hole helps).

I just took my first gravity reading on my first batch out of a 2.5 gallon conical started it last Friday it has around 4 1/2 percent ABV !!!! I have almost made beer minus the bottling and conditioning.. Gonna let it set until like Tue. Or Wed. I think and bottle condition for at least two weeks I am pumped my first batch at least has ABV lol didn't go totally perfect but proves it is a worthy hobby !! Awesome

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[BigCypress]

The first batch is always the most memorable. I'm guessing your LHBS guy is annoyed that you won't be buying any of the 5 gallon kits he has to sell. As a consumer, you're the one with the choice in who you do business with.

Anyway, I switched over to small batch BIAB a few years ago. I can do everything in my kitchen, which is a huge plus because A. I can't have a propane burner where I live, and B. I can still do full volume boils. In addition, I'm able to use a repurposed mini-fridge I got cheap (like a tank of gas) from some graduating college kids that were leaving town. A 3 gallon Better Bottle fits snugly with a blowoff tube, so no more worries about fermentation temps. I could fit a second one in there if I wanted to.

I'm also glad to see that I have some brethren here that don't drink enough to justify 5 gallon batches. I might drink three or four bottles a week, but I prefer it to be as high quality as I can make it. My days of housing a 12-pack are well behind me. So now I can brew every six weeks or so and still have plenty of beer to give away and share. Besides, I think I enjoy the process as much as the end result.

I was at a homebrew club meeting a few months ago and a guy brought some samples of a pepper stout. This guy is a fabulous brewer and the beer was *amazing* but it was still a novelty. I'm like, what in the heck are you gonna do with 5 gallons of this other than let it sit in bottles for a few years until you dump it out when you get tired of looking at it. Still delicious, though.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[beerlover87]

Well I got a cleaning brush and some other little stuff but I do not see myself brewing more than a 2.5 gallon batch for anything I would run another small batch before I ran 5 gallons of anything. So no he won't be selling me a kit anytime soon.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[dkevinb]

I just took my first gravity reading on my first batch out of a 2.5 gallon conical started it last Friday it has around 4 1/2 percent ABV !!!! I have almost made beer minus the bottling and conditioning.. Gonna let it set until like Tue. Or Wed. I think and bottle condition for at least two weeks I am pumped my first batch at least has ABV lol didn't go totally perfect but proves it is a worthy hobby !! Awesome

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

Sounds like beer to me. Congratulations!

You really don't need to buy kits. You can just buy ingredients according to recipes which can be found everywhere. It's more fun that way, and you have more control. Plus it gives you more of a feeling of accomplishment, like making a pot of soup instead of opening a can of soup.

 

[beerlover87]

Sounds like beer to me. Congratulations!

You really don't need to buy kits. You can just buy ingredients according to recipes which can be found everywhere. It's more fun that way, and you have more control. Plus it gives you more of a feeling of accomplishment, like making a pot of soup instead of opening a can of soup.

I am buy ingredients and go from scratch on the next brew I totally agree! I like to cook as well ( mainly on the grill ) but I am going to find a brew that sounds good and scale it down so I have that sense of accomplishment. This beer came with my fermentor I think it was a good way to get my feet wet so to speak.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[dkevinb]

I am buy ingredients and go from scratch on the next brew I totally agree! I like to cook as well ( mainly on the grill ) but I am going to find a brew that sounds good and scale it down so I have that sense of accomplishment. This beer came with my fermentor I think it was a good way to get my feet wet so to speak.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

Definitely a good idea to do the kit once to learn the mechanics. It would be a good idea to find a brewing calculator (there are a few pretty good free online ones and some great pay-for ones). They'll help a lot checking recipes for ABV, bitterness and color.

 

[xjedifishx]

I brew both 5 gallon and 1-2 gallon batches. My 5 gallon batches are usually known good recipes I want to have around and enough to give to family and friends. My 2 gallon batches are the fun ones. I've been doing AG smash brews in it and I'm about to try a oatmeal milk stout. It's nice because it's small and like it was said before, it's easier to 21 average beers than 64

Money wise I think per capita it's cheaper to do 5 gallons but I like the versatility of doing both.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Weezy]

Money wise I think per capita it's cheaper to do 5 gallons but I like the versatility of doing both.

True, definitely cheaper. I'm going smaller cuz I want to brew more often and I can crank out a 2-2.5 gallon batch in 3 hours. Its not hard when you get get from sparge temp to boiling in <5minutes. I can do minimash with extract in 2 hours.
Keg carbonate, drink half or most, depending on mood and schedule. When the next batch needs the keg, I'll bottle what's left in there. Maybe 6-8 bottles.

 

[beerlover87]

True, definitely cheaper. I'm going smaller cuz I want to brew more often and I can crank out a 2-2.5 gallon batch in 3 hours. Its not hard when you get get from sparge temp to boiling in <5minutes. I can do minimash with extract in 2 hours.
Keg carbonate, drink half or most, depending on mood and schedule. When the next batch needs the keg, I'll bottle what's left in there. Maybe 6-8 bottles.

See I only drink but maybe 1-2 beers a day if I have no company, if I do maybe 6 pack will go fairly quick. I am trying to get a couple of buddies into brewing.... They say they don't have the time . I say well what about Sunday come on people ! ! I would like to get a local brew club goin

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Weezy]

I'm in the same boat. Its only me drinking. Wife doesn't drink, friends are to busy to come often enough, so I'm at 1-2/day for 5 days a week. 2 gallons still goes on two weeks.

 

[beerlover87]

I'm in the same boat. Its only me drinking. Wife doesn't drink, friends are to busy to come often enough, so I'm at 1-2/day for 5 days a week. 2 gallons still goes on two weeks.

If you brew a 5 gallon a month that is almost 600 beers a year who can drink that much ? Not me 2.5 gallon a month seems good by me maybe 2 batches a month in the summer. I seem to drink more in the summer ( I love beer while I grill ) I bottled my first batch today. Gonna let carbonate for around 7 days and bottle condition for a while in the fridge. And see how it is tastes!!


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[hehawbrew]

My brew buddies and I have a nice system. If I brew, they can come over, help, and take a share. But, when they brew, same goes for me. Let's us buy what we want but we get a nice variety throughout the year.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[xjedifishx]

If you brew a 5 gallon a month that is almost 600 beers a year who can drink that much ? Not me 2.5 gallon a month seems good by me maybe 2 batches a month in the summer. I seem to drink more in the summer ( I love beer while I grill ) I bottled my first batch today. Gonna let carbonate for around 7 days and bottle condition for a while in the fridge. And see how it is tastes!!


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Home Brew mobile app

600 beers a year is less than 2 a day. I make a 5 and 2 gallon batch every month. I do give some away and the swmbo gets her small share leaving me to drink a good number. 600 a year would be me cutting back &#127867;



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[C-Rider]

I saw those 2 gallon fermenters from Demon Brew months ago. Wrote to them to get size and never heard from them so I stayed w/my 2 gallon paint buckets from HD.

 

[hehawbrew]

I saw those 2 gallon fermenters from Demon Brew months ago. Wrote to them to get size and never heard from them so I stayed w/my 2 gallon paint buckets from HD.

Nice, I have a few of those too!

I ended up buying two, 3 gal,glass carboys. Nice for 2.5 gal batches.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew