Brewing less than 5gal

[bensyverson]

Does anyone do this? They sell some cute looking 3gal carboys at my LHBS... And I've been spying the 1 gallon wine jugs at CVS. My thinking is that by doing 1-3 gallon batches, I could experiment with AG in my kitchen, using the same brewpot I use now for extract...

 

[eriktlupus]

yup i do it when i'm not sure if i'll like something i scale it down for two gal or less and thewnsplit it between two bottles. try different yeasts in both

 

[bensyverson]

Awesome

Anything in particular I need to consider when scaling recipes down?

 

[MikeRLynch]

Make sure you do your math right. One time I "accidentally" made a 3 gal IPA because I forgot to scale down the hops as well as the grain bill. Damn good mistake though

I do 3 gal batches quite often. It scratches the brewing itch, and unlike 5 gal batches, I'm not spending hours upon hours bottling the damn things, and then trying to find a place to stuff them in my little condo. Besides, I like variety, and having 50 bottles of three different beers is a lot more appealing than 50 bottles of the same thing. And in addition, it teaches brewing consistancy. If I like something I made in 3 gal, and I want more, then I have to brew it almost exactly the same way in order to get it again. Good training for competitions and who knows? Maybe even professional work in the future

mike

 

[brewt00l]

I do this for recipes that would be a PITA otherwise like a massive barleywine. I still ferment in one of my regular carboys but use the 3 gal for secondary/extended conditioning.

 

[Danek]

I sort of do this when I'm trying to isolate individual variables in the brewing process to see what effect they have. I make a five-gallon batch and then split it in two. That way I get two smaller, near-identical batches, and can do side-by-side comparisons - of yeast type, aeration method, dry-hopping, secondary vs no secondary etc.

 

[Revvy]

The basic brewing podcast guys are big proponents of doing small batches (as small as one gallon). They've done barleywines and other things. They talk about it both on the videos (like 6 pack IPA) and on the audiopodcasts. http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=video

 

[FlyGuy]

I actually enjoy doing 3 gal AG batches in the winter. I have a mini-mash tun with a SS braid and a good 5 gal pot to boil on the stove. The batch size is nice because water heats up and cools down quickly, recirculations are quick, the equipment is small and easy to handle and wash, and handling a small grainbill is very easy. I normally keg because I hate bottling, but I have found that bottling a 3 gal batches doesn't seem like nearly the same amount of work, for some odd reason.

Small batches are also nice for experimentation -- if you ruin a small batch, it doesn't hurt nearly as badly as a full 5 or 10 gal batch.

Regarding fermentation, as brewt00l mentions, you can ferment inside any size of carboy. But if you intend to put the beer in a secondary, then a 3 gal carboy is recommended. Something that is accurate down to 1 gram or less is often required.

Cheers!

 

[killian]

I have been brewing 3 gallon batches of all grain on my stove top to stay out of the cold. I converted a sixtel in to a mash tun with a stainless steel braid. No need for a starter, the pitching rate is just right. actually it is a good way to grow yeast for a 10 gallon batch.

 

[Jack]

I brew one gallon batches. I like it because it allows me to brew more often, which I find enjoyable.

I second whoever said to double-check your math. That is critical.

While it's much, much easier to chill your wort, it's also more difficult to keep the proper mash temperature because there's less volume. So instead of checking the temperature every 20 minutes with a five gallon batch, you might want to consider every 10 minutes.

 

[malkore]

Like FlyGuy, I've done some AG brews on my kitchen stove and just scaled it back to a total of 3 gallons into primary.

That'll get you a full case and at least another 6-pack. A good quantity if you don't drink a lot, but still enough that it was 'worth the time and effort'...especially since I wash liquid yeast strains, that helps cut down on costs.]

I primary in a normal ale pail, and then have a 3gallon carboy for secondary. nothing wrong with kegging 3gallons either really.

 

[The Drizzle]

nothing wrong with kegging 3gallons either really.

This was going to be my concern, I'm about to give up cush suburban living and be moving into an apartment. I like the idea of doing 3 gallon all grain on the stove. I already have a kegging setup. I figured, so long as I continue to purge out the air with CO2 when filling I should be ok.

Any reason I shouldn't think so?