mini brew

[davefleck]

I've been asked over and over by friends interested in learning to brew but they get turned off by either cost of equipment it just the large amount needed. So I'm making a kit for ultra small batches. (2) 750ml bottles to be exact.

My wife who has never brewed is giving it a a go!

How viable it is as a business us yet to be seen but ive got equipment for 6 setups and look forward to seeing how it goes

 

[Malintent]

I'm trying to think of something positive to say, but I can't think of anything.

5 gallons is SMALL. less than that is simply a waste of time, unless you are experimenting with 1 gallon jugs of stuff that you are 50% sure will taste like ****.

 

[edmanster]

Do it for 2liter batches.. I've done quite a few and only used a small paint strainer bag and 1 3liter(shasta) and 1 2liter bottle that had soda water in them. I did the biab method, fermented in the 3liter racked into the 2liter and force carbonated with a tire valve cap.. You could natural carb in them also.. I weighed out my yeast to 2 grams (safale 05) and it works perfectly.. Was working on a BMC style to give away to friends around christmas time.. The 5gal batch was spot on with the one I chose.. Cheap equipment.. You don't even need a airlock, a balloon works perfect..

 

[Mike_A]

Sounds cool, I like the perspective. But I have to play devil's advocate and bring up the point that the biggest investment for homebrewing is not money or space, it's time. And unfortunately, brewing a batch (not comparing extract vs. AG) will take about the same amount of time for a 1 gallon batch or a 5 gallon batch. The biggest time difference is what it takes to heat your water. Takes about the same to ferment, just a whole lot less time to drink!

 

[MazdaMatt]

You can buy 2L bottles with a little yeast pellet under the cap. Drop the pellet in, put in a closet for 2 weeks, put in the fridge for 2 weeks and open. I heard they suck.

 

[davefleck]

The idea isn't for anyone to use it more then a couple times. It's to catch the brewing bug without the complexity or shelling out over 20$

 

[MrMeans]

whole foods currently markets their own home brewing kit that is an all grain kit that makes one gallon. All ingredients for another beer after buying the starter kit are $16 but does come with milled grains, hops, and yeast. How well these beers taste I do not know, but they would most likely be your competitor in that respect. On the plus side though competition breeds diversity or something of that nature.

 

[davefleck]

Mike, for someone who has never tried brewing time is a small part of consideration. It's all the equipment, but paramount is the self education. Simple instructions, minimal easy to use equipment is my goal.
How many people walk out of a LHBS because they don't want to spend 150$ to see if its something they might enjoy. Or as a gift for a beer lover.

We take for granted how complicated the process is.

Sit a friend in front of your setup, leave the room and try to guide them to brew over the phone. The challenge of doing that would be similar to how a new brewer feels surrounded by a ton of equipment and no idea what to do with it.

 

[two_hearted]

I feel like most people would go to a 5 gal setup after a couple batches and wish they would have done it earlier.

 

[davefleck]

Maxam, all of my kit is usable when upgrading to 5 gal.

 

[Quimby]

I have never done a Mr. Beer kit before, but wouldnt that be more of a way for people to get into it without spending much money or time?

 

[MrMeans]

like many of you I started with a 5 gallon set up. After my kettle ($50), first kit ($35), and equipment ($90) I was in it well over $150 for something I had never done before. I agree that it would be a good way for someone to ease into the hobby, I feel that an experienced home brewer would be someone who could design a small, quality kit to get people into the hobby. I think it would be nice if it was designed so that it could be easily expanded though instead of making a person buy all new equipment much like the whole foods kits I talked about. From what I saw of the kit the only thing that would be usable with anything much larger would be an airlock and some experience.

As a business model employing expandable equipment does help to secure a repeat customer.

I forgot where I was going with this rant but I say go for it.

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

isn't this what those party pig things or mr beer are for? i'm sure they package them in mulitple batches due to either shipping costs or that they will get stuck sitting on inventory.

i wouldn't pay to make 2 bottles that i can drink a month later.

it should be marketed as no extra equipment needed besides ingredients and bottles. use your own pot from home, hopped extract, any food safe container to ferment.

 

[Garrett]

Brooklyn Brew Shop sells 1 gallon kits similar to this idea for $40 with everything you need including an ingredient kit. Only $15 for an additional set of ingredients. They are very successful with it. Its actually how I got started brewing, my gateway brew haha. These are sold at whole foods now, which I believe someone mentioned earlier in the thread.

 

[daniels]

I have never done a Mr. Beer kit before, but wouldnt that be more of a way for people to get into it without spending much money or time?

i bought a mr beer kit at a flee market that was never used 5 bux. i brewed it with a bud that im trying to get into brewing he loved the beer it made but doesent like 90% of the beers i make. id say look around on craigs list ive saw them unused cheap there

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

After seeing the success of brooklyn brewshop and their kits, I also considered making a business of it (still am). I brew small 1.25 gallon batches all the time. It gives me a chance to experiment without making 5 or 10 gallon batches. It makes a 12 pack. The small scale of the equipment makes clean-up a breeze. Also, it goes quicker than 5 gallon batches because the time to heat/boil smaller amounts is less. I use a 2 gallon igloo cooler for MIAB, and do batch sparges. I use 2 gallon paint buckets with spigots as fermentor/bottling buckets. Finding space to keep a little 2 gallon bucket cool is also easier for a newbie.

My basic kit for mini BIAB would include a paint strainer bag, 2 hop bags, 2 plastic buckets with spigots and lids drilled for bungs, 1 airlock and bung, instructions and all ingredients for a 1.25 gallon batch. It would sell for $24.95.

Add-ons would include a 2 gallon cooler, 500ml pet bottles or capper and caps, thermometer, hydrometer, etc.