Hey all,
I'm planning my move to BIAB from extract. I've decided I want to decrease my batch sizes to about 2.5 gallons. I've got a 5 gallon kettle, so it seems like 2.5 is the largest I can go (for 1.055 maybe 1.060 or less, more like 2 or less for bigger beers) without absolutely having to sparge. I'm pretty happy with that idea as one case from every brew session seems a lot more reasonable in terms of my limited Brooklyn apartment storage space. It will also give me the opportunity to brew more styles/iterate on the recipes I create -- my girlfriend and I just don't drink enough beer (at home
) on a weekly/monthly basis to keep brewing 5 gallons at a time. When we have friends over, they tend to have varied tastes, so it would also be nice to have a variety of beers available.
Along with learning more about everything else about brewing beer, I know temperature control is something I really need to dive into headfirst. As part of the switch to smaller batches, I was planning on getting a 12 L Speidel fermenter (or 2) and modifying to accept a airlock/blowoff setup. I really like the built-in handle and spigot functionality, and the quality of it seems very high.
Does anyone have experience with the smallest size fridge/freezer needed for that setup? I realize the common wisdom may be to buy something big as, who knows, someday I may expand into bigger batches. That's fair, and likely true sometime down the road, but just not realistic for my living situation right now. The fermenter is 10 inches in diameter, 14 inches tall w/out an airlock, so I would imagine 20 inches of interior height in the fridge is good.
Any advice on a suitable cooling chamber will be very much appreciated!
I'm planning my move to BIAB from extract. I've decided I want to decrease my batch sizes to about 2.5 gallons. I've got a 5 gallon kettle, so it seems like 2.5 is the largest I can go (for 1.055 maybe 1.060 or less, more like 2 or less for bigger beers) without absolutely having to sparge. I'm pretty happy with that idea as one case from every brew session seems a lot more reasonable in terms of my limited Brooklyn apartment storage space. It will also give me the opportunity to brew more styles/iterate on the recipes I create -- my girlfriend and I just don't drink enough beer (at home
) on a weekly/monthly basis to keep brewing 5 gallons at a time. When we have friends over, they tend to have varied tastes, so it would also be nice to have a variety of beers available. Along with learning more about everything else about brewing beer, I know temperature control is something I really need to dive into headfirst. As part of the switch to smaller batches, I was planning on getting a 12 L Speidel fermenter (or 2) and modifying to accept a airlock/blowoff setup. I really like the built-in handle and spigot functionality, and the quality of it seems very high.
Does anyone have experience with the smallest size fridge/freezer needed for that setup? I realize the common wisdom may be to buy something big as, who knows, someday I may expand into bigger batches. That's fair, and likely true sometime down the road, but just not realistic for my living situation right now. The fermenter is 10 inches in diameter, 14 inches tall w/out an airlock, so I would imagine 20 inches of interior height in the fridge is good.
Any advice on a suitable cooling chamber will be very much appreciated!
