Next beer choices

[Kampenken]

I've just returned to brewing, am an avid IPA fan (ABV <8% please!) as well as a fan of Stouts. I have an IPA that I'm drinking now and quite pleased with, an Oatmeal Stout that is 3 weeks bottled and also beginning to drink (also quite pleased!) and a Lagunita's Sucks "clone-ish" in the fermenter one week now. Most of my to do brew list keeps coming up as IPAs, which is all fine, however am thinking about others now, and am looking to brew 2 - 2.5gal batches (I've always brewed 5g batches only). So, my questions are:

What types of beer do you suggest (and Spring supposedly is coming here in SE PA in the next month or so!!)?
Can I ferment these two in 5/6g glass carboys, or for smaller batches should I get smaller (3g?) fermenters?

Finally, I will be brewing AG.

Thanks, and look forward to your thoughts!

 

[Teromous]

Since you like IPA's you might try brewing a Belgian Pale Ale. It's a good spring beer.

Additionally you might like trying a White IPA which is basically a hopped up witbier, or an American Black Ale which is a dark version of an IPA

 

[Cyclman]

American Dark Ale, BlackIPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, whatever you want to call it...

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

Tomorrow I will be brewing up two batches...one an Irish Red...and the second will be a summer time drink....Hard Apple Cider.

 

[Kampenken]

No IPAs for now!! I love 'em, the aroma, the taste, but want to keep trying more things, and is it just me or is it possible that the more IPAs I have, the more I feel like I'm no longer drinking beer??! (having said that, I will brew a clone of Founder's All-Day IPA around May).

So any suggestions that are not wheat beers, not a fan, nor stouts (drinking one now) nor porters. Was thinking about an ESB, maybe even one of the 2.5 batches can include some aroma hops like an IPA (e.g. Citra?). Oh geez, hard to break away from the IPA!

 

[Clintaurus]

I brew 1 gal AG batches. I ferment in 1gal glass bottles. I imagine you probably want to get a smaller fermenter just so there's less room for oxygen in the fermenter. My small batches turn out pretty good and I like doing them to try random recipes. You seem to be asking for suggestions on brews excluding: IPAs, Stouts, Porters or wheat. So I'm gonna go with the suggestion Teromous made, Belgium Pale Ale is a damn good choice. But my personal suggestion is don't over think it. How about close your eyes and just randomly flip through a recipe book and just brew. I'm gonna do a Stout next weekend because I've only got a few left and the stouts are a hit here.

 

[Kampenken]

All I can recall is that a Belgian Pale Ale is a wheat ale?? (e.g. Blue Moon). I'm not a fan of those. But maybe I'm confused with style??
Brewing 1g AG, you must have a good scale? What do you use? I don't know I want to go that small, but am intrigued. Maybe do 4-5 batches of 1g with changes in yeast & hops for similar grain profile (on 2 batches), and then empty mash tun and new grain profile. Hmmm, this is sounding promising! And while I do have a small mash tun (28qt cooler) I'm thinking a small grain bill would be harder to mash?

 

[Clintaurus]

Just a scale I bought at my LHBS measures in pounds, ounces and grams.only cost me $28. I've seen similar food scales at Walmart for about the same price. Yeah, the 1 gal batches are super fun. Sometimes I follow recipes but a lot of times I just put together left over ingredients and just play. And about the Belgium Pale Ale I don't categorize that with Wheat brews, maybe they're the same but to me they're completely different.

 

[Clintaurus]

However, I don't compare Blue Moon with a true Belgian brew. However on a hot day I have enjoyed Blu Moon but here lately I'm loving mt IPA's

 

[Teromous]

Blue Moon is not a Belgian Pale Ale. I suggest looking at a style list for commercial examples of beers you intend to make.