Pro/Cons of starting with a 1 gallon kit

[lefty96]

I am looking to start home brewing but cannot settle on a kit size. Originally, I was looking at the 1 gallon kits as I don't have alot of other people to share the beer with, but I'm concerned that it may limit me in what I can do. Also the notion of having a batch yield as few as 8 beers just seems too small. Could anyone share their thoughts? I cannot seem to find much information comparing the two.

 

[brewprint]

I've always done 5 gallon batches but the down side is that if you brew a beer that you don't care for; it takes a while to drink or get rid of. The plus side is that when you make a good beer, which happens most of the time, you have a lot more.

I personally don't ever see a need to only brew one gallon. However I could see it's usefulness if I were to experiment with several one gallon batches at a time. Or brew a 5 gallon batch and ferment with 5 different yeasts or dry hops.

Recently I purchased a couple 3 gallon corny kegs. I then gathered some 3 gallon frosting buckets to use for fermentation. There's a few nice things about these smaller batches. If a batch isn't the greatest I could easily get rid of a case of beer. If the batch is good then I have more. I could also brew a 5 gallon batch and split it and use different yeasts or dry hops. One could sit around until the other is gone. I also just realized that I can buy a water cooler that will fit one and take it to a party or road trip.

Anyway I keg and you're probably not there yet. Besides that try 3 gallon batches. It's half way between 1 and 5.

 

[solbes]

Most of the kits are for 5 gallons. Not that you couldn't buy ingredients and scale them back to 1 or 3 gallon kits, but inevitably you'd end up with extra hops and steeping grains.

5 gallons generally yields 48 beers, so its not like you are getting a ton of beer. It is nice to be able to share with friends and family. Also nice to have 3 or 4 batches bottled at one time so you have a little variety. Neither of these would really be possible with 1 gallon kits.

On the plus side of 1 gallon kits, you can make a lot of different types for not much money. If you are anywhere near the Twin Cities of MN, I have 3 or 4 one gallon glass carboys I could give ya.

 

[lefty96]

If you are anywhere near the Twin Cities of MN, I have 3 or 4 one gallon glass carboys I could give ya.

I'm in Arkansas, want to meet somewhere in the middle?

 

[andrewmaixner]

1 gallon batches seems like a pretty heavy time investment, though I can see it be useful for experimentation. If I had more time, I might consider it, but I'd still probably go with 2 gallons as my smallest batch ever...

UNLESS you are doing extract, in which case have at it. Extract is less than half the work of standard all-grain, and would be quite suitable for very small batches. After that you could step up to small (1-2.5 gal) stove-top BIAB batches also fairly easily.

 

[solbes]

I'm in Arkansas, want to meet somewhere in the middle?

My dog is from Arkansas, maybe he wants to head south for a visit

I was also going to say that for 5 gallon batches you will need a lot of empty bottles (who wants to buy new empty bottles?). I had a ton of fun buying commercial beer, consuming them, and taking off the labels for use in homebrew packaging. Of course I have way too many now, but I remember how fun it was. My wife kept asking why were drinking so much during the week. For the betterment of the hobby of course!

 

[kombat]

I'm primarily a 5-gallon brewer, but I periodically brew 1-gallon batches too. I like the 1-gallon batch size for a few reasons.

• It's a way to try out new recipes/ingredients/techniques without risking an entire 5 gallon batch on it
• I can do it indoors, on my stove, which is nice during the winter
• It takes less time (I BIAB my 1-gallon batches)
• Less equipment to clean up
• Manageable batch size to bottle, and doesn't tie up a keg or fridge space
• Doesn't require me to commit any of my bigger, more expensive fermenters on the batch. 1 gallon jugs are cheap.

All that said, when I'm brewing a tried-and-true recipe of something I know I like, and I have half a day to commit to it, and it's not -20° outside, I'll brew it as a 5 gallon batch, or even a 10 gallon batch.

 

[GHBWNY]

I've never brewed a 1 gal. batch. I brew 5 gal. with the expectation I am going to make great beer. OK, a couple have been so-so, but not by any means batch-fails. For all the rest that have come out great, I am glad I have an ample supply to go to, plus share with others.

 

[Clarke]

Pro: your making beer
Con: your not making much beer

this is only my opinion, I would only make a one gallon batch for experimental batches.

8 bottle don't go very far, specially when your tasting them to see when they mature, I make 5 gallons, 45 - 50 (plus-minus) beers depending on different factors, and by the time I get to the last 6, they are perfect and I am pissed I only have six left.

 

[EJay]

I split the difference. My first 10 batches or so were 1 gallon BIAB all grain, then I found the biggest kettle that would fit in my oven for mashing, and that worked out to a 5 gallon kettle so I can still do stovetop batches yielding 2.5G into the fermenter, which I can ferment in Brewdemon conicals and mr. beer LBKs. I'm really happy with that setup. Its easy to convert recipes. Most of the stuff I used for 1G (siphons, hose, funnels, hydrometer, etc) work fine in the 2.5G size.

 

[sudbuddy]

I've never really understood the point of brewing one gallon batches. That's an awful lot of work for 8-10 beers. I'd much rather do the same amount of work and have 50 beers

 

[fuelish]

As with some of the above posts, I see 1 gallon batches as great for something experimental, but a waste of time for anything that has even a remote chance of being quaffable. Once you brew it, let it settle out, take a final gravity sample, your not left with much for your efforts, which may be a good thing....or likely not, and you'll be wishing you'd made 5 gallons.....the dilemna (dilemma???) is even worse when making mead, which takes many months or even years to be ready......sucks to end up with something outstanding and only have less than a 12 pack for your efforts. You could, of course, go in between and get a 3 gallon carboy......if the end result is good, you still have a decent amount, and if it isn't, it's not quite the investment as 5 gals would be...

 

[Clarke]

Where in Arkansas?, I am Arkansan, Little Rock

now hailing from Largo, Florida

 

[brewbama]

Huge con = not enough beer.

 

[govner1]

Huge con = not enough beer.

^^^This! Way too much work for 1 gal of beer!

 

[JJ900]

I started with a one gallon kit and I was glad I did as a few of my first batches were just boring and I was glad to not have to work through 2 cases of drinking that. The one gallon kit let me get a handle on what you are supposed to do, and then I quickly moved to 5 gallon batches - but I still go back to the one gallon, e.g. when I made my first recipe not from a kit. It made things more manageable to do it on a small scale - just the different steps on brewing day, instead of making big messes I was making small ones. If I were to do it again, I think it would be fine to instead buy a 3gallon better bottle and use that for 2 gallon batches; and I may end up buying one for experimenting.

 

[Hello]

Dude, you're brewing beer, whether 1 or 200 gallons, where is there any kind of "con"?!

 

[lefty96]

Where in Arkansas?, I am Arkansan, Little Rock

now hailing from Largo, Florida

Conway - I work in Little Rock though. . .

Seems the consensus is to go with 5 gallon equipment which I agree on. . . on to the next decision. . .

 

[youngdh]

I've done 5G, 1G and 2.5G. I found 2.5G to be the right size for me (yields roughly a case of bottled beer). It's basically the same amount of time on brew day (not to be confused with "work") regardless of which batch size you choose. 1G might yield 8-10 12 oz bottles which I find good for experimental batches. I found that the 3G conical fermenters from Brewdemon.com a good size to put in an 18G Rubbermaid storage container with cooling/heating water to control ferm temps. A 5G carboy is much bigger and heavier to handle at least for me.

 

[brewprint]

Watch it guys...I hear those 1 gallon brewers unite! They might not like some of these comments and get a posse after ya'll.

 

[govner1]

My first batch was a 1 gal AG kit. Quickly moved to 3 gal AG. I stayed w/ this for a couple of years as I built up my system & support equipment.
Then I had an epiphany- 3 gal was just as much work as 6 gal. I split these in half for fermentation & kegging. This also let's me experiment w/ different yeasts for the same batch.

 

[kombat]

I've never really understood the point of brewing one gallon batches. That's an awful lot of work for 8-10 beers.

Uhm, I just explained multiple points, earlier in this very thread. What didn't you understand?

 

[trimixdiver1]

I tell customers it's about the work vs reward and consistency from batch to batch.

 

[trboyden]

Depends on what your personal goals for brewing are.

I am not a big drinker, but I love the process of brewing - handling fresh brewing ingredients, creating recipes, and trying different styles. One to three gallon size batches are great for that because it encourages you to brew more often and to try different styles.

I have both one and five gallon setups and have been doing a lot of five gallon batches of late that has now accumulated into six kegs of beer that I will likely never drink because I get bored with them. I made them for a couple of festivals that got canceled because of weather.

But if you are only into one or two styles of beer and are going for quantity, than larger batch sizes are more practical. For club brews, I have a couple 40 gallon pots with dual 5500-watt elements and a 35 gallon conical fermenter. So I can do the whole range of batch sizes depending on the need.

 

[adamdillabo]

I've done my last few batches BIAB 2.5-3 gallons. It's enough beer were I can have one the first week and not kick my self for doing so. If you used a washed yeast you can do this size for $10-15 if you are NOT buying in bulk.

It really depends on the equipment you have and what process you want to do. Extracts? Go for 5 gallons.
If you have a 5 gallon pot make 2.5 of AG. One gallon isn't a lot of beer at all after trub loss the half bottle left in the bottleing bucket, hydro samples

 

[jrowland74]

I started on 1 gallon batches;

One year my wife and I were at an employee Christmas party where there was a silent auction. I bid on and won a 5 gallon equipment kit. On our way home, my wife informed me that she had bought me a 1 gallon kit and 2 recipe kits for Christmas.

I decided to hold off on brewing until after Christmas to use what she bought me first. That way, if I just hated the process, I could sell the new 5 gallon kit and be done with it.

I ended up obsessed with brewing, of course, and within a year, had brewed several 5 gallon extract batches while building up my AG equipment and kegs.

My brother-in-law came to visit recently and he brewed a batch with me. He loved it and wanted to try at home, so I gave him my 1 gallon equipment and a recipe kit. He had a small apartment so he was limited to 1 gallon batches anyway. In the last couple of weeks, he moved to a large townhouse and plans to start brewing 5 gallon batches now that he has the ability and space.

To make a long story short, 1 gallon batches are great for starting out and experimental batches, or if you don't have the space needed for larger batches. Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide!

 

[ArcaneXor]

I started with 2.5 gallon batches and have done some 1-gallon batches here and there, but 5-gallons are the way to go for many reasons - it's actually easier to brew 5-gallons than 1-gallon because you have a much greater thermal mass, meaning it's easier to keep your temperatures in range. You can get a basic 5-gallon equipment kit for about $70.
Do a couple of extract with steeping grain batches, then switch to partial grain.

1-gallon batches are great for trying out crazy new things, but as a main brewing method - putting in all that work and waiting a month for maybe two days worth of beer is not for me.

 

[IslandLizard]

Instead of buying kits, I'd say compound your own recipes found here on HBT or other good places online. Buy the ingredients and brew away in the volume you desire. That Blonde Ale you may want 3 or 4 gallons of, but that experimental Belgian IPA maybe only 2 gallons.

Now when beer needs significant time to age, go for larger amounts so it's worth the time investment. But don't start out with those until you know you can make good beer.

How do you make good beer?

• Good recipe
• Good sanitation
• Read HBT on the various processes involved
• Control the fermentation temperature (very important)
• Patience and common sense

 

[kh54s10]

The biggest con for 1 gallon to me would be that you either have to brew very often or suffer through periods of having no beer.

Go Big Or Go Home!

But, I gallon size would be good for experimentation.

 

[McKnuckle]

I drink only one or two beers a day, and I like to try many styles. If I had to brew 5 gallon batches to satisfy my whims, and wanted to do ten batches (for example), I'd have 500 bottles of beer. That would take me a year to drink. And where would I put it all?

So I don't brew 5 gallon batches unless it's a proven, well-loved recipe. I put those into one of my two corny kegs. The rest of my brewing is 1.5, 2, or 3 gallons in size. Once you graduate beyond kits and get knowledgeable about all-grain brewing, the volume size is immaterial. I find it amusing how people fixate on the 5 gallon size, to be honest. It's an arbitrary amount.

Besides 12 oz bottles and kegs, there are other packaging options. I use the 6L Tap-a-Draft PET bottles for some of my batches. I'll put 1.625 gallons (17 bottles worth) into a TAD, then bottle the remaining beer. That gives me something on tap at home, and a smattering of bottles to take to BYO restaurants or share with friends.