Small batch ?

[beesy]

Ok, so my last 5 brews(2 cream ales, 2 IPA and a Scottish 60) have been small batch, stove top brews, with FV of between 2.5-2.75 gallons. Still doing all grain. I want to start upping grain for my recipes so the FV and FG I want is close to the SV and SG (so if i want 3.5gallons at 1.042 FV and FG, I will adjust recipe to start with 4.0g at 1.037 and add water bacK during boil to maintain 3.5g). What is your experience or advise on doing this (good, bad or indifferent)?

If you want to know, i want to do this so i don't have to drag out all my big equipment, the stove can only boil about 4 gallons, and i want to maximize the FV.

 

[newbeerpig]

If you don't boil to heavily you might not have to top off to match your desired finished volume, as long as you up your fermentable sugars to match the higher FV you should be fine.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

Sometimes I do 3 gallon batches. The reason I do three instead of 2.5 is that there are 3 gallon carboys and I like to condition my beers in a secondary. A 2.5 gallon batch leaves too much head space in the secondary.

Instead of using half of the ingredients, you multiply by 3 then divide by 5.