What would you suggest?

[sportscrazed2]

I am currently enrolled in a brewing class in college and it's peaked my interest and I want to try it on my own at home. I don't want to make 50 bottles at a time i would much rather produce around a case at a time. What equipment would you recommend me pick up? Should i start with extract kits? Finally can you divide up an extract kit and make multiple smaller batches or do you have to use it all at once?

 

[daenja]

You're probably going to get some flack about doing small batches... It would be a good idea to do some searches for small batches and/or 1 gallon batches.

I'm about to start some myself. I'm going to do dry extract with some specialty grains and hops. I'm looking at different 5 gallon recipes and dividing the contents by 5 to get a one gallon recipe. It will be much easier to split up if it's all powder and grains instead of liquid.

Also, my fermenters are empty 4 liter Carlo Rossi wine jugs. they hold a little more than a gallon to give some head space. I found a jar man in my area and he sold them to me for $1.50 each... much cheaper than buying them in the store and having to figure out what to do with the contents.

 

[Tinga]

you could probably get away with a three gallon carboy. i think they make those fairly regularly. five gallon brew kettle. ice bath for chilling. do you want to do strictly extract brewing?

 

[WCrane]

Go for it and do what you want. Don't let those "5 gallon batch" sticklers get you down. Your in a similiar boat as me too. So here's what I would recommend. Get a scale and go the Dry route like daenja. Or go BIAB with AG. If you go extract (or AG) I would just make you own kits based on recipes here (or elsewhere).

As far as equipment.
Fermentor - 3.5g Encore Plastics bucket from Lowe's is translucent with volume markings they're are food grade #2 hdpe $5-$6
16-20qt pot with a lid - check walmart/k-mart etc Price may vary
Muslin or paint strainer bags $3 for a 2 pack
Basic Equipment from LHBS/Online Vendor (airlock, grommets, hydrometer etc)- $40-50
Bench capper from E-bay - less than $25
Bottles- re-use one you have. Maybe a big tub to use as a swamp cooler.
A scale could be helpful too
That should be a good start

 

[Fishin-Jay]

As long as you have a scale to ensure an even split it would be easiest to split dry malt extract kits. Liquid kits could get messy.

To me, the time involved in the hobby wouldn't make doing only small batches worthwhile since I would constantly be out of beer before the next batch is ready.

 

[Revvy]

you could probably get away with a three gallon carboy. i think they make those fairly regularly. five gallon brew kettle. ice bath for chilling. do you want to do strictly extract brewing?

???? Really, I haven't noticed too many people giving anyone guff for doing small batch brewing...Quite a lot of folks on here do it, quite regularly, including me..and noone's given me guff for it.

Hell, most of my contest beers that I've won or placed on were my 2.5 gallon batches.

You can brew anysized batch you want. I do a lot of 2.5 gallon recipe test batches. You can even do 1 gallon AG brews. The basic brewing guys call that the six pack brew.

2.5 gallons is one case of beer.

I use my normal 5 gallon mash tun for most of them, but I do a lot of Experiments, test recipes, or beers that I know I won't need/want more than a case of.

I sometimes use an unmodified 2 gallon cooler for a lot of my small btaches it holds up to 4 pounds of grain.

I just us a folding steamer in the bottom along with a grain bag. Just break off or unscrew the center post.

One of these, it helps to lift the grain bag above the spigot to keep the drainig from getting stuck.

I posted a lot of info in the mr beer thread that you may find helpful.

I posted some all grain small batchrecipes here, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/785533-post702.html

ANd a bit of a primer on AG with pics here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/738927-post659.html

But I mostly use my regular 5 gallon cooler mash tun which holds 14 pounds of grains...and 14 pounds of grain for a 2.5 gallon batch can be a mighty big beer.....


One of our memebers chubbykid had plans for a minikeg mashtun http://sites.google.com/site/chubbykidhomebrew/Home/equipment/mini-keg-lauter-tun

THe basic brewing radio guys are big fans of tiny batch brewing...3/4 gallon (1 6pack) in a 1 gallon winejug fermenter.

They demo the 6-pack IPA here

[ame]http://en.sevenload.com/shows/Basic-Brewing/episodes/PERGFAJ-01-12-06-Basic-Brewing-Video-A-Six-Pack-of-IPA[/ame]

and they also have done barleywines as well.

I ferment my 2.5 gallon batches in all manner of things, I have a 3 gallon better bottle, I also use 3 gallon water jugs, AND my old Mr Beer keg (it's perfect because you can even lager in your own fridge with it when you are starting out.)

You can even ferment a 2.5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy if you want, though I would say a 6.5 gallon carboy is a little too much headspace for my confort.

Hope this helps....any more questions feel free to ask...

Oh, and you don't have to do anything with hops in terms of hop utilization, except scale it in the same proportion, as you do your grain. Nothing else.

 

[sportscrazed2]

I like drinking lots of different kind of beers and if I drank the same beer everyday i would go insane. That's why I want to do smaller batches and Wcrane thanks for the advice. I'm thinking of picking up one of those starter kits in case I want to do a bigger batch eventually.

 

[slowbie]

I replied to a similar post you made on another site and I will echo my statements there and say that going all grain from the beginning is not too difficult, especially with small stovetop batches. This is what I do:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/ I do my sparge a little differently since I only have one big brewpot, but my process is basically modeled after that.

If you're doing small batches I would suggest skipping the kits, regardless of whether you start with extract or all grain. Use one of the picture guides on here for whatever method you choose and use a trusted recipe from here for one of your favorite styles (although I would keep it to IPA ABV or below for starters).

To me, the time involved in the hobby wouldn't make doing only small batches worthwhile since I would constantly be out of beer before the next batch is ready.

I have the opposite problem. I like to brew every other week or so, but I can't drink a case of beer per week.

 

[daenja]

My solution to not being constantly out of beer while the next batch is conditioning is brew more! I'm planning on brewing 2 one gallon batches every other week. I'll get a pipeline going faster than I have been with the couple 5 gallon batches I've done and I'll have tons of different beer to choose from to drink when they start getting ready. I've got a 5 gallon brew conditioning now to tide me over till the mini batches start rollin.

Edited to say - Thanks for the good info. I'm still a noob and am learning a lot from this site!

 

[sportscrazed2]

1 final question. If I buy one of those kits can I use the bottling bucket as a secondary fermenter? Also I would love for my primary fermenter to be transparent so I can get an idea when fermentation is over

 

[WCrane]

Highly recommed against using the BotBuck as a secondary. Don't worry about a secondary at all. There's a big movement away from them. And if you need to dry hop, just drop them in the primary during the last week. Save your self some work and skip the secondary. Just primary for a week or more.

If you hell bent on a secondary, just by another bucket from HD or Lowe's

 

[user 21663]

Unless you're adding fruit or such, a secondary is not necessary, nor would I suggest it. Just another opportunity for infection or oxidation. Also, be careful about using visual cues for determining if fermentation is done. The way to be sure is taking gravity readings ( 3 days without any change ). Even then you'll want to beer to sit on the yeast a little longer to clean up some of the byproducts. If you bottle too soon, you could end up with bottle bombs.

 

[sportscrazed2]

allright so you basically wait until the final gravity doesn't change for 3 days in a row then bottle? are there any fermenters that make it easy for checking gravity?

 

[WCrane]

Not really. pop the bucket lid, get a turkey baster and used the tube the hydro came in. Make sure your sanitized and go.

I rigged a coat hanger to hook around the airlock on my lid so i can hang the lid while taking a reading. this way i don't have to sit it down and increase the risk of infection. Just give is a quick spray of sanitizer and replace.

 

[sportscrazed2]

Not really. pop the bucket lid, get a turkey baster and used the tube the hydro came in. Make sure your sanitized and go.

I rigged a coat hanger to hook around the airlock on my lid so i can hang the lid while taking a reading. this way i don't have to sit it down and increase the risk of infection. Just give is a quick spray of sanitizer and replace.

think i can get a picture of that? i think i get the concept but a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[WCrane]

Ahh I'm at work so no picture. Make a hook out of a piece of wire that would hook on the the skinny part of the airlock and connect it to a coat hanger. hang from where you can. I think you'll figure it out. Just pray to MacGuyver, its helps

 

[Tinga]

no need for a secondary. secondaries are only beneficials for dry hopping or adding fruit.

 

[sportscrazed2]

allright then but what if the directions call for a secondary fermentation stage? do you just let beer sit in primary fermentation longer?

 

[WCrane]

you got it, Primary for a month and bottle for three weeks is a good starting point. You can even dry hop in the primary as long as the main part of fermentation is complete.

 

[sportscrazed2]

wow 7 weeks before you can even drink the beer. i really want a carboy so i can see what's going on. should i buy a starter kit and sell the fermentator on ebay and then buy a carboy? can't seem to find a good deal on a starter kit that includes a carboy. want a plastic one because it's lighter and won't break if dropped.

 

[WCrane]

Just keep the bucket. it'll come in handy one day either for grain storage, or a sanitation bucket. but yeah you can buy a carboy separately. I can't remember of hand but someone sells a kit with a better bottle. I was on the budget plan starting out - hence all the frugal advice.

yeah 7 weeks... seems a biach but you'll be rewarded. usually your low gravity brews will be done sooner, but its a good "rule of thumb". But just brew every two-three weeks until you get you pipe line running. I'm almost there.

 

[sportscrazed2]

sounds like a plan. thinking of getting this from northern http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/basic-starter-kit.html looks like best deal. if i buy that and the plastic carboy it's cheaper than the next level kit from them. maybe then i can use the original bucket and have 2 batches going at once

 

[WCrane]

Now your talking bro....

I had to go a slightly lesser route due to my stoves limitation (4 g batch in 5g lowe's bucket). Don't be scared by AG either I jumped in and went off to the races.
Good Luck and keep us posted!!!

 

[sportscrazed2]

can someone explain though why a five gallon pot cost close to $40?

 

[drycreek]

This kit from Midwest Supplies is pretty good for the money:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-starter-kit.html

It includes the 5 gallon glass carboy for only $10 more than the kit you linked above. I know you mentioned wanting plastic, but glass is cooler. Seriously though, read the "This vs. That" thread that's stickied on the main page to get a better comparison of the two. Unless you are really clumsy, there isn't too much concern with having the glass. They are thick and durable.

I'm fairly new to the hobby myself, and I've never considered doing small batches, but your thread now has me interested. It's a case of the newbie inspiring the novice.

And as far as the kettle goes, I was able to find a 5 gallon stainless pot at my local grocery store for around $22. I'm not sure where you're looking, but you might check the cookware aisle of the grocery store. My LHBS (AHS) sells a similar one for about the same price.

 

[WCrane]

You can find real cheap pot at department stores. I had to pay a bit more for a pot because i have a glass top range.

 

[sportscrazed2]

might want to go with buckets over carboy because it's like $15 cheaper total shipped if i go with the one from northern. it's probably easier to clean than a carboy. and if i decide to get a carboy later they aren't that expensive

 

[wacko]

60 quart stockpot
Since you are a college kid you could watch for someone having a keg party. Telll them you'll give them the 30 dollar deposit and get the keg changed into a boil pot.

 

[sportscrazed2]

60 quart stockpot
Since you are a college kid you could watch for someone having a keg party. Telll them you'll give them the 30 dollar deposit and get the keg changed into a boil pot.

that's in Wisconsin and i'm about 2 hours or so south east of there. and i'm not going to spend $100 just on a pot. i was looking to keep the whole expedenture on equipment sub $150 and closer to $100 if possible.

 

[wacko]

I was just doing a search in your area on craigslist. I wouldn't spend that money either. The keg though can work nicely, and i saw a couple turkey fryers on sale on CL for 20-30$