Wheres the 2.5 Gallon Brewer'$???

[HomeDrewBrew]

Ive been doing 2.5Gal brews since i got introduced to this fantastic hobby less than 6 Months ago and am highly addicted now and loving it and learning alot!!.
With 4 AG batches under me,A grain buy through work complete(110lbs) 2 Row bought am always trying to assemble differerent brew's.
I find the 2.5 Gal to be perfect for trying brews without having alot left over if mistakes are made! Just hard when its a great brew! Lol...
So here's to the not so small batch 2.5 gal crew!
Where ya at????!!.
CHEERS

 

[adamdillabo]

I've been doing this for the past month. I love doing all grain. And with the cost of $10-20 I can afford to brew almost every weekend. Only getting a case is alittle disappointing and I would be doing larger batches out side if I wasn't in a small apartment.

 

[botigol]

Just did my first 2.5 gallon batch. I will be continue brewing 5 gallon batches, but probably more 2.5s so that I can experiment more often and maintain a variety in the frig.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I like to do 2.5 gallon batches for high gravity stuff. I don't drink a whole lot of beer in the 8%+ range so I don't need 5 gallons of a IIPA hanging around to fade before I can get to them. Also helps keep costs down somewhat on those high ABV and high IBU brews. I even made myself a little 5 gallon mash tun from a cooler I was given and a spare bulkhead and false bottom. It makes for a nice little pilot system.

 

[Oginme]

10 liters (about 2.7 gallons) is my standard batch size for most brews. Once I get a recipe that I am happy with and want to have more around, I step it up to a 5-gallon batch.

 

[brewprint]

I started doing 3.5 gallon batches since I bought some 3 gallon kegs. Does that count?

I just put my first batch in the keg last night and realized that with all of the trub it was probably only 2.5. Very disappointed.

I'll do the smaller batches since I bought the smaller kegs and can fit one in the keezer. It's great for experimenting as well.

 

[supermutantbrewmaster]

Booyah! I've been brewing that way for almost a year and a half

 

[danthebugman]

Been doing 3 gallon AG batches for a while now. I'm able to brew more with that size and still get an acceptable amount.

 

[EJay]

Most of my brews are 2.5 G. Its a nice size for my Brewdemon conical, and most recipes are easy to convert.

 

[Kent88]

I've been doing a lot of 1-gallon brews, but trying to do mini-mash and not over-sparge is getting tedious. It seems like with that size you either must do all extract with at most a little steeping grain, or all-grain adding maybe an ounce or two of DME to bump up the gravity, there isn't much middle ground. I maybe have 4 beers a week so the one-gallon size does keep me stocked up with all the beer I need.

I did just get a 3-gallon fermenter that I've brewed a mild in and am planning on brewing a wheat using 2 pounds of 2-row, 1 pound of wheat, and 1 pound of wheat DME in a month or so. Should be able to sparge 3 pounds of grain without issues. I just wish my lagering fridge could handle carboys larger than 1-gallon, but I guess my lagers are going to stay small while they're confined to an apartment.

 

[Calichusetts]

3.5 gallon here. Did 1 gallon for many years. Switched to kegging and 3 gallons appears to be my zone.

 

[JonM]

When I first started doing all-grain, I did 2.5 gal. batches. It was a great way to learn all-grain with minimal extra equipment. All I really needed was a cooler mash tun and a DIY braid, all for about $25, and I could do full boil on my stovetop with the same kettle I used for partial boil extract kits. Plus, I didn't have 5 gallons of the batches that were not so good. And it's easy to scale a standard 5 gallon recipe - just cut everything in half! 2.5 gallon batches are awesome!

 

[madscientist451]

I take the standard 5 gallon recipes and multiply by .8 to make 4 gallon batches. That seems to be about the most that I can boil on my electric stove. Also, a 4 gallon batch works good for a 5 gallon carboy.

 

[JohnSand]

All of the above. Warm weather is outside brewing 5 gallons. In winter or experimental batches, high gravity batches, strictly seasonal (read: pumpkin) all are smaller, 2-3 gallons. I still have a case of Belgian Strong, and a twelve of Pumpkin, um "aging" in the basement. Next time those will be half batches.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

2.5 gallons here too. Feels like a lot less of a waste if the beer doesn't turn out very good.

I just picked up 3 gallon kegs (FYI homebrewing.org 4 for $160 pinlocks+$10/ea conversion posts, $50/ea is as cheap as you'll ever see 3 gallon kegs) and can fit 1 on the hump in my mini fridge, so I can have 3 taps flowing!

 

[azazel1024]

Until pretty recently my standard brew has been 2.5 Gallons. I've done a lot of 4-5.5 gallon brews recently, but moving back towards 3 gallons these days. Since I've been moving towards lighter beers recently, larger batch sizes are fine, especially with the warming weather I tend to drink a bit more (as does my wife, plus then cookouts to share my brews).

If I have the spare time, 2.75G batch is my perfect size (keeps the head space down in my 3G carboys). When I know my time is going to be a bit more limited, I bump it up to 3.5-5G batches, because I know I might get a brew in, but not for 4-6 weeks again.

I probably average 30-35 beers a month personally consumed. Maybe 40 in the warmer months if a bit lighter brews. My wife might drink 5-10 a month, sometimes 20ish range in some months. I probably give away or serve an average of 10 a month, maybe 20 a month in the summer months. So that is around 5-7 gallons of beer consumer per month.

2.75G batches are nice, but it also means I need to brew twice a month to keep up with demand. Which I'd love to do, but isn't always practical. Of course this is also why since I started brewing about 2 years ago, I tend to go through phases where I'll brew 1-2 2.75G batches, then maybe a 3.5-5G batch over the course of 2-3 months, then I'll brew 2-5x2.75-5G batches in a weekend/week to refill my cellar and then go back to only brewing occasionally for 2-3 months as I drink down the 6-20 gallons of beer I just brewed.

As an example from mid December-March I brewed 4G of Dopplebock, 2.5G of steam beer, 5G of Rye APA, 2.5G of IPA and 2.75G of German Pilsner (roughly 16 gallons and 5 brews, about one brew every 3 weeks). That is over the course of 3 1/2 months. Then in just the last couple of weeks I've brewed 5.75G of Berliner Weisse, 5G of Belgian Single, 4G of RIS, 2.75G of English Pale Lager, 2.75G of Schwarzbier. I probably won't brew again until big brew the first weekend in May and I might not brew after that until June. Then I'll probably start picking back up a little doing at least a brew a month for June and July and then in August I'll probably brew 2-3 times and 2-3 times in September as well to get some fall beers going, little or nothing in October and probably 2-3 times in November and December to get my winter beers in.

 

[RhodySeth]

Most of my batches have been 2.5 gallons. I got a couple sweet 3 gallon carboys and like others I enjoy the lower cost and ease of brewing with a small brewpot.

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

Awesome to see lots of love for this thread!

 

[MaxStout]

Each winter, when I don't feel like sitting in the garage to brew, I do 2.5 gallon BIAB batches on the kitchen stove with my 5 gallon kettle. A case of homebrew is better than none.

 

[phyllobeddo]

Yep. I am a 2.5 gallon batch brewer as well. I ferment in 3 gallon Better Bottles. My fermentation chamber (wine fridge) can hold two of the Better Bottles side by side so I can ferment two batches at a time if the temps are the same.

 

[aprichman]

2.5 gallon all grain brewer checking in

 

[joe_four_strings]

I've brewed 4 2.5/3gal extract batches and just got the setup for 3 gal BIAB. :rockin:

 

[radio2]

I have been doing a lot of 1 gallon batches and now starting to do 2.5 gallon batches witch seen perfect for me as it gives me a case of 22oz bombers

 

[EJay]

You should have entitled this thread "2.5 gallon Brewers unite!"

 

[govner1]

Ive been doing 2.5Gal brews since i got introduced to this fantastic hobby less than 6 Months ago and am highly addicted now and loving it and learning alot!!.
With 4 AG batches under me,A grain buy through work complete(110lbs) 2 Row bought am always trying to assemble differerent brew's.
I find the 2.5 Gal to be perfect for trying brews without having alot left over if mistakes are made! Just hard when its a great brew! Lol...
So here's to the not so small batch 2.5 gal crew!
Where ya at????!!.
CHEERS

I started brewing doing 3 gal AG batches & kegging w/ 3 gal kegs. After 2-3 years of learning & accumulating equipment for my brewery it became clear that 6 g batches were no more work than 3 g. So I upgraded my BK to 15 g & now brew 6 gal AG.
These I split into two 3 g batches using 5/6 g BB's. This also gives me the option of trying two different yeasts on the same batch.
I now have a dozen 3 g kegs & can do ales & lagers. Most recently I did two yeasts (WY1203 $ 1968) w/ an ESB & an Amarillo PA.

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

You should have entitled this thread "2.5 gallon Brewers unite!"

That I should of! RIGHT YOU ARE!

 

[wobdee]

I've been brewing 2.5 gal batches for about 3 years now. Its the perfect size for me, let's me experiment more and have a shorter turn over in my keg line.

I find I need to set my recipes at 3 gal to end up with a full 2.5 gal keg.

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

Ive got my 2.5 Gal water level down.
I Mash in with 4.25 Gal water,which is great cause thats mostly max my stock pot can hold with grain in.
After boil and cool down i toss in fermenting bucket im right on 3 gal mark.Trub loss im just under 3.75 mark for bottling.
22 12oz bottles.

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

Correction 2.75 .

 

[Darth_Beer]

I do 1, 2.5 and 5 gallon batches.

 

[lefty96]

I am wanting to get to 2.5 gallon eventually - sticking to 5 as I learn for the ease of extract kids - what size fermenters do you use for a 2.5 g batch?

 

[wobdee]

I am wanting to get to 2.5 gallon eventually - sticking to 5 as I learn for the ease of extract kids - what size fermenters do you use for a 2.5 g batch?

I use the Speidel 3.2 gal fermenter from Morebeer. I don't even bother with an air lock, just leave the lid on loosely.

I also tried out the 3 gal Brewdemon but the spigot is a bit low and sits in the yeast cake.

You can also go with the 3 gal better bottles or carboys.

 

[Weezy]

<---raises hand.

Though I doing 3 gallons moreso now, with a bit less going into the fermenter and a bit less than that making it into 2.5 gal kegs.

I also do 1 gallon experimental stuff and for blending.

 

[madman960]

2.5 and 5 gallon AG.

 

[Owly055]

The best fermenter I've found is a 3 gallon ice tea dispenser from Walmart. It is clear with a pale green tint, and the lid fits into a taper on top and seals very well. It comes with a vent hole..... You can't open one if the vent is plugged due to the tight seal. I drill the vent out and attach a fermentation lock using clear silicone. Acrylic is considered the most food safe of all plastics. I rack into my cold crash / bottling container using the spigot, and also use it to take samples. It's a superb fermenter for about $20, and extremely easy to clean, unlike the Brew Demon which I also have a copy of. The Brew Demon has internal "features" such as the letters and the threads for the lid that make cleaning it a bit of a pain. This is absolutely smooth. It also makes top cropping the krausen extremely easy. I top crop with a boiled ladle, and the top crop yields extremely high quality yeast, ready to go, Below is a link to a photo on Dropbox......... For some reason I can't insert an image today.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ls2pz97xphr9bam/beveragedispenser.jpg?dl=0

H.W.

 

[phug]

What size pot is needed for a 2.5 gallon BIAB? Full volume mashing

 

[Owly055]

What size pot is needed for a 2.5 gallon BIAB? Full volume mashing

I use a 24 quart stockpot....... I've used a smaller one, but had to sparge. My smaller stock pot was pressed into service recently as a fermenter when I broke my favorite fermenter.

H.W.

 

[EJay]

What size pot is needed for a 2.5 gallon BIAB? Full volume mashing

I've been getting away with a 20 qt / 5 gal for normal Gravity brews.

 

[phug]

my math had been telling me 5 gallons.

 

[hannibalmdq]

my math had been telling me 5 gallons.

Yeah. I had a 4.5 gallon and it was a squeeze. 5 would've been a little more comfortable. But you won't be able to do BIAB at that size (if you're interested at all in BIAB).

If you are planning on doing BIAB, go for 6.5 gallon or greater. That's what I have now and I like it.