Does anyone brew batches smaller than 5 gallons?

[noslenwerd]

Does anyone brew batches less than 5 gallons? If so any tips?

I'm looking into brewing more 2 or 3 gallon batches. While I realize it is just as much work as a 5 gallon batch I want to be able to experiment a bit more with smaller batches.

 

[Grannyknot]

Occasionally, i'll take extra run-off from my mash tun and do a 1 gallon batch on the stove top.
I usually add quite a bit of malt extract to bump it up, steep some dark grains, ferment in an old cider jug, and bottle it in big bottles for aging.

 

[T-Wayne]

I brew exclusively small batch. (mostly because I don't have the space to ferment carboys, or keg 5 gallons for that matter)

Experimentation is one of the biggest perks of small batch brewing.
I brewed a 2.5 gallon batch of ginger beer over the summer, and I took it to the extreme. 2 pounds of fresh ginger went into it. It was great. Hot, tart, and it made your tongue numb.
Its a lot more forgiving if you screw up on an experiment at 2 gallons, then if you went with 5.

 

[z-bob]

I'm about to do my first all-grain BIAB batch; it's going to be 3 gallons. I used to brew 5 gallon partial mashes.

I'm thinking 3 to 4 gallons might be a really good size -- I can boil it in a 5 gallon kettle (that I already have), and primary it in a 5 gallon bucket or carboy.

 

[brewshki]

I do two gallon batches. I'm pretty new but I've built up my brew chamber and am just waiting to have a few extra hours to get into it.


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[burninator]

I usually do one gallon batches, and a couple of days ago, I did a 3.5 gallon batch of amber ale. I bottle, which is a pain for bigger batches, and I'm into variety more than quantity.

 

[monkeyman1000]

I've been doing 1.75 to 2.5 gallon batches exclusively. Easier brew day I think. I can do it all on the stove. Just got into kegging (2.5 gallon kegs) and one of those fits nicely in the fridge with a paintball CO2 tank. It is plenty of beer for me.

 

[Vaureywwc]

I do small 1-3 gallon batches for experimentation. I did a high octane chocolate strawberry gruit, that I didn't want to commit to the $$ for five gallons plus the taste profiles were off the walls. So five gallons could have been difficult to get rid of.

However it was exceptionally good.

Anything you are going to play around with I would suggest small batches.

 

[ericbw]

1-3 gallons all the time.

 

[TheZymurgist]

Nope. No one does.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/1-gallon-brewers-unite-311884/

 

[Oginme]

My standard batch size is 10 liters. It yields a bottle or two over a case of beer (355 ml/12 oz bottles) which is good with me. It gives me the chance to brew more styles, more often. When I finalize a recipe that I want around for a while, I step it up to a 20 liter batch. I generally use 3-gal better bottles for fermenting.

 

[jwalkermed]

I've traditionally done 5 gallon batches but I'm thinking of going to 2.5 gal batches because I just can't drink that much beer without gaining too much weight or my liver taking a hit. I don't have many friends who drink craft brew so I just can't give it away.

 

[sputnam]

i do 3 gallons. 6 taps, plenty of variety. plus the boil kettle and kegs aren't so damn heavy

 

[beersk]

I usually do one gallon batches, and a couple of days ago, I did a 3.5 gallon batch of amber ale. I bottle, which is a pain for bigger batches, and I'm into variety more than quantity.

Yes, variety is good, but occasionally there's that beer that you just wished you had a lot more of. But, you can always brew it again. Personally, I'm really glad I had a full 5 gallon keg of my current oatmeal stout (with 34/70 at 55F) as it's delicious.

I used to brew 3-4 gallon batches on the stovetop and that's totally awesome, but I hated not having a full 5 gallon keg. That just irked me for some reason.
I may go back to smaller batches this winter on the really crappy days.
Variety is good, yes, but when you're kegging, it doesn't seem like you're rewarded as much for waiting for it to carbonate and clear and condition properly. But if you're bottling, than small batches are definitely fantastic. I could bottle, but in the winter I keep my place pretty cool, like 60F or 65F at the warmest, so it'd take a good while for beers to carbonate. Unless I brewed with only lager yeast I suppose, in which case it would work fine.

 

[rknight92]

Here's my small batch rig which I usually 2 gallon batches and split them between jugs.
http://imgur.com/a/ATKLv

 

[BrooklynTom]

I sometimes do a 5 gal and split it into smaller batches, so I can experiment with different ideas.
IE. 2 gal oatmeal stout
2 gal oatmeal cookie stout (brown sugar and cinnamon)
1 gal chocolate oatmeal stout

 

[brewshki]

I actually just finished up a 2 gallon last night. I'm still in the infancy of this hobby and using mr beer refills but it was fun and my Mexican cerveza is happily bubbling away


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[Sheldon]

Now that I am brewing just for myself, I will be doing 3-5 gal for most recipes. My son used to take half of the 5's I did for his kegorator, but he moved to San Diego so now I am solo.

 

[BrotherBock]

99% of the time I'm doing less than 5 gallons. It's just like doing a 5 gallon batch but smaller, not much to know IMO. Doing smaller batches allows more variety for the storage I have available. Plus I'm close to the only one drinking it, so I don't need 5 gallons of IPA sitting around losing its freshness.

As far as recipe building, I usually build my recipes as a 5 gallon batch and scale down (through a calculator) to the size I want or I use percentages as a basis for amounts.

The process is the same regardless of size.

 

[Desrever]

I brew 2.75g BIAB batches in a 5 gallon kettle, Ferment in 3 gallon glass carboys in a chest freezer with a Johnson temp controller and keg in these nifty 3 gallon pin lock kegs I have. Perfect size brewery for an apartment.

 

[bbycrts]

I brew 2.5 gallon batches. I have 3 gallon kegs and 3 gallon carboys - I like to turn things over more often too.

 

[The Pol]

I am heading into 2.5 gallon batches. Building a BCS controlled 4500W RIMS/4500W boil kettle system at the moment!

I spend at least half of my days and nights on the road, so I need smaller capacity, so I can keep brewing.

 

[Ilan34]

I brew 2.75g BIAB batches in a 5 gallon kettle, Ferment in 3 gallon glass carboys in a chest freezer with a Johnson temp controller and keg in these nifty 3 gallon pin lock kegs I have. Perfect size brewery for an apartment.

This is almost exactly what I do, except I use a 5.5 gallon kettle, better bottles, and 3 gallon ball lock kegs.

 

[misterkidd]

I buy 3kg bags of base malt and adjust the quantity of water in the recipe to reach my required abv. Saves money and waste. Usually around 2.5-3 imperial gallons

 

[juskojj]

i've been brewing 1gallon batches for awhile just because that's what my wife got me to get going. i love the variety it gives. i got a 5 gallon carboy not that long but i've been thinking brewing a 5 gallon batch and breaking it up into different smaller batches. example would be chocolate stout and then turning it into a chocolate stout, bourbon chocolate stout, and maybe one more variety

 

[beersk]

I've been doing 1.75 to 2.5 gallon batches exclusively. Easier brew day I think. I can do it all on the stove. Just got into kegging (2.5 gallon kegs) and one of those fits nicely in the fridge with a paintball CO2 tank. It is plenty of beer for me.

Until you get more friends that want to drink your beer...

I brewed 3-4 gallon batches for a couple years, but recently stepped up to 6 gallon batches. It's nice to be able to give beer away and not have to worry about not getting enough for myself. I kegged those 3-4 gallon batches in 5 gallon kegs as well and would, at times, have difficulties getting the lid to seal enough. That was annoying to be excited to tap a new beer only to have it still basically be flat. Fortunately, it wasn't even enough of a leak to drain a co2 tank. But now, I can get a good seal with the kegs filled just below the gas dip tube.

Anyway, for personal drinking, 2.5 gallon batches would be perfect and brewing inside freakin' rules. But until I get some 2.5 gallon kegs, I'm not changing anything. I need more money!!

EDIT: haha, I just realized I already posted earlier in this thread...duurr