Owning multiple brewing systems

[poptarts]

How many of you own multiple systems? I own a standard 5-10 gallon single tier system that I love and use frequently but ive been kicking around the idea of making a second system for pilot batches maybe 1-2 gallons. 5 gallons takes me awhile to drink and if it doesn't turn out the way I want it even takes longer. I was thinking with a smaller system making smaller batches I could hone in on some solid recipes then repeat them on my big system if I decided I want more of a batch or larger quantities to age. Just curious if anyone out there does this or has any input on the idea.

 

[kcmobrewer]

I tried that before. Didn't really like it honestly. I did exactly what you did, trial 2 gal batches.

It's just a lot of work for only about 15 beers depending on the style. Also the cost difference is negligible in my opinion. Depending on the style.

I would do smaller batches of something either super expensive or super high gravity maybe to see how it turns out just do I don't waste a bunch of cash. Only if I'm not sure on the recipe though.

Nowadays if I don't like the 5 gallons of something I made I just dump it.


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[cooldood]

I think you have it bassackwards you just need to start drinking faster.

I think it is a good idea. I am starting on my second system right now

 

[broadbill]

+1 to kcmobrewer comments. For me, a second system would have scratch more than one itch other than brewing smaller batches. The ability to brew inside, the impetus to try new control system (i.e. doing it for the DIY aspect), or trying out electric brewing would all be reasons to go with a second system in my mind.

that being said, you could probably do a straightforward BIAB system with pot/pans in your kitchen. I don't see why you'd need a dedicated system. Again for me the end justifies the means...if all I'm getting out of it is 1-2 gallons, I'm not spending alot to make that happen.

 

[steveoatley]

Agreed
Don't be afraid to dump something !

While you may have poured your heart and soul, blood sweat & tears into a recipe & a beer ( hopefully not literally )

And you call your brewing "Art"
just like any food product, how ever arty it may be - it has a 'life span'

unlike David carved into Marble, beer (food art ) is not meant to remain forever

Don't be afraid to dump, what you are tired of drinking, what doesn't turn out like you want.... etc.

I have heard too many tales of Brewers aging bottles in their basement thinking what ever it is, will get better with time..... only to have the sad tale of - I lost that hole batch to a basement flood, or dropped the case in the drive way.... or some other sad tale of loss.

Wouldn't you rather have a GREAT beer on tap ( or in the bottle )
Than say have 6 "fair" beers on tap ?

Americans are hoarders, some people hoard beer, some people hoard stainless steel, some people hoard newspapers, old car parts, cats............

Just my 2 cents

 

[poptarts]

Yea I buy all my ingredients in bulk so the actual cost price of the beer should scale fine but labor cost is defiantly the same if Im making a 10 gallon batch or a 1 gallon batch and that kinda sucks.
I understand that I can dump beer, I have before and probably will again but I don't want to brew a batch with the intention of just dumping it, i mean that is even more work. Like I love IPAs but I don't like brewing them because it takes me a solid 2 months of pushing to finish a 5 gallon batch and I don't want to be forced to drink my beer on a timeline but IPAs need to be fresh so making 2 gallons of them would be nice, I could take my time drinking them and be done with the batch before it gets old. Or last winter I brewing up a massive 11% Belgian strong and those age well, I still have 5 gallons sitting in the cellar, but a few bottles in I already knew I wanted to tweak the recipe slightly the next time I make it but I still have a full batch ageing and cant really justify brewing up another 5 until its closer to being gone. Its great beer and I wont dump it but its not perfect beer if you know what I'm saying. I think I really just want to have a faster turn around on my beer so I can zero in on recipes and or just make smaller batches of things I dont think I will be able to drink by their best by date.
Im trying to think of a way to make my current system modular so I can some how build my mini system into my bigger system then basically "unplug" it out of my main stand when I want to use it. That way they can share the same control panel and pump and my system currently has a dedicated HERMS pot and coil so I was thinking I could use that for the boil kettle / herms / chiller in the new system. Doing it this way would cut the cost of making a second system down to the price of a few ball valves and another pot and maybe a few feet of hosing.

 

[DragonHead]

I do what you are asking about also. I went to a local bakery and picked up a bunch of 3 1/2 gal icing buckets. Owner said he brewed years ago but has since quit drinking. Still has a soft spot for homebrewers. Food grade, o-rings in the lid, so they seal tight. Picked up a grommet and airlock from LHBS and started testing on 2 1/2 gal batches of recipes I wanted to experiment with. When I make 6-7 gal batches (bott some, keg some) I use a 15g megapot. When I make test batches I use an old 7.5g turkey fryer that was my 1st equipment. Kinda hard for me to scale up a test batch sometimes if I try to follow Beersmith numbers too strictly. Occasionally something seems to get lost in the translation. It's a really good starting point tho. Since I buy bulk grain, 100#-150# at a time, I store the grain in these air tight buckets. Since he throws them out when he has surplus, they don't cost me anything and I have a rotating stock as I need them. Good luck with your small batches

 

[poptarts]

Hmm my current HLT is my old 8 gallon boil kettle if I could get away with boiling a 1-2 gallon batch in there I would pretty much just need to buy an element and ssr. I like that idea but idk how having 1 gallon boil off in a 1-2 gallon batch would work, I feel like that might muck with the PH of the beer or something funky.

 

[Rivenin]

that shouldn't matter much at all, most 1g brewers boil off close to a gallon.

i've been tempted to do the same though. My wife stopped working to stay home with our baby, so brewing funds have pretty much got cut down dramatically... so due to fundage i'm tempted to do 2 gallon batches or so instead of the normal 5/10 gallon stuff and leave that for the large batches that i can drink a ton of.
But then again, i rarely get brew days because of the kiddo haha, so it's a catch 22

 

[chickypad]

I have an outdoor brewstand for 10 gal batches and then I do 2.5-3 gal stovetop BIAB batches in my old 5 gal pot that I had when I started with extract. These sizes work great for us as 5 gal of the house favorites will go too quickly, while the 2.5 gal size is nice for trying new recipes and for specialty/big beers. I find it's actually a pretty small amount of work for a full case of beer (though I have a bunch of 2.5 gal kegs which is nice). Despite what people say at least for me it is faster and quite a bit easier than a big batch, and I can brew inside while getting other things done.

 

[Doctor_M]

I almost bought a second brewmagic from someone on here this past winter, was a hell of a deal with multiple conicals and kegs that came with it. I would have sold the brewmagic and kept everything else but for a while would of owned both.

Honestly I really want a 1 or 2 bbl system and use my brewmagic as my pilot so I understand where your coming from but I think at the size your brewing now if you make a batch and don't like it just dump it and move on.

 

[Spartan1979]

I'm planning on going electric but I'll still keep all my propane equipment so I'll have two systems.

 

[fizgig]

I do 2-3 gallon batches, mainly because I have young kids and can't always set aside time to brew a big batch outside and inside it covers the walls in condensation, smaller batches I can do indoors no matter the weather, more quickly, at night, smaller gear to be banging around, etc.

 

[roastquake]

I will advocate multiple systems. Currently, I do my large batches as 3.5-4.5 gallon BIAB/no-chill. But I'm also setup for traditional 3-vessel brewing (with immersion chiller). I keep all of my equipment around just because I don't want to be locked into a particular method, I could easily go back to my 3-vessel system if I want (...to spend 10 hours brewing ). On top of that, I use my standard kitchen equipment for 1-2 gallon BIAB batches too (I use that method more for beer styles that I don't regularly crave, or my wife wont drink, rather than "test batches" but when I do an experiment, that's how I do it).