New to HBT

[MmmBe3R]

Hi, everybody been scoping out all the threads for a few days I finally thought I'd join in on the brew fun. I've run a few batches ( mr beer) but I recently moved to Austin and found a sweet homebrew store ( Austin homebrew supply ) and really wanna step up my game I've seen a few all grain kits 1 gal and 5 gals and would love any feed back on weather the 1 gal is worth it or should I go straight to the 5 any tips or tricks of the trade would be greatly welcomed. Really interested in IPA style and was looking for any good starter recipes to get the beer flowing thanks fellow brewers

 

[dawgmatic]

I would say 5 gallons but that's what my consumption usually requires. Less beer means you run out quicker. As for starter recipes, Austin homebrew probably has a bunch of great all grain kits to start out on. And welcome to the community

 

[meltroha]

I wish I started with 10! do at least 5 gallons

 

[billpaustin]

Austin is a good place to brew beer! Good water, good brew stores. Welcome

If you brew a good beer, you will wish you had brewed more; start with 5 gal is my advice.

 

[MmmBe3R]

Thanks! I moved from San Diego so I have a lot of tasting knowledge if you wanna call it that SD is in a homebrew crazy Tons of places there but my brewing got put on hold for a bit ( new baby) but ready to get back on track thanks again for the comments

 

[427Cobra]

+1 to wishing I started out with 10 gal batches. If you can manage it def start with 5 gal batches.

Also welcome!

 

[andy6026]

I would definitely go for 5 gallons. Since the amount of time and effort is generally the same, you might as well get a batch that you'll enjoy for a period of time, rather than be able to cane it in a night.

I would suggest as well that, if you are able to, go for equipment that has both the capacity you anticipate and are good tools for the job. I'm only 4 batches in and while I'm content with most equipment decisions I made, there are a few things I wish I'd splurged a little more for rather than end up paying twice.

 

[DrunkleJon]

It all really depends on how much you want to spend, and what kind of space you have to devote to brewing, and how you are going to heat it. Not to mantion how much you drink.

If you are in a smallish apartment type place, small batches are easier to do on a kitchen stove, as oftentimes stoves will only boil 2-3 gallons tops. If you can cook outdoors on a turkey fryer bigger batches are easy to do. Space for fermentation and storage of equipment is also something you have to consider. The last thing you want to do is have SWMBO be annoyed at you for leaving your brewing stuff all over the place. Lastly there is cost. smaller batch sized kits are cheaper to brew in that you need less starting equipment. With larger batches you will need to invest in a stockpot of some type and a vessel for fermenting inside, where with smaller you can often use what you have around the house.

I started with 5 Gal and it is amazing how quick it will disappear.

 

[spottsch]

I like having the 1gallon option for experimenting or making high gravity beers. That way If you make something only you can stomach you only have one gallon to work through. The capacity to ramp up to 10 should be considered

 

[woozy]

1 gallon batches are really fun.
You get to pop out batches really quickly with no fuss. Improvising equipment is really easy, fast and cheap. You get to have several batches going at a time with none of them taking up much space. And cooling wort and bottling... what, a snap!

2 gallon batches are really fun.
You get to use the Mr. Beer keg which which is a real great and simple design and about as cheap and complete a bit of equipment as you can ever find. You end up with a sensible amount of beer to drink for a while and you get to have a quick turnaround.

5 gallon batches are really fun.
You get to make significant amount of beer that lasts a long time. You get to fine tune full volume batches and really tweak and get intricate with recipes and methods. You get to by standard size ingredient kits and yeast packages and on-line no-one treats you as a kiddy-table member.

My advice: continue to scale recipes to 2 gallons (or by double one gallon kits) and try to see whether your thoughts run "gee, this is awesome but I wish I could do it more often" (if so, stick to two gallons and 1 gallons and pick up a few one gallon wine jugs and/or Mr. Beer fermenters [they're only ten buck each]) or if your thoughts run to "gee, this is awesome but I wish I ended up with more beer" (if so pick up some larger batch equipment).

 

[MmmBe3R]

I like the idea of 5 gal but sadly not in a house yet so I think the gallon or two setup would be wise. I have a nice big closet for all my brew and would enjoy having multiple batches currently I have a cherry wheat ( mr beer with some tweaks) bottled yesterday can't wait to try it I added the purée in primary ( don't care about the cherry flavor) it was all I had at the time I plan on getting some type of IPA going soon love my hops just had a independent IPA from hopdoddy (burger joint in austin) yesterday nice flavor but not as hoppy as I expected still good tho. Really wanna try a IPA ruination clone or something along the line of that