Want to get into brewing

[boxer.luur]

Hello group... New member here. 1st off I'm very new to the craft beer scene. Only been drinking it about a year and I'm hooked. I don't want reg beer anymore lol. I'm starting to read How to brew and The joy of brewing. I got the ok from the missus to buy a brew kit. The one I'm looking at is huge. Has 8.5 gallon kettle and 7.5 gallon fermenter. I figure eventually I will get into 5 gallon brews and if I get into grains, this equipment will be handy since I won't have to go out and buy new stuff. Ok my questions are this... Starting out I want to do small batches 1 gal and 2.5 gallon.

1. Will the fermenter be to big for small batches? I plan to start with extracts that call for single fermentation. If not should I look into a smaller fermenter for the small batches? I've seen conflicting info in the forums here.

2. I plan to start brewing indoors. I know some kettle's don't work with induction stoves but what about ceramic cook tops? Anyone have any luck with them? I figure it should be easy to get full boil when dealing with small batches?

3. I want to brew Porter's and stouts particularly bourbon barrel style but read reviews where people have had issues with carbonation with higher abv beers. What advice can y'all give me to make sure my higher abv beers come out right? I've seen different recipes call for adding sugar water to bottling bucket before bottling and I've seen some that you add drops to each bottle as you fill. Pros and cons of each?

I'm sure as I get into this I will have many more questions. I'm sorry if any of this has already been covered.

Thanks
And happy brewing and drinking to all

 

[davidabcd]

Hello and welcome from Detroit.
Sounds like you're preparing well. And great idea to get equipment that will fit your needs later on.
Are you starting with smaller batches than five gallons because of your stove?
I haven't worked with anything smaller than five so I'm not much help there.
As far as carbonating higher ABVs, there are ways to ensure you're successful. I'm doing a stout extract at the moment which is 11% and it will finish fine. On the particulars of how to do that, I'll let some of the other members address it since my method seems to be less popular (I throw in a couple of dry yeast packets appropriate for the style and let it take care of business).
The sugar water is commonly referred to as "priming solution." You can either add the priming solution to the bucket or add sugar, in one form or another, to each bottle.
Easiest? You'll get votes for each. Extract kits usually give you some corn sugar, tell you to boil it in water before adding to the fermented beer so that's how I started and stayed with it.
I guess you may have to test it to see which you prefer. Done correctly, there aren't many cons to either, in my opinion.
And don't worry about asking questions that have been asked; if someone is gruff, which is highly unlikely since everyone has been very helpful to me, don't pay too much attention to it. Someone else will happily step in and respond.
Good luck!

 

[Velnerj]

My only input about carbonating high abv beer is be patient. I brewed a barley wine that took about 6 months to carbonate in the bottle. But the point is it DID Carbonate.

There's a famous thread on here by revvy that tries to walk brewers off the cliff and persuade them to wait. Truth is higher abv beers often benefit from aging if stored properly.

If you'd rather drink your beer sooner I'd suggest starting with brews with 7% or less abv.

As far as priming solution vs fermentation tablets I've always done the solution route. Works for my system, it's easy and above all cheaper (because table sugar is just fine).

 

[TwistedGray]

Hello group... New member here. 1st off I'm very new to the craft beer scene. Only been drinking it about a year and I'm hooked. I don't want reg beer anymore lol. I'm starting to read How to brew and The joy of brewing. I got the ok from the missus to buy a brew kit. The one I'm looking at is huge. Has 8.5 gallon kettle and 7.5 gallon fermenter. I figure eventually I will get into 5 gallon brews and if I get into grains, this equipment will be handy since I won't have to go out and buy new stuff. Ok my questions are this... Starting out I want to do small batches 1 gal and 2.5 gallon.

1. Will the fermenter be to big for small batches? I plan to start with extracts that call for single fermentation. If not should I look into a smaller fermenter for the small batches? I've seen conflicting info in the forums here.

2. I plan to start brewing indoors. I know some kettle's don't work with induction stoves but what about ceramic cook tops? Anyone have any luck with them? I figure it should be easy to get full boil when dealing with small batches?

3. I want to brew Porter's and stouts particularly bourbon barrel style but read reviews where people have had issues with carbonation with higher abv beers. What advice can y'all give me to make sure my higher abv beers come out right? I've seen different recipes call for adding sugar water to bottling bucket before bottling and I've seen some that you add drops to each bottle as you fill. Pros and cons of each?

I'm sure as I get into this I will have many more questions. I'm sorry if any of this has already been covered.

Thanks
And happy brewing and drinking to all

Q0. I started with 5 gallons and went down to 1.5-3 gallons. It's really up to how much you like to drink, how many friends you have that want to be guinea pigs, or whether you want to join the FotHB group on this forum. A gallon still gets me about 6-8 beers, which is plenty.

Q1. I would not use a 7 gallon fermenter for a 1 gallon brew. A 3 into a 5, sure. I bet you can find a 5 gallon carboy, or buy those ciders in 1 gallon jugs, make a hard cider (just pitch cider yeast, airlock, done), and now you have a 1 gallon carboy. I do this all the time

Q2. I have a gas stove, and I don't have issues getting a 5 gallon kettle boiling. I can't speak for ceramic though. I also have a dedicated hot water spigot outside that comes in before the water softener.

Q3. As far as carbonating any beer, it's preference. I add 1/2tsp of table sugar per 12 ounce bottle because for me it's easier, efficient, and ensures the right carbonation in every bottle.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

1. Yes that fermentor is too big for a one gallon batch. 1 gallon glass carboys are pretty cheap and you can use them later even if you go 5 gallon because you may want to let a gallon of mead or a sour sit around for a year or more.

2. I boil 2.75 gallons of wort every time I make a batch. My glass top stove is able to handle that much, but I wouldn’t want to go much more.

3. Just use the right yeast and you won’t have any problems priming your beer. US-05, and Nottingham are relatively high alcohol tolerant yeasts 9, 10, 11 percent or more. I have added sugar in the form of tablets as well as used a bottling bucket. Tablets are easiest for a new brewer because it’s a one step process, but cost more unless you use domino dots which still cost a little more than just sugar and water. A bottling bucket is easier after you have done several batches and are a little more comfortable because you don’t have to individually put sugar in each bottle.

 

[madscientist451]

Starting out I want to do small batches 1 gal and 2.5 gallon.

1. Will the fermenter be to big for small batches? I plan to start with extracts that call for single fermentation. conflicting info in the forums here.

2. I plan to start brewing indoors. I know some kettle's don't work with induction stoves but what about ceramic cook tops? Anyone have any luck with them?


Thanks
And happy brewing and drinking to all

1.Get a 3 gallon PET fermenter, they cost about $20-25. They're easier to handle and clean than a big carboy. If you ever get a chest freezer for fermentation control, they are way easier to lift out when full. I use 2 for a 5 gallon batch, and sometimes will use two different yeasts or a different dry hop.

2. I use my Kenmore electric range with a ceramic cooktop for brewing all the time. My thin bottom Bayou Classic 6 gallon pot works OK, but it wants to "rock" or vibrate until its up to temperature. A pot with a thicker bottom works better. I have a much heavier 8 gallon pot that doesn't vibrate on the cooktop, but it does take a while to get a boil going. I also have a cheap 3 gallon Walmart pot that works good for small batches or to help get the strike water heated faster.
You can spend a lot of money on a brew kettle or keep it simple.
You don't need a built in thermometer, spigot (unless you are brewing batches too big to pour out), sight glass or volume markings. Many brewers LIKE those options but you'll be fine without them.
If you can get a cheap freezer and temperature controller for fermentation, you'd be better off doing that early on instead of spending lots of money on a kettle.
Check your local craigslist for used brewing stuff, but investigate new prices first, an economy grade pot and PET fermenter isn't very much money.
Here's a really cheap pot that might work for you:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stainless-Steel-Brew-Kettle-20-Quarts-5-Gallons/190415184

My 2 cents: skip the extract, get a BIAB bag and a 5 gallon kettle and start brewing all grain 2.5 gallon batches using the BIAB method. Check out you tube videos to see how easy it is.

 

[davidabcd]

Those are some really good ideas.

 

[Griffin495]

I like @madscientist451 last bit of advice. I started with 5 gallon batches, but ended up having way too much beer around. Downsized to 1 gallon batches, but then I didn't have enough beer around (although I still do experimental 1 gallon batches). I've settled on 2.5 gallon batches (nets you about a case of beer) in a 5 gallon pot using a Wilser BIAB (Brew in a bag incase you were wondering). When the weather is bad, I brew inside, when its nice I brew outside. I shoot for 3 gallons post-boil. About .25 gallons of trub gets left in the kettle, 2.75 gallons goes into my 3 gallon fermenter. Of that, I generally end up with .25 gallons of trub leaving me 2.5 gallons to bottle.

"Brewing Classic Styles" has some really good recipes and all you have to do is divide them in half. Or use any of the popular ones you find here on this forum.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

It sounds like a nice kit you're looking at. The questions have been pretty well answered but I have a few comments.

First, for smaller batches, you can get a secondary kettle that's smaller and will fit your stove top better for pretty cheap (like $20). You can store it inside the bigger kettle that comes with your kit. You should have no problem boiling on your stove. We do a lot of canning and get large pots of water for open bath canning boiling on our ceran top stove with no issues.

Next, for high abv beers, there's a yeast you can add that will work well under the higher alcohol conditions but won't impart strange flavors. It's called CBC-1. Or you can wait it out. Generally they'll carbonate eventually, it just takes longer.

Good luck and have fun. Brewing, for a craft beer lover, can be a very rewarding hobby. It is a fair amount of work, but to me it's fun work. From my reading, it seems like about 1 in 5 people stick with it. Other's either are unwilling to set aside time or don't like the effort (it's a lot of cleaning/sanitizing).

Let us know what other questions you have. We love to help.

 

[TwistedGray]

I will add that you might as well skip extract and move to BIAB (see recipe section and scale down to the size (in gallons) that you want to make). There are plenty of recipes on here to choose from, and from there you can tweak it to your preference.

The additional bonus of the BIAB itself is that it acts as an amazing filter when going from pot to carboy. I use it to strain the trub, and it gets the majority of it. In addition, it helps aerate the wort so it's a win win. (I only just started doing this after I carried over a buttload of trub on my last mini-batch).

ps: Also check out the 1-gallon brewers thread, good information in there as well.

 

[jack13]

Welcome! Looks like you're getting lots of good advice.

I'll just say this: *IF* you know you want to do 5 gallon batches eventually, I don't see any good reason to not just start with those, unless startup costs are an issue (most notably, your stovetop would not be suitable for 5 gallon batches unless you've got a real kickass one). You're more likely to end up wishing you had 5 gallons of beers that turn out good than lamenting having to dump or muscle down 5 gallons of beers that turn out bad.

All I'm saying is, if you have specific reasons to start small and get bigger over time, then of course do that. But if you don't, don't just do it because it sounds sensible.

 

[Transamguy77]

You've got some good info so another thought, you didn't say why you wanted to make smaller batches but something to consider is you could make a 5 gallon batch and split it in half to make 2 different beers.

If you make a stout and split it you could add chocolate to half and burbon and oak to the other, you could use 2 different yeast strains and see what you like better, the possibilities are endless.

 

[nikkuchan]

I started with brewing 2.5 gallon batches. I halved the extract kits and brewed it twice back-to-back (adding flavors/bourbon/oak cubes to one). However, I found it much easier and less time-consuming to just do 5 gallon batches. If you have the space and the bottles, jumping right into 5 gallons might be easier in the long-run.

I have an electric stove with a ceramic top and it works fine, but the whole surface (and surrounding countertops) can get kinda hot with a large pot on it for so long, so just a bit of caution is needed for me.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I bought a 5 gallon starter kit and after a couple batches decided to downshift to smaller 2.5 gallon batches. I'm the only big beer drinker in the house and don't want to have to go through 50 bottles of beer until I find some recipes I really love. And smaller batches lets me brew more often and experiment more. I'm still able to use all my original brewing equipment, I just picked up a couple 3 gallon Better Bottles to ferment. I can now do full boils and all-grain BIAB too on the same equipment in my kitchen.

 

[boxer.luur]

Thank you all for the advice. I will look into also getting a smaller fermenter or two for smaller batches. As far as why I want to start with smaller is because I want find flavors I like and not be stuck with 5 gallons of beer I don't like. Even tho splitting the recipe in half and making 2 variations is tempting. I also would rather mess up 1 gallon then a whole lot. I hope to gain a lot of knowledge here.

 

[petemoss]

If experimentation to try various recipes and to tweak things with a variety of ingredients is up your alley, and it sounds like it is, then you may want to skip the extract and plan for BIAB right away. Working with all grain/BIAB gives you the ability to do anything you with a recipe for the most part. Making sure that your equipment will serve you for BIAB or all grain later is certainly worthwhile.

Speaking just for me, everything about brewing sucks, except for brewing. I hate cleaning, I hate bottling, I hate kegging (less), and I hate waiting on a fermenter. However, I LOVE brewing. I love mashing and boiling and stirring and smelling and drinking while I do it. That is the reason that I finally went to all grain. For me it wasn't about the endless variety but rather because it gives me a more intricate and more involved brew day process. I get to feel like both an alchemist and a witch (warlock maybe, I dunno). We all start with the idea of "I love beer, I should make beer." Then your thoughts mature with experience. I just recommend that you try to think into the future and visualize where you will get your enjoyment from the hobby and concentrate your effort there.

Yes I have been drinking and I apologize for all of the ramblings I just wrote.

 

[Transamguy77]

So on your note of only wanting to screw up 1 gallon and not 5 then you could split up a 5 gallon batch into 5 1 gallon fermenters. It takes the same time to brew 5 gallons as it does 1, not trying to push you to make 5 you can do what suits you i just want you to know all of your options.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

So on your note of only wanting to screw up 1 gallon and not 5 then you could split up a 5 gallon batch into 5 1 gallon fermenters. It takes the same time to brew 5 gallons as it does 1, not trying to push you to make 5 you can do what suits you i just want you to know all of your options.

I haven’t brewed a five gallon batch, but I’m pretty sure that it would take longer to bottle a 5 gallon batch than a 1 gallon batch. It’s pretty clear that the OP is going five gallon, but the difference between keeping on and forgoing the hobby for the five gallon guys is kegging. Long term, if you want to brew 5 gallons, you need to solve the problem of cleaning, sanitizing and priming 45-50 bottles. There are solutions to this which include dishwasher attachments, rinsing and baking or if you want to throw money at the problem, canning. But taking it slow, learning a thing or two brewing a small batch is not a bad thing. Then when it comes time to supersize, you know what you’re doing.

As far as screwing up a batch, big or small, I can’t agree that this is possible. I screwed up my first batch and was more proud of it than many of my subsequent batches that were not screwed up at all. We learn something from each brew (and bottle) day. That is why I do this. The beer is just a side benefit.

 

[boxer.luur]

I am definitely thinking about the future and going bigger. That's why the kit I'm looking at contains the big kettle and fermenter. That way I can do full boils and maybe not get boil overs. I just want to get the process down a little. Learn the terminology. And then I will be ready to go with bigger brews. I definitely would love to get to all grains so I can tweak things and experiment. As long as the beer is decent I should have no problems finding people to help me drink it all lol.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

As far as screwing up a batch, big or small, I can’t agree that this is possible. I screwed up my first batch and was more proud of it than many of my subsequent batches that were not screwed up at all. We learn something from each brew (and bottle) day. That is why I do this. The beer is just a side benefit.

Well I agree that it seems pretty hard to completely ruin a batch. I know it happens, probably most often from infection, but it's pretty avoidable.

What is very possible and even likely especially early on is making very mediocre batches, that you don't really want to drink 50 bottles of. I was proud of my first couple batches and they were definitely drinkable and got compliments, but by about halfway through the 50 bottles I was ready to drink something else. I don't think that will be the case further down the road in my brewing hobby. I'm really excited about the two 2.5 gallon batches I have fermenting right now. One an all-grain BIAB and one a full boil extract with late addition DME. I'm hoping to see a step up in quality from the partial boil batches.

 

[small_b_brewing]

I find 2.5 gallon batches a nice compromise. I started with this because, like you, I was worried about the (indoor, cheap electric) stove's ability to get water to temperature. It also means I can use a smaller kettle and fermenter (5 gallons).
Its easier, quicker, and I get to brew more often!

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Hey Ryan, I checked out your sight. I love it. There’s nothing to scare off a new brewer at all. I would add a fermentation section though. New brewers need to know what to put their wort in and for how long.