You don't need to make 5 gallons of BEER...
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- I've been dumping a lot of beer lately...I know, it's sad...and it's not bad beer either! I just can't get through it all quick enough and I want to make more. So I've scaled down a bit recently and started making 2.5 gallon batches...and you know what? I've been able to brew more!
Cheers
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We're different beasts. It's exactly the same time and equipment to make 3 gallons vs 5. Second, I make large, dark beers mostly...so hoppy stuff that needs to be drunk quickly is not in my stable. I just finished a Maibock off that was about 10 months old and the last pour was way more awesome than the first pour. But, truly, MAKE WHAT YOU LIKE TO DRINK. I personally cannot make a 1.115 stout in that lil' electric kettle but I started with a BrewDemon fermenter. It's all GOOD.
@@jcinsaniac oh for sure! Definitely still need a larger kettle for the big stuff!!! My Clawhammer is a 20 gallon 240v system and I still plan on using that for big beers and when I need to make a larger batch. Cheers 🍻
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I do LOVE making small batches to work out recipes though...I look at the NB GIgawort every time I'm on their site. I think i would use that lil' guy to heat occasional sparge or to drop a coil in it and pump my wort through the coil to assist with keeping my mash temp, and to make experimental 3 gallon batches. Clawhammer 20 gallon is a BEAST. Be back soon - thirsty for more.
On my small system the heating and cooling of 3 vs 5 gallons actually makes a difference of 45 minutes. Your system is probably better than mine, I guess.
Great tips. Although I would say for anyone interested in the Anvil, consider getting the larger 10.5 gallon one instead of the 6.5 unless you are absolutely sure you're only going to make smaller batches because on some occasions you may want 5 gallons and you'll have to brew twice in one day which is a pain. Additionally, now that I have a 10.5 I often make one 5ish gallon batch, split the wort off in 2 fermenters, and dry hop each one with different hops so I effectively get two different 2.5gal batches.
I'm a big fan of 2.5 and 3 gallon batches. Pretty much all I brew at home unless I'm having people over.
I haven’t made a 5 gallon batch of beer in about 4 months, cheers 🍻
Same here - I've only ever done small batches in my G30 (without issues), use 12ltr Kegs for fermenting and 9ltr kegs for conditioning/serving - perfect
I concur. I recently switched to a Grainfather G40 so I am able to brew batches from 10-40 litres. I will mostly be 10 litres batches though because I enjoy brewing more than drinking, but when the need arises I am still able to do 40.
Very valid points!! I used to brew 2.5-3.0 gallons batches. The only drawback? After a few batches of boiling wort in the kitchen, it ruined the paint of kitchen walls.
@@Fortymlshot oh no! I better watch out for that!
Totally agree! I’ve been trying to do more small batches. The only bummer is if you make an awesome recipe it’s gone quickly ha. Just means it’s time to brew again!
@@TheBruSho and brewing more often means more content!!!
💯 on all of this! I live in an apartment and brew 3 gallon batches on my stovetop and I’ve never felt the need to upgrade. I’ve also started brewing more 2 gallon batches which will fit in the oxebar 8L kegs which is awesome because I can fit more kegs in my small kegerator. Really the only downside is they don’t make a lot of super high end equipment for smaller batches
@@michaelepstein7172 very true! Cheers 🍻
Perfect timing as this has been the direction I've been on for some time. I still have my three vessel system for 10 gallon batches. I don't know if I can ever part with that. I should, but I can't.
But, man oh man, do I ever enjoy a small batch brew day on my kitchen stove where it is nice and cool. Everything I typically use on a brew day can nestle neatly within my 5 gallon kettle. It's definitely quicker to setup/break down and it's cooler compared to doing the same thing on the 3V garage system on a hot and humid brew day in the South.
@@GentleGiantFan ya I’ve got a 20gallon Clawhammer system and I don’t think I could part with that ever! I can’t imagine how hot it is in the south with the humidity…I wouldn’t make it 🤣
TWO Elementary Brewing Co. videos in one day?! Christmas came early!
@@GREEENZO thanks! Trying something new with the tastings and a separate vid…Cheers and thanks for the support!
I am a proud owner of an Anvil 6.5 and agree with most of your points. I like making lots of styles and with the smaller batches you never get bored. I brew every other week. But I'm retired and the kids are gone. Some may not have the time. And I'm brewing mainly for myself. If I do get a few visitors we can blow the keg in no time. Then it's Total Wine to the rescue (adds cost). I live in the greater Sacto area and it's been a brutal summer. I've yet to move inside to brew, but it certainly is an option with an electric brewery as there is no noise. My wife would run me out of the house once the hops are added (LOL), but I might give it a go as all last week we were over 110º. Good video. Thanks.
@@pv4669 those 2 gallon batches go quick when others are drinking it for sure! This summer has been brutal! Hopefully it doesn’t continue to hit 110! Cheers 🍻
I make 3.5-4 gal (close to 15 liter) batches for the reason you can ferment that volume in a keg and move through the keg quickly enough that you can basically close it up and never open until it's empty. I even use the dip hop method after one of your videos about it, and leave the hops in there the entire time until the keg is empty (a few months) without noticing bad effects of that.
If I want more for some reason (parties coming up, or sharing beer) I will make 7-8 gal (30 liters) and divide over 2 kegs. Fun thing about that is that you can try different things to the same wort. For example different yeasts, dip hop one and dry hop the other, etc. Sometimes this gives a ridiculously large difference in what kind of beer it turns in to (especially the yeasts, so far).
@@Duci1989 I think I’m going to try fermenting in kegs with the slightly small batches. I’ve done e it before and it’s so easy when you don’t need to transfer!
2.5 gallon brewer here and never looking back. Quicker empty kegs means more frequent brewing. Brew day is quicker as well and brewing inside is such a huge benefit , weather doesn't matter.
@@evilgentleman2254 exactly!!! Cheers 🍻
All your points make a lot of sense. I had the same mindset as you over the years about brewing in bigger size batches, but I find myself in reverse lately wanting to brew in small batch sizes. Partly due to drinking a lot less as I become a little older, but for the most part I would like to brew more often. Smaller brewing stuff would make the process easier for me….and brewing indoors with AC would be a huge plus right now. Cheers!🍻
@@justhomebrew man the garage is unbearable!!! Mine was up to 98 the other day 🥵
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I have the same story on the east coast. I was drenched after my brewday last Sunday.
We've only brewed 5 gallon brews so far with our tutorials, but Pinter recently sent me a couple of units so I'm anxious to see how long 1.5 gallons last for us. For the record, we're not wasting any of the 5 gallon brews we've made - maybe we have drinking problems? LOL
@@growintheglassoh I’m sure you’re fine! I’ve just noticed that the older I get the less I’m able to drink without feeling the effects the next day. Cheers 🍻
I've been brewing 2.5 to 3 gallon batches for the last 5 years and love it. Brewdays are a lot easier and i use my 5 gallon corny kegs to ferment in and transfer over to my other kegs.
@@richbissonnette4929 yup! Probably going to start using more kegs as fermenters too, great tip!!!
Great video, I do 3 gallon batches on my anvil love it smaller batches, run out faster and you can make more different kinds of beer more often! Keep it up!
Ive been brewing small batches for a while. I have a cheap 19L stockpot i use on the stove with brew in a bag. I make around 9L at a time and use 10L kegs with floating dip tubes and filters so i serve straight from the "fermenter" when im done. As the batch is small i can afford to use a few 5L store bought spring water bottles without it costinf a fortune.
@@gmutch123 perfect! I think sounds like I need to convert a few kegs into fermenters!
I've gone back and forth on batch size from 5gal to 3 to 5 and back to 3. Starting out 5gal was just the standard size. Then I got really into the hobby and wanted to try tons of different brews so I went down to 3 so I could brew more frequently. Then I found I couldn't keep up with the time commitment brewing frequency to keep taps full so I went back to 5 gal. Now I'm watching my consumption and weight more so I've cut back consumption. So now I'm back to 3 gal to keep beers rotating at a happy interval.
@@pmhartel it seems to be ever changing for me too. Keeps it interesting though and I always feel like I’m learning something new.
you have just described my brewing process lol. I have been doing 3gal batches for a long time ... inside.
@@NWsmallbatchBrewing 🤣 I should’ve paid more attention 🤣
I have a 2.5gal party keg and beer-loving friends so getting rid of beer is not an issue. The hard part is finding time to brew when I have two kids under 3 years old…
@@grahamhawes7089 that is a struggle for sure!
Same here! Brewing 2.5-3 gallon since I started, I don't need more than that.
That hat is sick! Where can I get it?
Love this! I've been thinking of downsizing for a while now.
I started brewing smaller batches earlier this year. Not because I was wasting it but because I was drinking it all to not waist it. It was too much just for me.
@@Rada-xs5ik yeah it can be a lot for sure! I’ve noticed that the older I get the less I can drink so it was inevitable to start making less.
Been brewing 2.5 gal from the beginning, as I'm the only one in my house who drinks it.
Definitely need to think about how much beer you go through.. as much as I brew. I'm just happy I have friends that help me! No way I could drink it all myself. I also bottle a bunch and save them for competitions, especially if the beer is really good! 🍻
@@CityscapeBrewing yeah I could do a way better job of bottling/canning, I get lazy 🤣
Oh man I am sad. Just had to pour out 5 gallons of beer. Used my plate chiller last time I brewed and I guess it had some bugs in it. 5 gallons of cabbage tasting pale ale. I have been using a coil chiller for past many brews, I am sure I cleaned the plate but I guess not good enough. Oh well, it happens.
Time to brew again.
@@SCROWMD bummer!!!
I agree with this
@@HOMEBREW4LIFE 💯
muito bom..
Portugal
I always brew (and indeed drink) beer with my wife, so it makes sense to do 23 L batches, but can definitely see how if it's just you, that is way too much.
Find a distilling buddy & "re-process" that old beer!
@@Rubberduck-tx2bh oh that’s a great idea!!! Cheers 🍻
Only if u don’t have a lot of hops.. the oils will carry through
This right here👆. Exactly why i moved away from 5 gallon batches. I have a Braumeister 10L system, with 13L SS Brew bucket mini, 10L kegs, etc. I went from brewing 4 times a year to brewing monthly. The only down sides is efficiency of volume. If you have a big dry hop for example that can take away from the volume of the finished beer and also if you want to share out bottles to friends, it doesn't take long to get through
@@theulsterexpat very true! Still working on getting everything dialed in for efficiency but seems like the smaller batches get a little lower naturally. Cheers 🍻
This all makes sense except for very good (Czech) lagers in the summer, 5gal go down like water and you'll wish you had brewed more 😅 Cheers!
Oh absolutley!!!
The more you sweat the more beer you can drink
Brew 10-12 litres twice a month ish, plenty of variety so I'm not drinking the same beers over and over again
@@chriswhitehouse7065 and I like the variety as well! Cheers 🍻
Consumption quantity must be directly proportional to brew volume for waste reduction. There’s an equation in here somewhere.
@@brewingbadTN for sure! Cheers 🍻
Less ingredients is real, and that lets you buy/store grains for your next 4-5 batches without taking up much space!
@@tomknight2366 it’s almost comical how little you use for a 2.5 gallon batch 🤣
Thank you! I got 5 gallonitis
@@darkgreen9098 🤣 oh I’m still going to make plenty of 5 gallon batches, cheers 🍻
I must be a drunk.. can't brew enough to keep up with demand😂😂😂 to each his own tho .. that's why we homebrew...
@@josephkirby1621 nah I’m sure you’re fine! The older I get though the less I can handle. Wish I could drink a few more and not feel it as much!!! Beer just tastes sooo good!!! Cheers 🍻
I went the other direction.. from 5 to 10 gallons.. both take the same amount of time.. and I don’t have much time.. if u have beer left in a keg and u want to brew more.. bottle what u got left over.
Or just drink more beer.. 😂
@@robaxelsson530 🤣 I know I get lazy when it comes to bottle/canning. I totally get making large batches and then having to brew less frequently, makes total sense!
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I’ve helped my friend that had less time then me(little kids). Steep overnight, brew the next day, cover (chill) overnight.. then just pitch yeast.. it’s over 3 days.. but short bursts.. easier to pull off than a half day (boil, steep, brew, chill, pitch..
@@robaxelsson530 oh ya! Gotta take advantage of the little time we have!
I can say that I have never ever dumped beer just because it has been in the keg for several months. Ever.
That being said after my wife beat breast cancer she is now on medications that prevent her from drinking alcohol. Being the sole drinker in the house means that 5 gallon batches no longer fit in with the consumption rate. So I bought a used Anvil Foundry 6.5 and am making smaller batches.
Here is another reason for going smaller... although some may see it as a negative... you get to buy new equipment! I bought the used Anvil but also a new 4 gallon fermenter and two 3 gallon corny kegs.
@@Homebrew58 glad to hear your wife beat cancer! That’s awesome! I definitely feel terrible about dumping beer, it’s mainly just me being lazy because I could really easily bottle or can it. And yes buying new gear is awesome!!! This hobby seems to evolve with me over time which results in the never ending “need” for new stuff. 🤣 Cheers 🍻
I drink year and a half old beer, and it is just as frash as it was,... high tech oxygen free equipment and procedures are ideal for long term storage. Refrigeration just extends that,... And I don't realy have time to brew more than 4 times a year... I do have 5 kegs that are older than 5 years, I might just destill that into sanitiser or fuel.
Ya the beer usually isn’t bad I’m just itching to brew another batch and need the space. Guess I could bottle or can it up, but I get a little lazy sometimes 🤣
Make mead - even a 4% hydromel. Much easier.
@@mutantryeff I’ve been really wanting to do a mead! I’ve never even tasted one!!!!
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I'm an award winning homebrewer at events throughout the country. For just the State Fair I have 4 Gold, 3 Silver, and 1 Bronze from the past three competitions. I have been migrating to both cider and mead. I have found that I can make a hydromel at 4% to 5% that others have described as tasting like Fresca or Sprite (lime and other additions in the mead). None of these meads are award winning, but really good to drink in the summer (we had several days at 123F over the past few weeks). I am currently working on a cider w/pineapple addition using Kveik yeast. That may never clear from the pineapple addition, but it seems like the perfect pool-side drink, but I just need a pool.
@@mutantryeff oh dang that sounds delicious!!!! Any chance you want to share the recipe?
@@ElementaryBrewingCo Sure. How do I send it?
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I just sent you a poorly written e-mail. It includes the recipe.
And if I'm honest with myself, it is not a dearth of beer that keeps me friendless.
are those new anvil products they dont have on their site, or is it just their smallest optoions on the brew/ferment side?
@@frankjames6276 they have them it’s the Anvil Foundry 6.5 and the 4 gallon bucket fermenter, cheers 🍻
@@ElementaryBrewingCo i looked at the site but its really hard to tell the size :D plus the cool orange fermenter
@@frankjames6276 the orange is just the neoprene jacket.
@@ElementaryBrewingCo 😅🤒
So what happens with all of those 5 gallon kegs that you own?
@@RayBilyk I can still keg 2.5 gallons in there, but as someone else brought up in the comments that was a great idea is too transition one or 2 of those into fermenters then just rack from one keg to the next when done. Cheers 🍻
@ElementaryBrewingCo I can't remember which RUclips channel it was. I think @brulosophy but they showed a method of saving money whereby you ferment a sugar solution with yeast nutrient and champagne yeast and build 60psi of pressure with a spunding valve. The generated co2 is then used in the cleaning process of other kegs, and a general purpose source of co2 such as purging other kegs. It could be another use for your larger kegs.
@@gmutch123 I remember that too! I think it was Brulosophy! Great reminder!
Don’t throw old beer away, buy a malt “mother of vinegar” and make your own vinegar, it is dead easy and tastes amazing! The mothers reproduce and stay alive for years and years.
@@neileyre6019 that is a great idea! I’ll have to look up how to do that but I love malt vinegar!
@@ElementaryBrewingCo check out the company supreme vinegar, that’s the company I got my mother from. Give it a go you won’t look back. I bottle my beer and sometimes they have lost the carbonation so I use that. I’ve not tried using any really hoppy beers for vinegar as most of what I make are English ales like I grew up with. But worth a shot with anything.
Basically put the beer in a big jar add the mother cover with a tight weave cloth and secure with a rubber band around the neck to keep flies out, I use a handkerchief on my gallon jars, cover with a black tshirt to keep out the light and put in a spot where it won’t get moved. Each time the jar gets knock enough to dislodge the new mother which is created on the surface of the liquid, it will drop and a new one forms.the dropped one is not dead but can be taken out and used in another jar, it’s an amazing process
@@neileyre6019 thanks for the info! I’m going to check it out for sure!!!
@@ElementaryBrewingCo my pleasure mate. If you like regular malt vinegar you’re definitely going to love beer vinegar. I thought it was malt vinegar but on the supreme website it says it’s beer vinegar, technically malt vinegar is not hopped apparently. Honestly i was blown away by how good it turns out…and as a Brit I’ve grown up with malt vinegar but beer vinegar is next level.
Not for me. I don't enjoy the process anymore, it has become a task that needs to be done, just like mowing the lawn every couple of weeks. A 5 gal keg will last me about two months tops and I'm not a big drinker. So for the same amount of work and cleanup I will keep doing full batches. By the way, I'm into brewing low ABV beers lately (around 2.5%) and that takes care of the lower cost argument...lol
@@dden7670 totally understand that! Brewdays can be quite a chore! And I prefer the low ABV beers as well! Cheers 🍻
Make Eisbock and it gets better with age.
@@mutantryeff oh ya! Definitely some styles improve with age but lately I’ve just been bottling or canning the rest and freeing up the keg space.
@@ElementaryBrewingCo I guess I don't have the space issue with the five kegerators I currently have. I have two Eisbocks that are 3+ years old in 5 gallon kegs - only really use them for competition as there are "competition" beers and "drinking" beers. I recently thought about getting several more kegerators as I want to grow mushrooms for cooking with. I need to figure out how to handle the humidity control first.
14 gallon fermentors won't fill themselves;)
@@patrickglaser1560 yeah that would be nice to have at least 1 of that size for when I want to make larger batches!
@ElementaryBrewingCo I anticipated bidenflation and kitted out a nano brewery during coof. Would have spent a lot more if I waited another year.
Is it possible to brew GOOD 1 gallon all grain (no extract) beer?
@@dougdietrich1496 I’m sure it is! I have only tried 1 gallon a few times and they were fine but I do think there are some adjustments to be made based on the size. In other words you can’t just convert from a 5 gallon size to a 1 gallon size, you’ve got to tweak it a bit. And then there’s the issue with oxygen. Harder to find pressure rated 1 gallon equipment. Cheers 🍻
@@ElementaryBrewingCo yeah, agreed I think the biggest issue would be oxygen. That was definitely the challenge when I was doing 1 gallon batches. That said if you’re just starting out, with the proliferation of these 1 gallon keg/growlers it might actually be easier to package with low o2 than trying to brew bigger batches and bottle conditioning.
@@michaelepstein7172 Thanks! I am thinking about beginning home brewing and am apprehensive. I found online the Oxebar 4 liter keg from Kegland. Seems to be a great way to get started.
@@dougdietrich1496 nice! Yeah I’ve got the 8L ones and they’re great. I started out doing 1 gallon all grain kits from Brooklyn brew shop and they were super easy. Just remember to get a grain bag for ur pot and ur good to go .
@@michaelepstein7172 so I may be too ambitious starting out, but I’d like to start out with all-grain (skip extract), and start with kegs (skip bottling) and force carbonate. Do you think that approach will minimize concerns with oxygen?
I wanna know who is wasting beer? Lol I finish every 5 gallon batch pretty easily. I'm not drinking every day but I'm sharing with family and friends. Maybe that's why? 😅
@@nicholasfontaine8224most of the time I’m dumping because I need the keg and I get lazy and don’t want to can it. I try and give away as much as I can but there are just some styles that friends and family don’t want 🫤 like stouts or sours. And although I enjoy them I’m wanting to brew something else up and need a keg. Cheers 🍻
ok,, who cant drink a keg in a week or two?
@@slegar 🤣 me!!!
My wife won’t let me brew inside 😅 she can’t stand the smell
Bummer!!! My wife doesn’t mind the smell but one of my sons can’t stand it 🤣
If you can’t go through 5 gallons of beer in 6 months you need more friends.
@@billsedutto8824 absolutely!!!
Great tips. Although I would say for anyone interested in the Anvil, consider getting the larger 10.5 gallon one instead of the 6.5 unless you are absolutely sure you're only going to make smaller batches because on some occasions you may want 5 gallons and you'll have to brew twice in one day. Also, now that I have a 10.5 I often make one 5ish gallon batch, split the wort off in 2 fermenters and dry hop each one with different hops so I effectively get two different 2.5 batches.
@@nadabird5349 totally agree!!I’ve also got a Clawhammer system so the smaller anvil made sense but I agree 💯 that if you’re just going to have 1 system you probably want to be able to make 5 gallon batches too. Also, need a bigger system if you want a 2 gallon imperial stout 😊 cheers 🍻