Small Batch All Grain Kits

[spitfire]

Hello All & a HNY

I have just joined  the illustrious band of All Grain Brewers (small batch 8 Pint)  with a BIAB kit from alesmithinghomebrew.co.uk - small it maybe but I am eager to experiment with AG - one of the reasons is to try and prove/dispel the myth !?  LME Kits do have a Home Brew Tang to them - my Mash Pot is 2.5 Gal as is my Fermenting tub so a small scale equipment operation

  Q's ... does scaling down/up a Recipe influence the end product in anyway

        ... these 8 Pint BIAB kits ( 2.2 Kg Grain ) - I would like to scale them up slightly by 2 pints ( I know I know ) so how much
            more grain to add or LME say - I could probably consult BeerSmith but only just purchased it and not sure how ''Please
            Help''...joe
         
         
           

 

[brewfun]

  Q's ... does scaling down/up a Recipe influence the end product in anyway

The defining difference is mostly equipment. We can create a whole laundry list of other issues that influence flavor, but the main difference in scaling always comes down to equipment. BeerSmith helps with efficiency and most other relevant parameters, but the real flavor development is on the cold side.

        ... these 8 Pint BIAB kits ( 2.2 Kg Grain ) - I would like to scale them up slightly by 2 pints ( I know I know ) so how much

For a scaling of that small difference, I'd just add base malt to achieve the correct gravity. The specialty malts at 5% or above shouldn't need adjustment. Just a minor adjustment of very small percentage (0.5% to 5%) for color is all that I think is necessary. Unless IBUs change by >5, the hops should not need adjustment.

In my experience, any other differences wouldn't be detectable unless side by side tasting and even then, probably due to sanitation, fermentation and bottling rather than ingredients.

 

[Sandyfeet]

I might be ignorant to some of the smaller, modern kits, but a few things come to mind if you want to make something to your liking:
1. I would be worried about a boil off rate on something that small. Any drastic change in weather conditions would wreak havoc with your OG. I figured out boil off rates for my 5-gallon batches, but I'm still working on the efficiency as I don't mill my own grain yet.
2. Yeast. Most of the homebrew shops sell yeast for 5-gallon batches, not 1. Double pitching works, but 5X?
3. Are you going to use tablets and bottle directly from the fermenter? With something that small, I'm not sure using priming sugar and bottling from a bucket is going to work that well. The spicket is usually around the 1/2 gallon mark on a bottling bucket.
4. Is something that small (if not an all in one) going to hold mash temperatures well enough for an hour?
5. Will something that small ferment without drastic temperature changes?
I did notice a BIG difference going all grain, but I also bought a 15-gallon kettle for the full volume I need with BIIB, a propane stove for outside (which I can use outside about 11 or more months out of the year here), and a refrigerator with a controller.
If you want to go bigger, BIIB is about the easiest thing outside of an all in one. 

 

[spitfire]

Hi Sandyfeet

I am starting off All Grain Brewing in a very small way using 8 pint Kits from  '' alesmithnghomebrew.co.uk''  which lends itself for experimentation/tweaking with my basic equipment - I will gravitate over  2-3 months to 2 gal brews with modified electrified  30ltr fermentation barrel as a Mash Tun, still using BIAG concept - tending to bottle half the brew and transferring the rest - again in a modified Pinter1 barrel  which will have a 10mm valve arrangement for dry hopping, Co2 injection and pressure testing

I'm really looking forward to getting to '' messing about ''  (It's what our Joe like's doing ses  me Dad ) with it all and producing reasonable even good Home Brew Beer that does not emulate  the  Original 3 Ton of sugar Tom Caxton HB taste ...joe

 

[Sandyfeet]

Sounds like fun. I have spoken to a lot of people on this side of the pond that got started with the horrible Mr. Beer extracts (I was one of them). I did start using some of the better extracts for about four batches before going all grain. I don't have as much time to play around, so I wanted something very simple. The bag works very well for me as I can have brew day with all grain in about 4 1/2 hours.
In my last couple of batches, I have been playing around and learning with English malts like Maris Otter and hops like Fuggles. My last English style beer I liked a lot.
Good luck to you.