cmbrougham
Grandmaster Brewer
I've always done 5 gallon batches, and though I have a hankering to fill up every last nook and cranny of my house with brew, I don't think that's going to fly For both financial and familial reasons, I'm considering brewing half/smaller batches.
This also stems from my desire to experiment, lessening the possibility of creating a large amount of undrinkable stuff. What my plan is is to brew a couple 10 gallon batches of session ales that will be the house brews. The smaller batches will round out my desire to brew regularly, and yet be controllable; I work from home, so the idea of brewing a batch in the background at indoor-friendly sizes is appealing.
To that end, I'm trying to decide how to proceed. I'd considered building a smaller mash tun that would allow me to brew up to medium-high-gravity beer in 2.5-3 gallon sizes. I've already got a 7.5 gallon boil kettle that I've designed a few different filtering mechanisms for, and my range is a decently-powered LP model. I might need a couple smaller fermenters (or just use 5 gallon carboys for primary), but other than that, I'm set.
I've been out of the game for awhile, and so I became quite interested in the "brew-in-a-bag" technique that has taken off in recent years. Seems pretty easy, and really all I need is the bag. This makes a lot of sense to me--I could dough-in just before I take my kid to school, and be starting the boil shortly after I get back. By 10am, I'd be all wrapped up--not bad at all.
So, does anyone have any thoughts about small batch brewing? Anybody do this for experimental sessions or just a regular brew session? Is there a particular approach that yields the best results?
Thanks!
This also stems from my desire to experiment, lessening the possibility of creating a large amount of undrinkable stuff. What my plan is is to brew a couple 10 gallon batches of session ales that will be the house brews. The smaller batches will round out my desire to brew regularly, and yet be controllable; I work from home, so the idea of brewing a batch in the background at indoor-friendly sizes is appealing.
To that end, I'm trying to decide how to proceed. I'd considered building a smaller mash tun that would allow me to brew up to medium-high-gravity beer in 2.5-3 gallon sizes. I've already got a 7.5 gallon boil kettle that I've designed a few different filtering mechanisms for, and my range is a decently-powered LP model. I might need a couple smaller fermenters (or just use 5 gallon carboys for primary), but other than that, I'm set.
I've been out of the game for awhile, and so I became quite interested in the "brew-in-a-bag" technique that has taken off in recent years. Seems pretty easy, and really all I need is the bag. This makes a lot of sense to me--I could dough-in just before I take my kid to school, and be starting the boil shortly after I get back. By 10am, I'd be all wrapped up--not bad at all.
So, does anyone have any thoughts about small batch brewing? Anybody do this for experimental sessions or just a regular brew session? Is there a particular approach that yields the best results?
Thanks!