If you're going to brew you might as well get the equipment for 5 gallon brews. You're going to do the same amount of work no matter how much you brew so you might as well get 5 gallons out of it. I brewed one 1 gallon batch before I said "screw this" and went and got a 6 gallon carboy.
Homebrew Board - Recipes
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Last: 3 mo ago by Chipotlemonger
I would put it in the 2 gallon bucket to account for the krausen. Or you could use a blowoff tube with the 1 gallon.
quote:
would you recommend doing all my fermenting in the 1 gallon glass carboy or the 2 gallon bucket or is there really any difference/benefit to one over the other outside of volume?
Use the bucket:
- it's important to leave head space for krausen
- it's easier to clean
- it blocks light (which spoils beer)
- it isn't heavy or awkward to carry (more of a problem with bigger carboys)
- it probably won't break if it falls off the counter
quote:I'll second this. Once you start getting the hang of it and making really good beer, you'll want more to drink than just 1 gallon!
If you're going to brew you might as well get the equipment for 5 gallon brews. You're going to do the same amount of work no matter how much you brew so you might as well get 5 gallons out of it. I brewed one 1 gallon batch before I said "screw this" and went and got a 6 gallon carboy.
quote:
If you're going to brew you might as well get the equipment for 10 gallon brews. You're going to do the same amount of work no matter how much you brew so you might as well get 10 gallons out of it.
FIFY
quote:quote:
If you're going to brew you might as well get the equipment for 10 gallon brews. You're going to do the same amount of work no matter how much you brew so you might as well get 10 gallons out of it.
FIFY
The only reason I didn't say 10 gallons is because the brew kettles for 10 gallons are so expensive. Unless you make a keggle like I did.
Lawfully obtained kegs and keggles are expensive as well.
I had one left over that we "got" from a bar in high school.
Got a decommissioned keg from a local brewery for $30 to make a keggle. Just have to make contact and be patient
quote:
Also, my wife's favorite beer is coors light, anyone have a recipe for something relatively simple to make that would have a somewhat similar flavor profile if perhaps fuller? Because I feel like if I can brew something she like it may help my case for really getting into this hobby
You could also try this recipe. It may be the most frequently made recipe posted on that site. Centennial Blonde
quote:It does make a fine beer.quote:
Also, my wife's favorite beer is coors light, anyone have a recipe for something relatively simple to make that would have a somewhat similar flavor profile if perhaps fuller? Because I feel like if I can brew something she like it may help my case for really getting into this hobby
You could also try this recipe. It may be the most frequently made recipe posted on that site. Centennial Blonde
Jock, I was at Harvey Washbangers in CS last night and mentioned you and the brewery. They rotate their Texas brew 8-tap system fairly regularly and it'd be great to get a keg over there. The bartender said you just need to get some samples over to the GM and he'd probably buy a keg. They'd love to get a saison on tap.
Appreciate it Dave! We actually just signed w/ a distributor last week, so we should be in a lot more places very soon. The logistics of self distribution was just becoming too much. I'll let my brother know to get his ass over there and sell some beer!
Life got in the way for a little while, but I finally did my Saison I posted about earlier. BIAB was a very easy way to do all grain. Anyhow, I moved it to secondary this past weekend. The smell was amazing - I'm looking forward to the finished product.
I'm going to try a Hefeweizen next in about 2 weeks.
I'm going to try a Hefeweizen next in about 2 weeks.
quote:
Appreciate it Dave! We actually just signed w/ a distributor last week, so we should be in a lot more places very soon. The logistics of self distribution was just becoming too much. I'll let my brother know to get his ass over there and sell some beer!
That's great news!
Having a distributor will definitely help ease the load. Now keep making good beer!
Has anyone done eBIAB yet? I'm pretty that's the avenue I'm going versus a 3-kettle setup.
Well, I bottled that first batch y'all gave me advice on last night, and after boiling off too much, and the remainder left that I couldn't siphon off the trub, I ended up with 4 whole bottles.... But on the bright side, I tasted the sample I pulled for gravity reading and it was in fact beer. Chalked that one up to the learning curve, and got another batch brewed up. I ad libbed the recipe a bit but here it is:
Batch size: 2.5 gallons
2.5 lb Pale malt (2 row)
2.5 lb Vienna Malt
6.3 g Czech Saaz AAU 3.8% (60 min)
6.3 g Czech Saaz AAU 3.8% (15 min)
3.35 g Liberty Hop AAU 5% (15 min)
1 package Wyeast American Ale
Grain mash: 90 min at 148 (help the temperature a lot more constant this time, 2 gallons vs the 0.75 called for in the last recipe helped a lot)
Boil went much better, marked the pot ahead of time with the water level I wanted to finish with, hit it almost dead on. O.G. was a tad under the target but I decided to leave it rather than run the boil long
O.G. 1.041
Cooled to 70 degrees, pitched the yeast, aerated and now it sits in fermentation.
All in all, second brew day went much better than the first, only real mishap was boiling over the pot with the first hops addition. boiling a 2.5 gallon batch in a 3 gallon pot goes from rolling boil to boiling over VERY quickly.
Batch size: 2.5 gallons
2.5 lb Pale malt (2 row)
2.5 lb Vienna Malt
6.3 g Czech Saaz AAU 3.8% (60 min)
6.3 g Czech Saaz AAU 3.8% (15 min)
3.35 g Liberty Hop AAU 5% (15 min)
1 package Wyeast American Ale
Grain mash: 90 min at 148 (help the temperature a lot more constant this time, 2 gallons vs the 0.75 called for in the last recipe helped a lot)
Boil went much better, marked the pot ahead of time with the water level I wanted to finish with, hit it almost dead on. O.G. was a tad under the target but I decided to leave it rather than run the boil long
O.G. 1.041
Cooled to 70 degrees, pitched the yeast, aerated and now it sits in fermentation.
All in all, second brew day went much better than the first, only real mishap was boiling over the pot with the first hops addition. boiling a 2.5 gallon batch in a 3 gallon pot goes from rolling boil to boiling over VERY quickly.
Looks like you've caught the bug. Good luck in your future endeavors. That recipe is not far from my go-to blonde ale recipe, and it makes a good everyday spring/summer beer.
FYI, Wyeast 1056 is the exact same yeast strain as US-05. I personally wouldn't bother using liquid yeast when a dry equivalent is available. Liquid yeasts are priced higher and aren't as hardy as dry yeasts.
As for myself, the bock I brewed using Mangrove Jack lager yeast is finally being carbonated. I dragged my feet when I ran out of CO2 a couple weeks ago, and finally got it refilled on Friday. I'm looking forward to seeing how my bock turned out.
FYI, Wyeast 1056 is the exact same yeast strain as US-05. I personally wouldn't bother using liquid yeast when a dry equivalent is available. Liquid yeasts are priced higher and aren't as hardy as dry yeasts.
As for myself, the bock I brewed using Mangrove Jack lager yeast is finally being carbonated. I dragged my feet when I ran out of CO2 a couple weeks ago, and finally got it refilled on Friday. I'm looking forward to seeing how my bock turned out.
quote:Concur. Significantly cheaper per cell of viable yeast and stores much better. At the very, very least dry yeast is fantastic to keep around as a backup in case something goes wrong.
FYI, Wyeast 1056 is the exact same yeast strain as US-05. I personally wouldn't bother using liquid yeast when a dry equivalent is available. Liquid yeasts are priced higher and aren't as hardy as dry yeasts.
Strangely enough a full 11g pack of dry yeast would be an over-pitch for a 2.5g batch of standard gravity beer. It's usually the other problem for most brewers!
Alright almosT got everything setup for my first all grain session. Looking for a good recipe to do for my first batch. Not wanting an iPa or wheat. Thanks for any suggestions
As your first all grain, I'd keep it relatively simple. What about a Belgian blonde? Could go 100% Pils malt, some kind of noble hop, and you're favorite Belgian yeast strain.
Simple and delicious.
Simple and delicious.
The Centennial Blonde recipe posted earlier is a real winner as well.
quote:
The Centennial Blonde recipe posted earlier is a real winner as well.
+1 on the Centennial Blonde.
quote:I may have to try this soon. My wife is tired of me making beers she won't drink! I need to wire up my STC1000 at some point soon, too.
The Centennial Blonde recipe posted earlier is a real winner as well.
Anyone else entering the Farmboy Brew Shop Home Brew Competition this Saturday in Houston? Just seeing if any other Ags will be there. New brew supply shop up in Garden Oaks area...
Us And Them - The Pink Floyd Experience
http://www.usandthemband.net
http://www.usandthemband.net
Alright, two more questions for y'all pertaining to the current batch I have fermenting.
1) I was thinking about cold crashing this batch to try to help with its clarity, but have read conflicting opinions on whether or not a regular refrigerator is a good idea to use for that purpose. What are y'all's thoughts/experiences around this? And if it is fine to use, then how long would be adequate for a 2.5 gallon batch split between a 1 gallon carboy and 2 gallon bucket?
2) For bottling, would a regular 5 gallong bucket (lowe's paint variety) be an ok tool for a stand-in bottling bucket provided it is cleaned out really well? I know it isn't food grade but wasn't sure if that mattered since the beer will only be in it for a few minutes, and I would like to hold off purchasing a bottling bucket at least till the next batch if possible; trying to spread out those expenses.
Thanks and sorry for all the rookie questions.
1) I was thinking about cold crashing this batch to try to help with its clarity, but have read conflicting opinions on whether or not a regular refrigerator is a good idea to use for that purpose. What are y'all's thoughts/experiences around this? And if it is fine to use, then how long would be adequate for a 2.5 gallon batch split between a 1 gallon carboy and 2 gallon bucket?
2) For bottling, would a regular 5 gallong bucket (lowe's paint variety) be an ok tool for a stand-in bottling bucket provided it is cleaned out really well? I know it isn't food grade but wasn't sure if that mattered since the beer will only be in it for a few minutes, and I would like to hold off purchasing a bottling bucket at least till the next batch if possible; trying to spread out those expenses.
Thanks and sorry for all the rookie questions.
quote:1) Most refrigerators are set around 38-40F which is 100% fine. The main purpose of cold-crashing is to get the yeast to go "dormant" and flocculate/drop to the bottom. Many strains will do this only a few degrees below their ideal fermentation range (or right smack in the middle after all the food is gone), but the point is < 40F is more than enough to encourage almost every strain to drop.
1) I was thinking about cold crashing this batch to try to help with its clarity, but have read conflicting opinions on whether or not a regular refrigerator is a good idea to use for that purpose. What are y'all's thoughts/experiences around this? And if it is fine to use, then how long would be adequate for a 2.5 gallon batch split between a 1 gallon carboy and 2 gallon bucket?
2) For bottling, would a regular 5 gallong bucket (lowe's paint variety) be an ok tool for a stand-in bottling bucket provided it is cleaned out really well? I know it isn't food grade but wasn't sure if that mattered since the beer will only be in it for a few minutes, and I would like to hold off purchasing a bottling bucket at least till the next batch if possible; trying to spread out those expenses.
2) Even if it's not labeled "food grade", most of the Lowe's/Home Depot buckets are HDPE which is a food grade plastic. I know they both have their colored/branded ones, but I seem to remember picking up a white one a few years ago that was indeed labeled "food grade".
Not sure if your local Lowe's has it, but here's a link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_356492-1152-50640_0__?productId=3694238
I cold crash in my fridge currently and manage to get pretty clear beer. After a couple of weeks in the keg and a pint or two, it's crystal clear. Bottles are also pretty clear as long as you leave the sediment behind when you pour.
A little humble brag, our home brew took 2nd place at our local brew shop on Saturday, with 2 judges from Saint Arnold and 1 from Brash Brewing (guys from Petrol Station). There were I believe 23 entries, so not too bad. It's our first time placing in a competition so we were pretty stoked.
The category was Red Ale, and luckily ours came out pretty great. My stupid Beersmith android app crashed but as soon as I get the recipe out of my brew book I'll post it for y'all.
The category was Red Ale, and luckily ours came out pretty great. My stupid Beersmith android app crashed but as soon as I get the recipe out of my brew book I'll post it for y'all.
Us And Them - The Pink Floyd Experience
http://www.usandthemband.net
http://www.usandthemband.net
quote:Awesome! Congrats!
A little humble brag, our home brew took 2nd place at our local brew shop on Saturday, with 2 judges from Saint Arnold and 1 from Brash Brewing (guys from Petrol Station). There were I believe 23 entries, so not too bad. It's our first time placing in a competition so we were pretty stoked.
The category was Red Ale, and luckily ours came out pretty great. My stupid Beersmith android app crashed but as soon as I get the recipe out of my brew book I'll post it for y'all.
Is there any kind of rule of thumb for fermentation times for different yeasts or different OG and FG ranges? trying to guestimate when to bottle my latest batch and i would rather not pull too many (or any) gravity samples from fermentation if I can help it since I am still using a relatively small volume setup.
This may not be popular opinion among home brewers, but I tend to ignore OG and FG and haven't taken a gravity reading in years. My rule of thumb is to wait until a few days have passed after CO2 production has ceased before kegging or bottling. If, for some reason, I think fermentation has become stuck, I'll taste the wort for sweetness. I've only experienced a stuck fermentation once, and it was the result of a sizable unplanned temperature drop. My temp control is much better now.
However, I will say that gravity readings are useful when starting out or when diagnosing the effects of changing some of you equipment or part of your process.
However, I will say that gravity readings are useful when starting out or when diagnosing the effects of changing some of you equipment or part of your process.
quote:I would believe that it is safe to say that isn't the popular opinion. I am stickler for OG and FG readings. Curious, how did you determine that fermentation was stuck if you didn't take a reading?
This may not be popular opinion among home brewers, but I tend to ignore OG and FG and haven't taken a gravity reading in years. My rule of thumb is to wait until a few days have passed after CO2 production has ceased before kegging or bottling. If, for some reason, I think fermentation has become stuck, I'll taste the wort for sweetness. I've only experienced a stuck fermentation once, and it was the result of a sizable unplanned temperature drop. My temp control is much better now.
However, I will say that gravity readings are useful when starting out or when diagnosing the effects of changing some of you equipment or part of your process.
I'll take a slightly different stance. Gravity readings are absolutely, 110% necessary when trying to commercially produce beer where 1) you're re-brewing the same beer over and over again and it has to taste the same and 2) you're going through many generations of the same yeast pitch where being able to track abnormal fermentations is critical to reason #1.
With that said, it's still good practice to take relatively frequent gravity readings if and only if done in a sanitary way. IMO, a new homebrewer taking samples daily is overkill and more likely to ruin the beer than anything else. You have to make a compromise based off your batch sizes, how sanitary your processes are, and how much you really care about brewing the absolute best beer possible. Sometimes "good enough" makes more sense.
My recommendation for most homebrewers is to generally take two readings: 1) for original gravity and 2) after 7-14 days and/or when the airlock has been slowed/stopped for at least a couple days in a row.
With that said, it's still good practice to take relatively frequent gravity readings if and only if done in a sanitary way. IMO, a new homebrewer taking samples daily is overkill and more likely to ruin the beer than anything else. You have to make a compromise based off your batch sizes, how sanitary your processes are, and how much you really care about brewing the absolute best beer possible. Sometimes "good enough" makes more sense.
My recommendation for most homebrewers is to generally take two readings: 1) for original gravity and 2) after 7-14 days and/or when the airlock has been slowed/stopped for at least a couple days in a row.
THanks guys, yalls help is awesome. So follow on. I just looked at the carboy and even though I haven't seen the airlock bubble in a like a week, if I hold a flashlight up to it I can see little tiny bubbles rising through the beer. I would assume that means it's still fermenting and I just haven't seen the lock bubble because I'm not watching it enough?
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