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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
brewing small batches...
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JeffPorter
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 2552
- Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:39 am
- Location: Brampton, ON
brewing small batches...
Are there folks here who brew from extracts in small batches, and if so, what's the process for scaling down...My feeling is that until I get good at brewing I just want to brew a little at a time...
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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markaberrant
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1664
- Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:28 pm
- Location: Regina, SK
Jeff, download a trial version of BeerSmith. It will scale/convert recipes for you, or you can create your own recipes for any size.
When I first started brewing, I was a stovetop brewer with a small pot and a lot of ambition. I liked to brew frequently and was very eager to learn, so I made 3 gallon batches for about a year before I upgraded my equipment. Making smaller batches with small equiment also allows you to do full wort boils instead of topping up with water afterwards, makes a big difference in quality and hop utilization.
When I first started brewing, I was a stovetop brewer with a small pot and a lot of ambition. I liked to brew frequently and was very eager to learn, so I made 3 gallon batches for about a year before I upgraded my equipment. Making smaller batches with small equiment also allows you to do full wort boils instead of topping up with water afterwards, makes a big difference in quality and hop utilization.
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JeffPorter
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 2552
- Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:39 am
- Location: Brampton, ON
Thanks guys - now if I can only find an afternoon to brew...I still haven't brewed a christmas ale for gifts...
I'm going to have to tell people they can't drink it until Jan/Feb.
this baby's cramping my style...Awe, who am I kidding...she's pretty awesome...
I'm going to have to tell people they can't drink it until Jan/Feb.
this baby's cramping my style...Awe, who am I kidding...she's pretty awesome...
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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cannondale
- Bar Fly
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:58 pm
- Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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JasonTremblay
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:18 am
Hi,
I do a lot of 4l yeast starters with 5l Erlenmeyer flasks -- http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1461 (and a stir plate). The nice thing about the flasks is that you can boil and ferment in the same flask.
For someone who's space-limited, I'd highly recommend the setup. And, if you do move to larger batches, you can convert your flask into a yeast propagation machine with a stir plate, http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1632 .
To tame boilovers (and explosive ferementations while using a stirplate), use these drops, http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1502 .
FWIW, the "beer" (unhopped, low gravity, extract) that comes off my starters tends to taste surprisingly good, in large part because stir plates keep the yeast in their happy place (fully oxygenated during reproduction, CO2 kicked off during fermentation). And the "beer" drops bright within 3 days.
I do a lot of 4l yeast starters with 5l Erlenmeyer flasks -- http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1461 (and a stir plate). The nice thing about the flasks is that you can boil and ferment in the same flask.
For someone who's space-limited, I'd highly recommend the setup. And, if you do move to larger batches, you can convert your flask into a yeast propagation machine with a stir plate, http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1632 .
To tame boilovers (and explosive ferementations while using a stirplate), use these drops, http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/viartsh ... em_id=1502 .
FWIW, the "beer" (unhopped, low gravity, extract) that comes off my starters tends to taste surprisingly good, in large part because stir plates keep the yeast in their happy place (fully oxygenated during reproduction, CO2 kicked off during fermentation). And the "beer" drops bright within 3 days.