If you could do it all over again

[FishSense]

Hi all,

I have been following this board for some time now. I am an occasional extract brewer (pre-hopped "coopers" type extract) who is thinking about taking the next step on my way to eventually all grain brewing. My problem has been that I don't drink a lot of beer (although I do enjoy it) so a couple 5 gal batches will do me most of the yr. I have been reading up on small batch brewing and I think that is more suited to me.

Anyway, after reading many posts here and seeing how much knowledge and experience is here, I am curious; when you think back to your rookie days as a home brewer, what is the one thing you would do different?

Thanks

[Keith]

Invest once in my setup instead of continuous upgrades.

[mthibodeau]

Keith has a good point, try to plan out for what you eventually want to brew. So how large if a batch do you plan to do? The only downside to small batches is that they take nearly as long as a big one, but you get to try more styles, and the equipment is cheaper.

For small batches I think biab is the way to go

[FishSense]

Thanks. The reason I think small batch is for me is that I can accumulate experience much faster that if I was to make 5 gal batches. At some point I would like to brew 5 gallon but I think that is as big as I would go and that would only be after I feel my beer are worthy of sharing.

[mstead]

I agree with Keith. I'm on kettle 3. Should have bought the 15 gal stainless from the start. I do 5 gal batches.

[Keith]

For the cost difference vs time difference I say go for a 5 gal setup. That way you don't have to dial your gear and recipes in again. In the intern just share your beer with family and friends to go through it quickly.

[Hobbitfu]

Yah go with a 5g setup. Nothing says you have to make 5g each time. But at least have the capacity to do so and don't have to upgrade in future and start from scratch.

I understand you point though. Sometimes i wish I had a 10g system, but like to make a variety so have stuck with 5g... For now...

[Broob]

I would have come up with a better username than Broob.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Honestly if you don't drink that much beer, doing smaller batches than 5gal has a lot of benefits. Super easy to do a 2 gallon biab on stove top, you could get a pot and bag for about $50. You have to go with whatever size you are comfortable with and intend to drink.

[GillettBreweryCnslt]

I'm with the majority. I would have invested in a complete system from the start and I would have done less DIY. Whle some DIY sames money, the time invested in the long run outweighs that savings.

I've been working on my boot-strapped, DIY 3-vessel 30 gallon electric setup for 3 years and haven't finished it yet!

And you can change your username - Remember my original name? (Fishdisease for those struggling with it).

[FishSense]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will save my pennies for a while and in the mean time make some small batch extract brews. This should give me some experience with the different hops , yeasts, etc.

[chalmers]

I'm with C.A.: if you are not drinking a lot, but would like practice brewing, go with a small BIAB setup. These 1 or 2 gallon brews will give you lots of recipe experience for when/if you step it up to the big time.

And hey, with all of the guys complaining here about having to upgrade, pick up some of their used gear for a good price!

[Keith]

And hey, with all of the guys complaining here about having to upgrade, pick up some of their used gear for a good price!

haha. Not complaining about the path I took. I now just have a pilot system and a 1 barrel system is all.

But yea keep your eye on the classifieds. Stuff pops up frequently but goes just as quick.

[bluenose]

go for 5 gal and give me the beer you don't want... actually go for 10 gal

[CorneliusAlphonse]

I think the biggest advantage to the small batches: With an accurate scale for hops/yeast, you could be doing 1 or 2 gallon all grain batches for less than $10 each, which is awesome! Could get a few going at once to simplify the yeast process, as it is the toughest to scale down.

Good luck with whatever you choose! And ask as many questions as you want.

[GasMD30]

I have to agree with investing up front on your system. With respect to size, I brew 1 gallon batches. Usually that's enough for me but I wish I had the capacity to make 3 gallons. That would be ideal. I am always wanting an extra 4 or 5 of each batch. I agree that time is equal with 5 gallons and 1 gallon so find your ideal size!

In support of small batch brewing, the ability to experiment without having 50 bottles of shitty beer is awesome! Nothing sucks more than to dump beer

[Opiate42]

I second the small batch experimentation!

I've done a few things in 1 gallon I'm glad were only 1 gallon..... 5 gallons would have been too much of a not great thing.

Now on that end... what I would have done differently is get multiple carboys and a 2 gallon fermenting bucket at the get-go. I started off with just one carboy and had to wait wait wait until a batch was bottled before brewing again. Having a 2 gallon bucket for fruit beers and extra carboys handy for transferring and bottling and multiple batches fermenting at once has been great.

The only problem now is finding space for them all in our tiny apartment!!