What size batches do you brew?

brewing-forum.net
Promoting brewing discussion.

Main

Date: 06 Jun 2006 07:07:19
From: Ryan Case
Subject: What size batches do you brew?

I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))

I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?

Ryan

Date: 06 Jun 2006 09:52:37
From: Denny Conn
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Ryan Case wrote:
>
> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?

99% of the time, 5 gal. I like to brew less, but more often. To me,
the goal is the process as much as the product.

----------- >Denny

--
Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.

Date: 06 Jun 2006 09:52:21
From: Ric
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

5 - easy, fits the equip I have; and allows for more frequent, varied,
fresher beer.

burp

Date: 06 Jun 2006 09:49:42
From: Dave Smith
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

I do 10 gallon batches. When a keg of good beer blows empty I love
putting the same beer back on tap.

Sometimes I do split a batch into two different beers though. You could
do a 10 gallon batch of wheat and flavor 5 gallons with peach and 5 with
raspberry (two of my favorites) or maybe apricot. mmm. Or take an ale
and use different yeast or even dry hop differently, you can make
dramatic differences.

Most recently a friend of mine said he wanted to brew an american ale
but also wanted to try making coolers, but he doesn't have time to brew
twice. So I told him to get an american ale recipe and do the mash, the
split the wort between two pots. Boil one with hops and the other
without, viola, he can do both projects at the same time.

Dave

Date: 08 Jun 2006 22:52:57
From: David M. Taylor
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

"Dave Smith" <dave@nowhere.com > wrote in message
news:dave-1C54F4.09494206062006@nntp.charter.net...
> Boil one with hops and the other
> without, viola, he can do both projects at the same time.

I was reading this sentence when all of a sudden, voila, I imagined the
heart-wrenching sound of an oversized violin playing in the background....
;)

--
Dave
"Just a drink, a little drink, and I'll be feeling GOOooOOooOOooD!" --
Genesis, 1973-ish

Date: 06 Jun 2006 08:39:44
From: Dave
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

10 gallons here, but I sometimes split them up and use different yeasts
to get different beers.

Dave

Date: 06 Jun 2006 15:57:05
From: C.D.Sparks
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

I can either do 10gal or 20gal I sometimes split them up different hops,
yeast etc
"Dave" <dwbridges@cox.net > wrote in message
news:1149608384.275103.66500@j55g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> 10 gallons here, but I sometimes split them up and use different yeasts
> to get different beers.
>
> Dave
>

Date: 06 Jun 2006 15:08:47
From: Duke
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Date: 06 Jun 2006 07:46:38
From: Randal
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Ryan Case wrote:
> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> Ryan

I do 5 gallon batches, and have been for years. I like lots of variety
and I think I might be more willing to experiment with a 5 gallon
batch. Although I must say that after spending the last year or so
working on nothing but lagers I now have a few recipes that are so
tasty that I wouldn't mind having 10 gallons at a time.

_Randal

Date: 06 Jun 2006 18:02:08
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

On 6 Jun 2006 07:46:38 -0700, <frandalc@swbell.net > wrote:
>
> Ryan Case wrote:
>> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>>
>> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>>
>> Ryan
>
> I do 5 gallon batches, and have been for years. I like lots of variety
> and I think I might be more willing to experiment with a 5 gallon
> batch. Although I must say that after spending the last year or so
> working on nothing but lagers I now have a few recipes that are so
> tasty that I wouldn't mind having 10 gallons at a time.

The big thing for me is that the amount of work to do a 10 gallon batch
is just about the same as the amount of work to do a 5 gallon batch, you
just end up with twice as much beer. That makes it really attractive for
recipes that you know you like. I agree that for experimentation smaller
batch sizes may be better.

John.

Date: 06 Jun 2006 21:29:52
From: Scott Sellers
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Ryan Case <usenet@jamesrobert.us >:

>I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but
>decided to never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))

>I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more?
>less?

I guess I'm the lightweight. I mostly brew 3.5 gallon batches,
which I shoehorn into 3 gallon kegs (which I got 3 when I could
find them relatively cheap). I do 5 gallons once in awhile (to
fill my 5 gallon keg), and have been known to split a 6+. That
kinda maxes out my stovetop brewery capacity.

Hats off to you guys doing 10 gallons and more -- most of my
brews, I'm ready for another attempt after 3 gallons.

Scott S

--
Scott Sellers

Date: 06 Jun 2006 14:52:38
From: Ryan Case
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Scott Sellers wrote:
> Ryan Case <usenet@jamesrobert.us>:
>
>
>> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but
>> decided to never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
>> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more?
>> less?
>
> I guess I'm the lightweight. I mostly brew 3.5 gallon batches,
> which I shoehorn into 3 gallon kegs (which I got 3 when I could
> find them relatively cheap). I do 5 gallons once in awhile (to
> fill my 5 gallon keg), and have been known to split a 6+. That
> kinda maxes out my stovetop brewery capacity.
>
> Hats off to you guys doing 10 gallons and more -- most of my
> brews, I'm ready for another attempt after 3 gallons.
>
> Scott S
>

Well I should clarify a little probably. I brew at my house, with mostly
my equipment, but coworker comes out on brew day more often then not,
and we usually find a way to split the 10 gallons 2~3 ways.

Ryan

Date: 06 Jun 2006 16:36:43
From: Tom
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Smallest batch is 10 gallons of all grain. Largest is 30 gallons all grain.
I mess up when I only make a 5 gallon batch.

Tom

--

Home of the
MOON RIVER BREWERY
and
DELANCO VINEYARDS

"Ryan Case" <usenet@jamesrobert.us > wrote in message
news:128b30n93vvd0fd@corp.supernews.com...
>I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> Ryan

Date: 05 Jun 2006 21:58:32
From: Jens S. Rasmussen
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

60 liters of all grain

Jens
Denmark

"Ryan Case" <usenet@jamesrobert.us > skrev i en meddelelse
news:128b30n93vvd0fd@corp.supernews.com...
>I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> Ryan

Date: 06 Jun 2006 17:51:36
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 07:07:19 -0700, <usenet@jamesrobert.us > wrote:
> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?

I do 10 gallon all grain batches, but 5 gallon extract batches. The reason
for the difference is that I brew all grain outside on propane burners, but
I do most of my extract batches in the kitchen on the stove. I don't think
I could do a 10 gallon boil on the kitchen stove very easily.

John.

Date: 06 Jun 2006 14:20:27
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

I'm doing 5 gallons so far but I'd like to do 10 gallons...I just need to
get a keg to convert and I'm there.

Gerard

Date: 06 Jun 2006 10:12:01
From: Todd
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

I've been brewing 5 gallon batches for over a year now, while slowly
accumulating all of the equipment needed for 10 gallons. I'm on a
brewing hiatus for the summer, but once I start brewing again I will
brew 10 gallon batches of my session ales, and 5 gallons for my lagers,
and strong or hoppier ales.

Date: 07 Jun 2006 09:08:54
From: Ric
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Put the dogma away child. No bud in my life. But there are many beers
that are better when fresher. I prefer most of mine within a few months
of bottling. Note I also menitoned more variety - ergo, my desire for
more frequent, smaller batches. What I drink in one season is
invariably different the next.

In fact, just finished the last of my February brew - time to brew up
some summer beer. Of course, that's after I get back from excessive
wine drinking on vacation!

mreckt wrote:
> Ric wrote:
> > 5 - easy, fits the equip I have; and allows for more frequent, varied,
> > fresher beer.
>
> "fresher beer" ?
>
> Poor man, the A-B marketing ploy got to him.
>
> --
> Mark Recktenwald
> Stow, Ohio, USA

Date: 07 Jun 2006 07:19:17
From: mreckt
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Ric wrote:
> 5 - easy, fits the equip I have; and allows for more frequent, varied,
> fresher beer.

"fresher beer" ?

Poor man, the A-B marketing ploy got to him.

--
Mark Recktenwald
Stow, Ohio, USA

Date: 07 Jun 2006 15:14:14
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

On 7 Jun 2006 07:19:17 -0700, <mark.usenet@gmail.com > wrote:
> Ric wrote:
>> 5 - easy, fits the equip I have; and allows for more frequent, varied,
>> fresher beer.
>
> "fresher beer" ?
>
> Poor man, the A-B marketing ploy got to him.

I was thinking the same thing. ;)

John.

Date: 07 Jun 2006 14:25:18
From: Joel
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

mreckt <mark.usenet@gmail.com > wrote:
>Ric wrote:
>> 5 - easy, fits the equip I have; and allows for more frequent, varied,
>> fresher beer.
>
>"fresher beer" ?
>
>Poor man, the A-B marketing ploy got to him.

In general[*], the marketeers at A-B are right. Fresher
beer is better beer.

[*] Yes, some beer styles benefit from aging.
--
Joel Plutchak

"...illiterate Abyssinians did it for 5000 years, you can do it too."
- Guy Gregory on brewing beer

Date: 07 Jun 2006 09:17:51
From: Dukester
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Date: 07 Jun 2006 04:24:11
From: yddraig
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

John 'Shaggy' Kolesar wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 07:07:19 -0700, <usenet@jamesrobert.us> wrote:
> > I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> > never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
> >
> > I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> I do 10 gallon all grain batches, but 5 gallon extract batches. The reason
> for the difference is that I brew all grain outside on propane burners, but
> I do most of my extract batches in the kitchen on the stove. I don't think
> I could do a 10 gallon boil on the kitchen stove very easily.
>
>
> John.
If I'm doing an all grain brew I try to get at least 13 gal to my
fermenter, as my brew pot is a 1/2 barrel keg about the most I can
bring to a boil is 14 gal and that can be touchy. When I first started
brewing (with extract) I thought tha 5 gal would be way to much if I
didn't like it. However I've only had 2 batches in 10 years that I
couldn't drink. One was a Rauch Bier, just way to smokey for casual
drinking, and a chilli pepper beer that was way to hot to drink but it
cooked well. Other than that I've learned what not to do and what
kinds of beer I like, basically anything but commercial swill.

Date: 08 Jun 2006 06:58:59
From:
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Ryan Case wrote:
> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> Ryan

Since I completed construction of my little backyard
brewery it's been 10 gallon AG. On occation I have been known to do a
five gallon batch from now and then. I'll do them both on the same
brewery, I just have a little more room in the brewpot when I do those
five gallon batches.

Steve

Date: 08 Jun 2006 10:32:54
From: Dan Listermann
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Last month I bought a 2 barrel "system" - 62 gallons!

Dan
<smhoneydo@aol.com > wrote in message
news:1149775139.818692.65960@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Ryan Case wrote:
>> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>>
>> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>>
>> Ryan
>
>
> Since I completed construction of my little backyard
> brewery it's been 10 gallon AG. On occation I have been known to do a
> five gallon batch from now and then. I'll do them both on the same
> brewery, I just have a little more room in the brewpot when I do those
> five gallon batches.
>
>
> Steve
>

Date: 08 Jun 2006 14:41:06
From: Dick Adams
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Dan Listermann <dan@listermann.com > wrote:

> Last month I bought a 2 barrel "system" - 62 gallons!

That's terrific!! You can now make your personal two week supply
in only one run.

Dick

Date: 08 Jun 2006 22:46:28
From: David M. Taylor
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

"Ryan Case" <usenet@jamesrobert.us > wrote in message
news:128b30n93vvd0fd@corp.supernews.com...
>I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?

I've recently started to do 3.2 gallon batches. I know, it sounds weird,
but I find if I start with 3.2 gallons of hot wort after the boil, I end up
with about 2.5 gallons at bottling time, which ends up being a case of beer,
and maybe a couple extra bottles. A case seems just about right for me...
not too much and not too little. I don't drink a heck of a lot of beer
(maybe 3 or 4 per week average), and I don't give much away (not too many
homebrew-loving friends), and I like variety. I end up brewing about once
every month and a half (time permitting), and I usually have about 5 or 6
kinds of homebrew on hand to choose from, not including the occasional
store-bought beer or beer-of-the-month-club beer. I suppose if I didn't go
out for dinner so often, and if life sucked a little bit more, I'd drink a
lot more homebrew. But as it stands right now, 3.2 gallons is just about
right for a batch, for me. I suppose if I ever was planning on brewing for
a party or something, and had a really kick-butt recipe, I'd go ahead and
make a standard 5-gallon batch. But I wouldn't go beyond 5 gallons of any
one kind of beer. If they wanted more beer than that, I'd make 5 gallons of
two different kinds of beer. I think it's important to have options and
variety. I really like getting all the extra brewing experience too.
Heaven forbid, if things should ever go wrong with a batch, I have less bad
beer to drink before I can tweak the recipe and get it right the second
time. There is almost always a second time, even for the bad brews. I
usually get it right the second or third time around (if not the first).
Anyway.... there's my 2 cents.

--
Dave
"Just a drink, a little drink, and I'll be feeling GOOooOOooOOooD!" --
Genesis, 1973-ish

Date: 08 Jun 2006 19:25:40
From: Sam G. Daher
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

too much hard work and time to only do 5 gallons. I have been doing ten for
last several years. Thinking about an upgrade to 15's or 20.
its all about the beer

"Ryan Case" <usenet@jamesrobert.us > wrote in message
news:128b30n93vvd0fd@corp.supernews.com...
>I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
>never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
>
> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
>
> Ryan
>

Date: 09 Jun 2006 03:23:46
From:
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Dan Listermann wrote:
> Last month I bought a 2 barrel "system" - 62 gallons!
>
> Dan
> <smhoneydo@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1149775139.818692.65960@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > Ryan Case wrote:
> >> I recently switched from 5 gallon batches to 10. I am all but decided to
> >> never do a 5 again. (Unless of course I do ;~))
> >>
> >> I am curious to know what other people are doing? 5? 10? more? less?
> >>
> >> Ryan
> >
> >
> > Since I completed construction of my little backyard
> > brewery it's been 10 gallon AG. On occation I have been known to do a
> > five gallon batch from now and then. I'll do them both on the same
> > brewery, I just have a little more room in the brewpot when I do those
> > five gallon batches.
> >
> >
> > Steve

Whoa! 62 gallons? You da man! Grab the pretzels dude,
I'm on my way over.
> > Steve

Date: 10 Jun 2006 11:03:39
From: Dick Adams
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

<smhoneydo@aol.com > wrote:
> Dan Listermann wrote:

>> Last month I bought a 2 barrel "system" - 62 gallons!

> Whoa! 62 gallons? You da man! Grab the pretzels dude,
> I'm on my way over.

What style/category will your first batch be?
When will your first batch be ready for prime time?
Can you pick a few of us at the airport?

Dick

Date: 09 Jun 2006 11:24:50
From: KAB
Subject: Re: What size batches do you brew?

Dan Listermann wrote:
> Last month I bought a 2 barrel "system" - 62 gallons!
>

Woohoo, Sound great!

What ype of system are you using? One pieced together or is it a
complete turnkey system? iId like to hear more about it because that's
where I want to go.

Three vessel brewhouse? Infusion mashing or do you have control over
the mash tun temps? What type of fermenters are you using? Are they
glycol chilled? How about yeast propagation? How about CIP, are you
using it? Lots of questions on this end.

Cheers,
Kevin