Hello,
So i recently got a small batch kit for christmas and I can’t wait to start brewing. However, knowing myself, I won’t be satisified with only doing small batches. So my question is are the siphons and all other items that come with the small batch kit going to be long / large enough to use if i go out and buy a larger 5 gallon carboy? or am i going to need to buy almost all new items to use with the larger carboys?
thx for any help
Do you have the 1 gallon kit, or the 3 gallon kit?
1 gallon kit
I dont think that any of it will work except the capper. Even if you could use the Mini Auto Syphon in a bucket I dont think that it would be very practical. If your going to do five gallon batches you’ll want the big Auto Syphon its much much faster.
I think you will be able to upgrade for pretty cheap.
All you really need is:
full size siphon, or auto siphon $4
Bucket fermenter $16
bung for the carboy $1
bottling Bucket $14
bottling Wand $2
4 gallon kettle - You probably already have large enough kettle somewhere in the kitchen
So $40 - $45 to upgrade to 5 gallon batches
[quote=“gregscsu”]I think you will be able to upgrade for pretty cheap.
All you really need is:
full size siphon, or auto siphon $4
Bucket fermenter $16
bung for the carboy $1
bottling Bucket $14
bottling Wand $2
4 gallon kettle - You probably already have large enough kettle somewhere in the kitchen
So $40 - $45 to upgrade to 5 gallon batches[/quote]
^This. It’s not that much to upgrade. Since you have it though I’d work on perfecting the craft on some small test batches first and then upgrading.
The ‘WOW’ factor of seeing the beer fermenting is nice. But pails are so much less expensive.
Better bottles are a nice alternative to avoid having broken glass and be able to see what is happening. But more expensive.
For a 5 gallon batch, you need a 6 gallon fermenter to help contain the krausen.
1 gallon is ~10 bottles. Hardly worth the time/energy to do. Upgrade to 3+ gallon batches for “testing”. But use the equipment for 5 gallon batches so you can do 5 gallons when you want.
yea…i agree on the perfecting the craft with small batches first. starting my first batch tomorrow and can’t wait for it…hehe thx for the info on the upgrades that would be needed to make a larger setup possible
Well, you are learning the first rule to homebrewing right off the bat: there will always be room to upgrade! Extract to full boil then a chiller then fermentation control then all grain then kegging then… I don’t really need an upgrade on anything but I’m buying stuff anyways just because I saw something cool on a forum.
That’s one thought.
I know at least one person that started out with AG, 10g batches on a Sabco system.
100’s of thousands of home brewers started on 5 gallon batches. There isn’t much “perfecting the craft” when doing extract batches.
This isn’t rocket science. 
[quote=“Nighthawk”]There isn’t much “perfecting the craft” when doing extract batches.
This isn’t rocket science. [/quote]
Not to sound argumentative but I couldn’t disagree more. There are plenty of cold side activities you need to work out that I think new brewers skip over because it doesn’t involve actually doing much. Pitching correct amounts of healthy yeast, controlling temperature of fermentation, sanitizing your equipment, waiting the appropriate time before bottling, bottling without oxygenating or contaminating your beer, ect. These are all aspects of the craft you can perfect before moving to all grain that I think have a bigger impact on the beer than the recipe itself. Just my 2 cents though. :cheers:
While it is true it isn’t rocket science, there are a lot of little things you can do to vastly improve your end product.
And it is best to figure all this out before moving to All Grain :cheers:
[quote=“inhousebrew”][quote=“Nighthawk”]There isn’t much “perfecting the craft” when doing extract batches.
This isn’t rocket science. [/quote]
Not to sound argumentative but I couldn’t disagree more. There are plenty of cold side activities you need to work out that I think new brewers skip over because it doesn’t involve actually doing much. Pitching correct amounts of healthy yeast, controlling temperature of fermentation, sanitizing your equipment, waiting the appropriate time before bottling, bottling without oxygenating or contaminating your beer, ect. These are all aspects of the craft you can perfect before moving to all grain that I think have a bigger impact on the beer than the recipe itself. Just my 2 cents though. :cheers:
While it is true it isn’t rocket science, there are a lot of little things you can do to vastly improve your end product.[/quote][quote=“560sdl”][quote=“inhousebrew”]While it is true it isn’t rocket science, there are a lot of little things you can do to vastly improve your end product.[/quote]
And it is best to figure all this out before moving to All Grain :cheers: [/quote]
Thousands of homebrewer have made millions of gallons a very drinkable beer with out making 1 gallon batches in order to “perfect their craft”.
Thousands of homebrewers have made millions of gallons of very drinkable beer with nothing more than a boil pot and air temp. No swamp coolers. No “son of a fermentation chiller”. No temp controlled refrigerator/freezer.
Thousands of homebrewers have made millions of gallons of very drinkable beer with LME and DME. They never make the jump of AG.
Making 10 bottles of beer in 4-5 hours seems a huge waste of time when I can make 50 bottles of very drinkable beer in 5-6 hours using LME or DME.
HBS are laughing their back sides off selling these 1 gallon kits.
[quote=“Nighthawk”]
Making 10 bottles of beer in 4-5 hours seems a huge waste of time when I can make 50 bottles of very drinkable beer in 5-6 hours using LME or DME.
HBS are laughing their back sides off selling these 1 gallon kits.[/quote]
I totally agree, 100% so I hope you do think I was not.
My only point was that if you cannot yet make good beer without going All Grain, then throwing that in before you can will just extend the timeline.
[quote=“560sdl”][quote=“Nighthawk”]
Making 10 bottles of beer in 4-5 hours seems a huge waste of time when I can make 50 bottles of very drinkable beer in 5-6 hours using LME or DME.
HBS are laughing their back sides off selling these 1 gallon kits.[/quote]
I totally agree, 100% so I hope you do think I was not.
My only point was that if you cannot yet make good beer without going All Grain, then throwing that in before you can will just extend the timeline.[/quote]
My comment on AG was to illustrate that there is no progression to make good beers.
Where ever this idea that you had to start with LME/DME, then move to PM, then to AG is just nonsense.
A couple months ago they cam up with 3 gallon kits. “I gotta start at 3 gallons” was the new start point.
Now we are down to 1 gallon kits. :roll:
full disclosure: I do make 1 gallon batches of beer. Even AG. I call them “starters”. :shock:
Wow, ok. Well, maybe I phrased that wrong because I obviously sounded argumentative. Anyways, all I meant was that the OP already has the one gallon setup so they might as well use it for a few batches just to nail down a few cold side practices that can greatly improve the quality of their beer. A lot of cold side practice gets skipped over from starting brewers and with a one gallon kit, which they already have, they could practice on those and then upgrade if they think they like the hobby. I think they are a little silly and unnecessary but there are still processes you could practice with them.
If someone could please help me understand what these cold side practices are that need to be nailed down I would really appreciate it. I’m sure my beer will be better when I understand this. And the new brewers might like to know also.
From my limited brewing experience I can come up with:
Clean/Sanitize racking cane/siphon tube.
Clean/Sanitize fermenter.
Transfer wort from boil kettle to fermenter.
Clean/Sanitize racking cane/siphon tube.
Clean/Sanitize Second fermenter/bulk aging vessel (secondary… cringe!)
Transfer beer to new fermenter.
Clean/Sanitize racking cane/siphon tube
Clean/Sanitize bottles/keg.
Transfer beer to bottles/keg.
Shirley I am missing something.
I think what we are all referring to, that most new brewers tend to miss is:
Seriously, these 5 issues above probably drive 75% of the posts on this forum. It is how I learned.
Personally, I am glad that I got all of these issues down pat by brewing many good extract batches before switching to all grain so that now I can focus on the nuances of all grain rather than going to all grain and having too high of fermentation temps and blaming the grain or something
[quote=“560sdl”]these 5 issues above probably drive 75% of the posts on this forum.[/quote]You forgot ‘when to transfer for secondary fermentation’ 
[quote=“Nighthawk”] I do make 1 gallon batches of beer. Even AG. I call them “starters”.[/quote]I don’t even waste my time doing that. If I need a starter I’ll brew a 2.5 - 3 gallon low gravity, lightly hopped beer.
I can see the value of 3 gallon kits for some, those who don’t drink a lot, like variety and don’t want 50 bottles of one style or folks who have limited space. My guess is the 1 gallon kits weren’t developed so much for new brewers, but for people to give as gifts to their beer loving friends or relatives.
560sdl and Glug, thanks for participating in this intellectual stimulating conversation. I also don’t want this to seem like I’m attacking inhousebrew. I’m bucking the notion that has been posted in the past.
If we look at the average instruction of a NB kit (Caribou Slobber
for this example). I’m sure they are the same instructions that one would get in a Brewers Best kit that many small HBS carry. That is what my LHBS carries.
Highlights:
Allow at least 3 hours for smack pack to inflate: OK, I did that. I’ve mastered that.
Chill wort to at least 78*. Check, Mastered that.
Fermentation temp: 65-75. I keep my house at 72* in the summer. Check, Mastered that.
I’ve cleaned and sanitized everything before transferring things. Check, Mastered that.
I’ve now mastered all the procedures the the instructions give me. Done deal. It only took me 1 brew to master the process of making beer.
Months ( years? ) down the road while cruising the information super highway I stumble upon the NB message board.
I realize that I need to allow more time for the smack pack to inflate. Or even make a starter. Check, Mastered that.
I read that the temp to pitch the yeast should be the fermentation temp. AND that fermentation generates heat. New fermentation temp low 60’s. Swamp Coolers! Check, Mastered that.
This has taken me 1 brew to master. It may have taken me 5 years to stumble upon the information. But it takes zero time, once you have the information in hand, to implement it.
It’s the same thought process with AG brewing. Through out time it was given that you either needed a false bottom or a copper manifold. Someone came up with this crazy idea, Denny’s been the big preacher on it, that you can use the SS braid off of a water line. Blasphemy!
Yeast: We have it in our heads that there is stratified layers when we pour yeast into a mason jar. The bottom is trub/hops. Middle yeast. Top water/beer.
Now I read from a crazy guy, Woodlandbrew
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=114517&p=1002619#p1002619
, that the top of the cake actually contains more bacteria than the rest. And the bottom of the cake has just as much viable yeast as the rest of the cake.
Until proven otherwise, I assume that he works in some field of science and has the proper knowledge/equipment to study this. Or it’s another hobby and he have the equipment at home.
If I’m missing something on how long it takes a person of average intelligence {I consider myself to be average, possibly below } to nail down and perfect a process, once he is given proper information, please help me.
I know 2 guy that brew extract beers. Both have been brewing for 10 years or more and have zero urge to move to AG. They both make fantastic beers. I don’t think either uses any temp control during fermentation. But they do have cold basements for ferment in. So I’m not and will not knock extract brewer.
