Mini Brews - Scaling Down For Experimentation

[troyedwards]

I am currently doing BIAB at 23L knockout.

I want to experiment with brews.

My first option is to make 23L and split it between x amount of vessels for fermentation with different yeasts and dry hopping profiles etc and then bottle. In this option how much yeast should I use for a smaller batch? Still the whole packet of dry yeast and a full Wyeast pack?

The second (and more appealing) option is to make adjustments to the grain bill. So therefore I can scale it back to 5L batches on beer smith. Will this provide a good enough sample of the beer to bottle?

 

[adryargument]

I am currently doing BIAB at 23L knockout.

I want to experiment with brews.

My first option is to make 23L and split it between x amount of vessels for fermentation with different yeasts and dry hopping profiles etc and then bottle. In this option how much yeast should I use for a smaller batch? Still the whole packet of dry yeast and a full Wyeast pack?

The second (and more appealing) option is to make adjustments to the grain bill. So therefore I can scale it back to 5L batches on beer smith. Will this provide a good enough sample of the beer to bottle?

I do a 60L brew and drop it into 3 fermenters and use different yeasts / dry hop.
Simply split your correct amount of yeast for your 23L evenly into the smaller fermenters you end up using.

 

[mxd]

23 ltrs is a mini batch, you just need to drink more

Both options will work, as for the yeast you can use a yeast calculator (e.g http://www.mrmalty.com) to assist with you calculations.

Another option

do the 30 ltr mash (or what ever you do for 23 ltrs),

then seperate into different pots for the Boil/hop additions, then use the same yeast

 

[troyedwards]

23 ltrs is a mini batch, you just need to drink more

Both options will work, as for the yeast you can use a yeast calculator (e.g http://www.mrmalty.com) to assist with you calculations.

Another option

do the 30 ltr mash (or what ever you do for 23 ltrs),

then seperate into different pots for the Boil/hop additions, then use the same yeast

I see, I see.... There are plenty of ways to skin a cat

Thanks y'all

 

[drsmurto]

I do 10L batches and plan on doing some 5L batches next year. I have a number of 5 and 10L 'cubes' to be able to cold condition/lager in.

I have a 15L water 'esky' cooler, a 30L pot i use for decoctions or an 18L stockpot rather than using the 55L esky and 50L kettle.

Not that difficult although with the much smaller mash size you need to find a better way of maintaining mash temp - much smaller thermal mass means the temperature drops much quicker. Pre-heating plus wrapping in an old sleeping bag is ok for 10L batches in the 15L cooler (1C drop over the first 20 mins). For 5L batches i will use a stockpot for a mashtun and put it in the oven to keep it at temperature.

Scale your yeast down by the same amount as the volume.

 

[Jazzafish]

Agree with DrSmurto about mash tun and temp loss.

I have done some small BIAB batches on a stove top to experiment or try different ideas. Was alright if the experiment was a fail because I didn't waste any ingredients, just some time. That said if I liked the result, there was never enough! These days I'm short on time so just punch out a full batch and cop it sweet if it isn't quite what I was after. Just make notes and tweak it if I rebrew.

Still use the stove top BIAB for starter wort. Need to apply heat periodically to maintain heat.

 

[Tex083]

I have only done 3 AG brews all using my 19L Stockpot from BigW
I have a total vol of around 13L and it fits nicely in a 10L Willow Jerry.
I chose to do it this way to make more beers, not lots of one beer. Its the same amount of work for a smaller gain but I enjoy the brewing process. I use a camping mat for insulation on the mash tun and loose 2-3 degrees over the 60 mins.

 

[kevo]

After having made 5L batches for a while thinking that I didn't have space & time to manage bigger brews I found I ended up really frustrated at the time I spent making such a small amount of beer.

The time difference since doubling or tripling my batch size has been negligible - make bigger batches, experiment more...

There is little difference in terms of time (and space) to brew batches bigger than 5L

Kev

 

[thylacine]

November 12, 2009 - BYO-BBR Yeast Pitching Experiment 'Do Pitching Rates Matter? And if so, how?'

Chris Colby, Andy Sparks, and Mark Smith join James to evaluate the second collaborative experiment with Brew Your Own Magazine.

http://ec.libsyn.com/p/d/4/2/d427e767bdb8b...mp;c_id=1452431

 

[Thirsty Boy]

The thing with small batches is you can knock em out in your kitchen, and the size is actually manageble with kitchen equipment and no unweildy compromises.

It might seem a lot of work to make 5 or 10L of beer... but really, how much work is brewing a batch? Its mostly waiting around, and if you are in your kitchen, things aren't massive in size and easy to manage, you can knowck out a batch while you balance the chequebook. Or like today, watch the cricket.

A 10L pot, mash it in, whack it in a an oven you have pre-heated and then turned off so you dont lose any heat... wander off for an hour. Pull bag and it'll be up to the boil in 5 mins on just a single stove burner.... wander away for an hour. Top it up to volume/gravity or whatever with water from the kettle and then stick it in a sinkful of water to chill down, change the water a few times over the next hour, tip it into a little fermenter and sprinkle in half a packet of yeast.

4 hours from start to pitch and you'll actually have spent only around half an hour of actual work on the brew - in the meantime you've walked the dog, mowed the lawn and made naughty with your other half. Great way to get yourself 5-6L (remember thats more than a dozen stubbies) of trial beer, have a little fun and get to brew when otherwise you might not have the time.

 

[Nick JD]

I often make 12L batches when I'm not too sure of an ingredient (mainly new (to me) yeasts and hops). In a 19L pot the technique to make 12L contains no "tricks" - it's your "standard" BIAB technique.

Makes 36 Stubbies. Seems like such a little amount in a FV (I use a cut-down jerry on the hump in my fermenting fridge, so it's using wasted space also) but it's a carton and a half.

Usually I make triples and IIPAs in small batches (9-12L) as it's better for my head and liver if there's only one or two 8% beers cold in the fridge. :huh:

I have a lot of time to brew, and enjoy the process - but can fully understand those with precious-little free time brewing 100L batches. That said, it'd fully suck to make 100L of dud beer.

 

[m3taL]

made naughty with your other half.

Errrr... whats that?? Bwahahahah Cricket it is