[HoosierBrew]

consider smaller batches indoors on the stove (at least for the mash, if not also the boil).

This is all I ever do, winter spring summer fall!  I don't understand the obsession with large batches and big equipment.  Save time on brewing day, experiment a lot more, get more variety, yadda yadda.

I brew 90%+ in the garage, but my kettle is actually wide enough to straddle 2 burners on the gas stove. I wussed out and brewed a couple batches on the stove last winter - took a little longer to reach boil obviously but made 5.5 gallon batches just fine. Takes a wide kettle to hit 2 burners though.

Perhaps the greatest invention of the late Stone Age is the concept of "indoors". 

No doubt. 

[klickitat jim]

We don't have Minnesota winters but close sometimes. I have brew days where I have to unlock my water line from the frost free after filling the MT and HLT or it will be frozen solid by the time I need it for the chiller. I just wear longjohns, and my carhart insulated bibs, and keep the shop door open.

[paloaf]

Perhaps the greatest invention of the late Stone Age is the concept of "indoors".
[/quote]

Brewing outdoors and in the cold is not an issue at all for me.  In fact, I'd rather brew outdoors as I do 5/10 gallon batches and all of my fermentation space is in the garage as well. 

The bigger issue for me is keeping my new garage from having possible mold/drywall issues from excessive condensation.  My ceilings are fairly high at about 11 or 12 feet, so condensation may not be as big an issue as I am considering?  I guess the only way to find out is to brew when it's cold!

[metron-brewer]

Fellow Minnesotan here. Finally got fed up with cold weather brewing, frozen hoses and the like and moved into the basement and went electric. I use this fan mounted to the ceiling and venting out the basement window with no moisture problem at all. The thing moves a ton of air. Takes my brew house humidity from 70% to 60% no problem. They also have a 12" version that may exhaust your larger space better.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200007224_200007224

Cheers

[beersk]

consider smaller batches indoors on the stove (at least for the mash, if not also the boil).

This is all I ever do, winter spring summer fall!  I don't understand the obsession with large batches and big equipment.  Save time on brewing day, experiment a lot more, get more variety, yadda yadda.

It makes sense for some people to brew large batches. If you don't drink much or have that many other people drinking your beer, then it makes more sense to brew smaller.

Brewing inside in the winter is a great idea. It adds humidity to the house and heat. I brew inside year round, probably shouldn't in the summer months though. Gets a bit humid in my place.

[brewinhard]

100% year round garage brewer.  Love not really having to deal with weather issues (rain, snow, wind, etc) except for heat/humidity in the summer and frigid temps in winter (Western NY south of Buffalo, Lake Erie).  I have not had any issues with mold or moisture problems in my garage but I only brew 5 gallon batches at a time.  Just leave the garage door about 1/3 open to allow for some airflow and CO escape from propane burning.

Having floor drains also is a real plus!

[dmtaylor]

It makes sense for some people to brew large batches. If you don't drink much or have that many other people drinking your beer, then it makes more sense to brew smaller.

Brewing inside in the winter is a great idea. It adds humidity to the house and heat. I brew inside year round, probably shouldn't in the summer months though. Gets a bit humid in my place.

  Smells great in the house for a couple days, too!

[erockrph]

It makes sense for some people to brew large batches. If you don't drink much or have that many other people drinking your beer, then it makes more sense to brew smaller.

Brewing inside in the winter is a great idea. It adds humidity to the house and heat. I brew inside year round, probably shouldn't in the summer months though. Gets a bit humid in my place.

  Smells great in the house for a couple days, too!

I wish my wife thought the same way 

[duboman]

It makes sense for some people to brew large batches. If you don't drink much or have that many other people drinking your beer, then it makes more sense to brew smaller.

Brewing inside in the winter is a great idea. It adds humidity to the house and heat. I brew inside year round, probably shouldn't in the summer months though. Gets a bit humid in my place.

  Smells great in the house for a couple days, too!

I wish my wife thought the same way 

+1

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[ramitt]

consider smaller batches indoors on the stove (at least for the mash, if not also the boil).

This is all I ever do, winter spring summer fall!  I don't understand the obsession with large batches and big equipment.  Save time on brewing day, experiment a lot more, get more variety, yadda yadda.

 It is cool that it works for you, I hate kitchen brewing, I like to keep the mess in another area and find making larger batches more efficent for my time.  You could consider that what works great for you may not for everyone.

[dmtaylor]

consider smaller batches indoors on the stove (at least for the mash, if not also the boil).

This is all I ever do, winter spring summer fall!  I don't understand the obsession with large batches and big equipment.  Save time on brewing day, experiment a lot more, get more variety, yadda yadda.

 It is cool that it works for you, I hate kitchen brewing, I like to keep the mess in another area and find making larger batches more efficent for my time.  You could consider that what works great for you may not for everyone.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!  I get that.  Of course my process is the best.  For me.  Not for anyone else.  But it's certainly an option that some people just never seem to consider.  Everyone brews the same way as Denny Conn or John Palmer or Jamil Z or whoever else.  It seems to me so often that everyone is set to auto-pilot.  Does it work?  Sure it works!  But so does my way.  And nobody else seems to do it my way!  Well, a few.  But not many.  It's an option worthy of consideration.  That is all.

[erockrph]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!  I get that.  Of course my process is the best.  For me.  Not for anyone else.  But it's certainly an option that some people just never seem to consider.  Everyone brews the same way as Denny Conn or John Palmer or Jamil Z or whoever else.  It seems to me so often that everyone is set to auto-pilot.  Does it work?  Sure it works!  But so does my way.  And nobody else seems to do it my way!  Well, a few.  But not many.  It's an option worthy of consideration.  That is all.

Big +1 on this. I've developed a system that works great for me, and allows me brew 3-galon all-grain batches in my kitchen. This enables me to brew the beer I want to brew, as often as I like to brew, and makes the amount of beer that I typically consume in a reasonable period of time. If I listened to common wisdom when I started brewing, I would have never gotten into all-grain brewing and might have quit the hobby once I started getting bored with partial-boil 5-gallon extract batches.

[dilluh98]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!  I get that.  Of course my process is the best.  For me.  Not for anyone else.  But it's certainly an option that some people just never seem to consider.  Everyone brews the same way as Denny Conn or John Palmer or Jamil Z or whoever else.  It seems to me so often that everyone is set to auto-pilot.  Does it work?  Sure it works!  But so does my way.  And nobody else seems to do it my way!  Well, a few.  But not many.  It's an option worthy of consideration.  That is all.

Big +1 on this. I've developed a system that works great for me, and allows me brew 3-galon all-grain batches in my kitchen. This enables me to brew the beer I want to brew, as often as I like to brew, and makes the amount of beer that I typically consume in a reasonable period of time. If I listened to common wisdom when I started brewing, I would have never gotten into all-grain brewing and might have quit the hobby once I started getting bored with partial-boil 5-gallon extract batches.

Completely agree on this as well. I started with 2-3 gallon BIAB batches in the kitchen, gained more knowledge on the hobby, got a setup for 5 gallon batches outdoors with a propane burner and now I do both depending on all sorts of variables: type of beer, experimentation, time constraints, weather constraints, etc. Hell, I'll do the occasional 1 gallon batch here or there to experiment because it's so damn easy to do on a weeknight while other chores are getting done in the process. 30 min mash, 30 min boil and no need to lug out an immersion cooler when I'm done. Having the flexibility of several setups keeps the hobby fresh for me and keeps me brewing often.

[denny]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!  I get that.  Of course my process is the best.  For me.  Not for anyone else.  But it's certainly an option that some people just never seem to consider.  Everyone brews the same way as Denny Conn or John Palmer or Jamil Z or whoever else.  It seems to me so often that everyone is set to auto-pilot.  Does it work?  Sure it works!  But so does my way.  And nobody else seems to do it my way!  Well, a few.  But not many.  It's an option worthy of consideration.  That is all.

Could it be that people (like me) HAVE tried it your way and prefer the "other" way?  That's it not about popularity but practicality?

[HoosierBrew]

I couldn't care less what size batches somebody else brews. When I started brewing, most of the recipes and kits were scaled for 5 gallons, but I never found it very hard to scale a recipe down. And I did for some big beers because I didn't necessarily always want 5 gallons of those, where 3 gallons seemed about right. But I do like having lots of 5 gallon kegs because that size batch on an average strength beer is just the right size batch for me and my friends and family to enjoy several of, then it's gone and remembered fondly. The idea of people brewing an amount just because other people do is silly. We all do it our way.