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Author Topic: Scaling Down  (Read 2823 times)

Offline beersk

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #15 on: November 09, 2015, 02:43:11 pm »
I find that I don't enjoy the beer as much when I am trying to get through it because I am so excited to get to the new batch which is waiting in the fermenter. It's kind of the whole 'grass is greener' type of situation. It's like, 'this is good but the next one is going to be awesome' and that happens for every batch...haha

Bottling takes care of this itch. I love being surprised by having a few bombers of something I brewed 6 months ago just sitting there waiting for me. I know most people love to keg and everyone says once you keg you won't go back but every time I see posts regarding improper keg sealing, keg cleaning, line cleaning, fridge maintenance, pressure control, sticky valves, etc... I'm happy with my super efficient/fast bottling session early on a Saturday morning that gives a predictable pour every time with no hassle of large amounts of equipment. I deal with enough problems with gas handling equipment at work - I don't really need it invading my hobby space as well.

Also having a closet of bombers with a nice little selection of about 10 different brews at different ages is extremely satisfying to me.
I can understand your sentiments, but once you dial in a kegging system there is almost never anything to worry about other than keep your co2 tank filled. But there are merits to both bottling and kegging. I can appreciate the brewers that are perfectly happy with bottling. That's super cool. It's so much cheaper and simpler. Personally, I love kegging, so if I were in goschman's position, I'd probably look at getting some smaller kegs and still brewing every 3 weeks.
Ideally, I'd like to brew 2-3 times a month, 3 gallon batches fermented in 5 gallon kegs and serve with 2.5 gallon kegs. Just gotta invest in some 2.5 gallon kegs and I'm there...
Jesse

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #16 on: November 09, 2015, 02:53:10 pm »
I know most people love to keg and everyone says once you keg you won't go back but every time I see posts regarding improper keg sealing, keg cleaning, line cleaning, fridge maintenance, pressure control, sticky valves, etc

A kegging system does not have be complicated.  I used a completely vanilla refrigerator with picnic taps on 2.5' to 3' lengths of tubing until the last year and a half.   I clean the keg and the picnic tap at the same time by using CO2 to force the cleaning agent into and out of the picnic tap while it is attached to the keg.  The entire cleaning operation is performed in our utility sink.  There is no need to disassemble a soda keg when using CO2.   Every  time I think about installing faucets, I realize that doing so would complicate cleaning.

As far as to charging the kegs, I placed the CO2 bottle in with the kegs until the keg I was charging was fully charged for many years until I installed a gas manifold, bulkhead fitting, and gas line ball valve disconnect in/on my brewing refrigerator.  I am not into gassy beer, so I only add top pressure when a keg will no longer serve.

Offline dilluh98

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2015, 03:08:39 pm »
A kegging system does not have be complicated. 

until I installed a gas manifold, bulkhead fitting, and gas line ball valve disconnect in/on my brewing refrigerator. 

You've already lost me. Like I said, I deal with all this stuff at work - I don't want it in my hobby.

The entire cleaning operation is performed in our utility sink.

I don't have a utility sink, nor the space for another refrigerator, nor do I want the energy bills of running a fridge in a garage that sits at >90F for 7 months out of the year.

Offline coolman26

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #18 on: November 09, 2015, 03:25:21 pm »
I've thought about getting some smaller kegs.  I have 16 ball locks and a 5 tap fridge.  I brew 12.5 to 20 gallon batches.  I carbonate and bottle from the keg.  I just give beer to several friends.  I have given thought to going back to 5 gallon batches.  Brewing for the winter I will brew beers that are high gravity and age well.  After reading this, I drink too much. 
Jeff B

Offline Stevie

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Scaling Down
« Reply #19 on: November 09, 2015, 03:57:29 pm »
There is no need to disassemble a soda keg when using CO2.   Every  time I think about installing faucets, I realize that doing so would complicate cleaning.
I agree on not breaking down kegs to clean, but I do break mine down about once a year and replace the rings. Rings are dirt cheap in bulk, so the added cost is negligible.

Re: the faucets, do you ever disassemble your picnic taps? They get funky quick. I still use them, but plan on upgrading to proper faucets as soon as possible. I also serve my beer at 42-45°, the funk might not happen as bad if served colder. I try to spray out the faucets with StarSan, but that rarely happens since it can be messy.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2015, 04:02:17 pm by Steve in TX »

Offline PORTERHAUS

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #20 on: November 09, 2015, 04:48:42 pm »
When I started all grain, it was with 2.5-3 gal batches. It made the expense low and allowed me to experiment a lot as I was brewing very often at that time. I had a different schedule back then, now with a bigger family and working a different schedule I made the jump to 6 gal batches when I started kegging about 3 yrs ago. Some of them smaller batches were my best ever. I brew less often now, but concentrate on quality. Most of my beer is consumed by guests or given out to friends. I have only a couple beers a week, sometimes none at all. I brew because I love everyting about it, start to finish. Taking an idea and creating something from scratch that I invisioned. I would brew even if I couldn't drink the beer I made.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #21 on: November 09, 2015, 04:52:03 pm »
Another option for variety would be to brew split batches. You could produce your usual 5-6 gallons of wort and split it between fermenters with different yeasts, fruit, dry hops, etc. You could get twice as many batches as brewdays with a little planning.
Eric B.

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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #22 on: November 09, 2015, 05:30:46 pm »
Another option for variety would be to brew split batches. You could produce your usual 5-6 gallons of wort and split it between fermenters with different yeasts, fruit, dry hops, etc. You could get twice as many batches as brewdays with a little planning.

That is a fabulous suggestion! I have been wanting to branch out with more yeasts lately and that would be a great way to do it.
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

RPIScotty

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #23 on: November 09, 2015, 06:05:57 pm »

Another option for variety would be to brew split batches. You could produce your usual 5-6 gallons of wort and split it between fermenters with different yeasts, fruit, dry hops, etc. You could get twice as many batches as brewdays with a little planning.

That is a fabulous suggestion! I have been wanting to branch out with more yeasts lately and that would be a great way to do it.

This is why I am exploring the blended Parti-gyle method. Twice as much beer off of one grain bill and if blended pre-boil, you can add dissimilar sugars, hops, etc. and get some variety. I've got my daughter coming at the end of the month and I'll be on the 2 child crazy train for a while. When I come back to brewing though it will be with a blended Parti-gyle BDSA/Dubbel.


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Offline tommymorris

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Scaling Down
« Reply #24 on: November 09, 2015, 07:39:46 pm »
I moved to 3G batches (2.5G in keg) this summer.  I like it so much I sold my Speidel 30L and bought a 5G big mouth bubbler. I just bought two 2.5G kegs. I love those.  I am about to sell my 5G cornies.

For a long time I was hesitant to do the same work for less beer. In the end, that is a mental barrier I am very happy to have gotten over.  I brew about every 3-4 weeks now.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2015, 09:23:00 pm by alestateyall »

S. cerevisiae

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #25 on: November 09, 2015, 08:56:03 pm »
Re: the faucets, do you ever disassemble your picnic taps? They get funky quick. I still use them, but plan on upgrading to proper faucets as soon as possible. I also serve my beer at 42-45°, the funk might not happen as bad if served colder. I try to spray out the faucets with StarSan, but that rarely happens since it can be messy.

The only time that I disassemble a keg is when I am experiencing a problem.  I do disassemble my picnic faucets from time-to-time, but my cleaning process takes care of any build up.  After rinsing out the precipitate that settles during aging and serving, I fill the keg with hot water, oxygen bleach, and unscented liquid dishwashing detergent.   I then depress the poppet on the liquid connector, which causes the liquid tube to fill.  I top off the keg with hot water, and let it soak for about thirty minutes with the lid dangling in the keg with the lid o-ring loose.  I then seal the lid, attach the picnic faucet assembly, pressurize the keg, and let cleaning solution purge the CO2 and beer than remains in the line.  The  entire setup is allowed to soak for another thirty minutes before emptying all but about a gallon of the cleaning solution from the keg. The lid is re-installed and CO2 is used to push the remaining cleaning solution through the picnic assembly that is still attached to keg.  The keg is then rinsed thoroughly with hot water before being filled with about a gallon of hot water that is used to flush the residual cleaning solution from the liquid tube and picnic faucet assembly using CO2.   The process sounds complex, but I can do it in my sleep.   My picnic faucets remain squeaky clean because the faucet that is assigned to a keg gets cleaned every time the keg gets cleaned.   I sanitize my kegs with iodophor.



Offline factory

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #26 on: November 10, 2015, 05:25:34 am »
I mainly brew for myself, and I only drink 4 or 5 beers a week, but I like to brew 1-2 batches a month. Five gallons at a time was way too much, so I dropped down to half-sized batches. That lets me brew more often, keep up a variety of choices, and brew a big batch to age every few months.

+1.  I just made this decision as well, moving to smaller 2.5 gallon batches.  I think that it frees me up to do more experimental beers too.  Dumping 2 gallons vs. 4.5 is more palatable to me in the case that I may not like the beer.  I can still brew the 5 gallon batches of seasonals that I know my friends will drink at parties.

Offline beersk

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #27 on: November 10, 2015, 06:56:41 am »
Another option for variety would be to brew split batches. You could produce your usual 5-6 gallons of wort and split it between fermenters with different yeasts, fruit, dry hops, etc. You could get twice as many batches as brewdays with a little planning.
This is a neat idea I'd like to explore as well. I just need a those 2.5 gallon kegs. Be great to be able to ferment each half in a 5 gallon keg and close-transfer them to their serving kegs and get two beers out of 1 brew session.
Jesse

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #28 on: November 10, 2015, 07:16:44 am »
Thanks for the feedback guys. The split batch idea seems like the best option for my situation so I will probably start experimenting with after the next batches that I already have scheduled. I might up my normal batch size a bit so I could get 6 gallons of wort into the fermenters.
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline coolman26

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Re: Scaling Down
« Reply #29 on: November 10, 2015, 07:31:54 am »
I split my batches every time I brew.  I brewed 16 gallons of Saison 3 weeks ago.  I used 3 different yeasts.  I just pulled gravity samples for the first time and I have 3 amazingly different Saison beers.  What I like is the opportunity to try so many different yeasts.  I think the split batches for you is a great idea.  I've been using yeasts from other suppliers too, other than WL and WY.  If I didn't have so many people drinking my beer, I would go to smaller batches for sure. 
Jeff B