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Poll

What size batch do you most often brew?

< 2
1 (1.7%)
2 < 3
8 (13.6%)
3 < 4
2 (3.4%)
4 < 5
3 (5.1%)
5 < 6
32 (54.2%)
6 < 10
3 (5.1%)
10 < 15
10 (16.9%)
15 < 20
0 (0%)
20 < 25
0 (0%)
25 < 30
0 (0%)
30 < 55
0 (0%)
>= 55
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 56

Author Topic: What size batch do you most often brew?  (Read 3726 times)

Offline FaradayUncaged

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 75
Re: What size batch do you most often brew?
« Reply #30 on: April 04, 2016, 06:14:20 am »
Apparently I'm in the majority and tend to brew 5-6 gallon batches (5 gallons plus extra to account for losses).

Offline ethinson

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 561
  • Why is the beer always gone?
    • River Pirate Brewing Co.
Re: What size batch do you most often brew?
« Reply #31 on: April 04, 2016, 12:31:44 pm »
Started with 3 gallons in a Mr Beer.  Moved on to formulating my own recipes but stuck with that size since that's what works for my space.  Stove top boil and a bookshelf for carboys is all I have in a tiny Portland apartment. 

I've made a handful of 5 gallon batches but they are much harder for me to pull off.  3 gallons is a great size for me.  Gives me a handful of bottles to send to comps, a handful of bottles to drink and then on to the next batch.

I also very rarely repeat recipes as I like to experiment, but I have a couple that are becoming "flagships", a Black Butte Porter clone I've done twice and my Cascadian Dark Ale I've done 4 times now.
SE Portland - AKA Beervana
Captain and Chief Deck Swabber - River Pirate Brewing Co.
Certified BJCP Beer Judge
2015 Oregon Brew Crew Member of the Year

Offline brewsumore

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 678
  • Spokane, WA
Re: What size batch do you most often brew?
« Reply #32 on: April 04, 2016, 11:34:33 pm »
I'm still brewing 11 gal batches to yield 2 full cornies, and normally my 4-tap kegerator has a different beer on every tap.  I feel like it's not that much more work to brew 10 gallons than a 5 gallon batch and I'm not crazy about just getting into enjoying a beer when wham - the little 'ol single keg kicks.  And I do have friends visiting pretty often, and sometimes give away some bombers and/or growlers, although insist on getting the empty growlers back! 

I do like the idea of brewing a 2.5 gal lower gravity beer to grow a yeast cake while yielding BEER.  Also, I keep telling myself to try more often to split batches (different yeasts) but rarely do that either, I guess because I get focused on the fermentation regimen which is easier to control with same yeast working the same in two buckets going in my ferment fridge.

Although due to a health issue I've been nearly completely on the wagon for about 6 weeks and hoping that won't last too long.  So I have made a couple beers in the meantime that do well to age a few months, namely Skotrat's Traquair House Ale clone (wee heavy), and have a batch of Rochefort 8 clone bubbling away in the ferment fridge currently.

Now in my late 50's I might have to tone down the production but honestly, I only brew about 10 batches per year, and at least a couple of them are taken to lawn parties or on fishing trips.