I have been brewing all grain small batches exclusively since the beginning of the year. I received a kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop, which was a 1 gallon kit, and I was hooked. After buying some recipe kits from them, i found a local home brew shop, and i have been buying from them exclusively. Economy of scale plays out here, so it is more economical to do 5 gallons, but I don't have the room to brew outside, nor the ability to drink or share that amount of beer. With small batches I am brewing every weekend, making minor changes to develop my technique and compare the results. I have been using Brew Better Beer by Christensen as a guide as she provides recipe in 1 gal and 5 gal amounts, and I ask my HBS to give me 2x the recipe so I can brew it twice with different variations so i can compare the results. So far I have done 12 batches, and I learn something from each brew. Keep good notes! It comes in handy for referencing as you get more experienced. Have fun.