[Kevin]

Have you ever thought of getting 3 gallon kegs for your small batches? I started doing small batches on my kitchen stove in the winter just so I could brew when it was too cold in the garage on my big system. I had not bottled in nearly 15 years and I quickly discovered I still hated bottling no matter how small the batch was.

[denny]

So, I found a Elysian Space Dust clone recipe that I was thinking of trying.  Cutting the grain bill in half gave me about 8.375 pounds of grain.  Using the formula of 1.25 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain I come up with a little over 2.5 gallons of water I start with, which is my ending volume.  I know some of it will boil off during the boil, but does that sound about right?  I guess I can sparge a small amount of water thru the grains to make my boil amount to be about 3 to 3.5 gallons, right?  I am thinking of giving this a try next weekend just for the heck of it.

Yep, that will work.  You could also mash thicker and use more sparge water.  Hard to say if one is a better choice than the other.

Thank Denny, I appreciate your input.  I guess if I come up short I can always just add water to the wort when it goes into the fermenter, right?  My goal is to have a little over 2.5 gallons in the fermenter and 2.5 gallons at the end to bottle and have as a second beer.  If I like it, then I will do a 5 gallon batch when my keg is empty.  LOL.

Personally, I brew to gravity, not volume. My own decision to add water is based on if I'm over gravity, not under volume.

Thanks, I guess I have not gotten that good yet.  LOL.  I am working on it though

Well, here's how I do it...nothing too difficult. About 15-20 minutes before what I estimate will be the end of boil, before I add any finishing hops, I take a gravity reading. If I'm low, I keep boiling another 10-20 min. then start the finishing hops. If I'm high, I add water.  It requires you to make a guess, but there's nothing tricky about it.

[redrocker652002]

Have you ever thought of getting 3 gallon kegs for your small batches? I started doing small batches on my kitchen stove in the winter just so I could brew when it was too cold in the garage on my big system. I had not bottled in nearly 15 years and I quickly discovered I still hated bottling no matter how small the batch was.

I have thought of that, but my mini fridge isn't quite big enough I don't think to hold the 5 gallon torpedo and a 3 gallon mini.  And, on top of that, I would have to fool with the lines and tap.  My reason for bottling is two fold.  I can store a few bottles in my shop fridge and kitchen fridge and I am more just curious what the difference is taste wise, if any.  But, I my end game is to get either a bigger fridge or a used chest freezer and convert that to a multi tap kegerator to have 2 or 3 styles of beer on tap.  But, that is a bit away.  But, now you have me thinking of it, so I am going to check and see what I can find.  Thanks for the reply, I appreciate all input.  RR

[redrocker652002]

So, I found a Elysian Space Dust clone recipe that I was thinking of trying.  Cutting the grain bill in half gave me about 8.375 pounds of grain.  Using the formula of 1.25 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain I come up with a little over 2.5 gallons of water I start with, which is my ending volume.  I know some of it will boil off during the boil, but does that sound about right?  I guess I can sparge a small amount of water thru the grains to make my boil amount to be about 3 to 3.5 gallons, right?  I am thinking of giving this a try next weekend just for the heck of it.

Yep, that will work.  You could also mash thicker and use more sparge water.  Hard to say if one is a better choice than the other.

Thank Denny, I appreciate your input.  I guess if I come up short I can always just add water to the wort when it goes into the fermenter, right?  My goal is to have a little over 2.5 gallons in the fermenter and 2.5 gallons at the end to bottle and have as a second beer.  If I like it, then I will do a 5 gallon batch when my keg is empty.  LOL.

Personally, I brew to gravity, not volume. My own decision to add water is based on if I'm over gravity, not under volume.

Thanks, I guess I have not gotten that good yet.  LOL.  I am working on it though

Well, here's how I do it...nothing too difficult. About 15-20 minutes before what I estimate will be the end of boil, before I add any finishing hops, I take a gravity reading. If I'm low, I keep boiling another 10-20 min. then start the finishing hops. If I'm high, I add water.  It requires you to make a guess, but there's nothing tricky about it.

OK, cool.  I will give that a try.  That leads to another question though.  If I have to boil longer won't I end up having to add water anyway to get to my final volume?  Or am I leaving it be and adjusting the boil volume next time to compensate for the lower gravity? 

[denny]

So, I found a Elysian Space Dust clone recipe that I was thinking of trying.  Cutting the grain bill in half gave me about 8.375 pounds of grain.  Using the formula of 1.25 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain I come up with a little over 2.5 gallons of water I start with, which is my ending volume.  I know some of it will boil off during the boil, but does that sound about right?  I guess I can sparge a small amount of water thru the grains to make my boil amount to be about 3 to 3.5 gallons, right?  I am thinking of giving this a try next weekend just for the heck of it.

Yep, that will work.  You could also mash thicker and use more sparge water.  Hard to say if one is a better choice than the other.

Thank Denny, I appreciate your input.  I guess if I come up short I can always just add water to the wort when it goes into the fermenter, right?  My goal is to have a little over 2.5 gallons in the fermenter and 2.5 gallons at the end to bottle and have as a second beer.  If I like it, then I will do a 5 gallon batch when my keg is empty.  LOL.

Personally, I brew to gravity, not volume. My own decision to add water is based on if I'm over gravity, not under volume.

Thanks, I guess I have not gotten that good yet.  LOL.  I am working on it though

Well, here's how I do it...nothing too difficult. About 15-20 minutes before what I estimate will be the end of boil, before I add any finishing hops, I take a gravity reading. If I'm low, I keep boiling another 10-20 min. then start the finishing hops. If I'm high, I add water.  It requires you to make a guess, but there's nothing tricky about it.

OK, cool.  I will give that a try.  That leads to another question though.  If I have to boil longer won't I end up having to add water anyway to get to my final volume?  Or am I leaving it be and adjusting the boil volume next time to compensate for the lower gravity?

If you add water, you'll reduce the gravity, getting you into a circle.  The point is, don't worry about volume, worry about gravity.  That way you get the beer you want....maybe less of it, but it tastes right.