question concerning brewing 2 1/2 gallon batches!

[guinness310]

cheers and good day to all.

 

I've been brewing 5 gallon all-grain batches for 6 months now and i wanted to try 2 1/2 gallon batches because i want to expiriment with more styles, spices, fruits etc.....my question was: do i simply devide my 5 gallon batches in half? Or is it more complicated than that? Will a 3 gallon cornelius keg suffice for storage? I have a 10 gallon coleman mash tun. Will that work just fine, given i strike and sparge with the appropriate ammount of water. im sorry for so many questions but im really getting into the idea of brewing these small batches, because i think it would definitely let me get extremely creative, without the fear of jepoardizing a full 5 gallons worth of beer.

 

Thanx in advanced for any responses

 

Cheers!  

[Ray Grace]

To my knowledge you should be able to halve everything from a five gallon batch, I'd be a little wary of evaporating too much wort during your boil since you'll also be starting off with a smaller volume but other than that I'd think you'd be fine.  Have you also thought of doing a full five gallon batch and than dividing into separate carboys and than try different yeasts, spices, dryhop regimens, etc.. ?

[guinness310]

Thank you for replying Ray and no, I haven't tried to divide a five gallon batch. My friends and I usually brew 5 gallon batches but they're not the "experimental" type. The last time I tried to experiment, I dry-hopped in the primary and fell victim to Autolysis…They always bring it up, because for them, they lost 5 gallons of beer. I wonder if it would've come out right had I tossed in a pack of yeast nutrient in with the hops, but I dont mind so much because I learned something new and useful that day.

 Ill still be brewing "cautiously" with them, but im also going to venture out on my own and experiment with small batches. Ill buy the ingredients and brew them myself, that way it's my money and time wasted if I mess up or over spice or something. 

Sorry for that LONG story but what would be the ideal brew kettle's quart size for a 2.5 gallon batch? (considering: I want a rolling boil and would need enough water to cover the loss from the boil evaporation, trub loss, grain absorption in the mash tun and wort post boil shrinkage)

 

Again, thank you for replying and I hope you will reply again. CHEERS!

 

-Guinness310

[Jenifer Hagge]

Fantastically great post! Perceptive yet entertaining as well. Thanks.


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