You would have to be rich (or crazy) to get into one gallon brewing. I happen to be the latter.
Considering the cost of equipment, ingredients, and brewing time, it costs a small fortune to brew a 12 pack of beer...and that's why we do it!
First, some quick background. I have been brewing off and on since the 90's. Like most folks back then, I started out with a 5 gallon plastic bucket. I moved on to glass fementers, kegs, cold lagering, and forced carbonation. I eventually evolved into a one gallon BIAB devotee.
The following is a rundown of the equipment that I use for my one gallon batches. My motivation is simplicity, cost be damned. Most items came from Amazon.
1. First up is my simple 2 gallon brew-pot. It has a metal lid that I cut a notch into for inserting a hose or cooling coil.
2. I cut a hole for a spigot/screen near the bottom of the brew-pot.
3. Nylon mesh bag that is reusable.
4. Quilted appliance cover. Works perfectly for holding the mash temp.
5. Nifty stainless steel strainer that fits perfectly on top of the brew-pot. It only has holes on the bottom so there is no mess when sparging.
6. 5qt cooler. I originally got this for holding the mash, but the quilted cover is simpler and better at holding the temp. Now I use it for collecting the wort after brewing and cooling. A siphon fits perfectly in the hole in the lid. I splash the wort between the cooler and the fermenter to aerate the wort.
7. A very small copper cooling coil that hook up to a garden hose.
8. Funnel with a fine mesh nylon filter. It is easy to clean.
9. One gallon fermenter from Brew Demon. It actually holds a gallon and a qt.
10. Ukeg beer growler for force carbonating and dispensing.
Altogether, I spent about $300 for this equipment. Kinda pricey but the simplicity is worth it to me. After all, what else would I rather spend my fortune on?
Considering the cost of equipment, ingredients, and brewing time, it costs a small fortune to brew a 12 pack of beer...and that's why we do it!
First, some quick background. I have been brewing off and on since the 90's. Like most folks back then, I started out with a 5 gallon plastic bucket. I moved on to glass fementers, kegs, cold lagering, and forced carbonation. I eventually evolved into a one gallon BIAB devotee.
The following is a rundown of the equipment that I use for my one gallon batches. My motivation is simplicity, cost be damned. Most items came from Amazon.
1. First up is my simple 2 gallon brew-pot. It has a metal lid that I cut a notch into for inserting a hose or cooling coil.
2. I cut a hole for a spigot/screen near the bottom of the brew-pot.
3. Nylon mesh bag that is reusable.
4. Quilted appliance cover. Works perfectly for holding the mash temp.
5. Nifty stainless steel strainer that fits perfectly on top of the brew-pot. It only has holes on the bottom so there is no mess when sparging.
6. 5qt cooler. I originally got this for holding the mash, but the quilted cover is simpler and better at holding the temp. Now I use it for collecting the wort after brewing and cooling. A siphon fits perfectly in the hole in the lid. I splash the wort between the cooler and the fermenter to aerate the wort.
7. A very small copper cooling coil that hook up to a garden hose.
8. Funnel with a fine mesh nylon filter. It is easy to clean.
9. One gallon fermenter from Brew Demon. It actually holds a gallon and a qt.
10. Ukeg beer growler for force carbonating and dispensing.
Altogether, I spent about $300 for this equipment. Kinda pricey but the simplicity is worth it to me. After all, what else would I rather spend my fortune on?
Last edited: