The 5 Reasons To Consider 1-Gallon Brewing
04/08/2024
By Thomas Guzowski
A commercial brewer can produce hundreds or even thousands of gallons of beer for a single recipe, a massive difference in scale when you consider many homebrewers are whipping up 5-gallon batches at a time. But since I started this hobby, I’ve kept to an even smaller agenda–brewing one-gallon recipes.
A case for one-gallon brewing
The homebrewing industry barely recognizes my scaled-down existence, given most ingredients and equipment are designed for 5-gallon batches. But if one peers through the bottom of their pint-glass, they’ll see the benefits of going small–extra small. Here’s why:
Save Time and Money on Expired Yeast
Most local homebrew supply shops, occasionally sell near-expired yeast packets with steep discounts because the yeast’s vitality may be compromised. The 5-gallon brewer overcomes this challenge by building a healthy yeast starter, a time-consuming process. However, for us extra-small homebrewers, a single yeast pack at even 50% viability is plenty healthy enough to over-pitch two entire batches of beer without even hassling with a starter. This means I can immediately pitch my yeast the same day I buy the yeast, while preparing a starter for more brew sessions at a later date.
Do the Dip Sparge
Extra small-batch brewing gives you a new method to increase your brew-house––er, tiny house efficiency. I call it the “dip sparge,” trademark pending. This method is similar to the “brew-in-a-bag” or BIAB method, but overcomes a few shortfalls.
The BIAB method often uses an increased grain bill to compensate for its less efficient extraction process. And that means more money. It also requires a pulley-system, since you’ll be lifting up to 30 pounds of soaking wet grains. But for a 1-gallon batch, your grain bill is so light, you can easily lift the bag with one hand as it drains, then proceed with dipping the bag into a pot of hot sparge water to extract the remaining sugars.
Sweat Less About Temperature
A lot of talk exists about keeping the right temperature for your fermenting brew and for good reason. But if you’re looking to keep costs down, this can be a tall order. You won’t want to run your A/C unit at 64 degrees in Southern California summer. But a 1-gallon carboy can fit snugly into a 5 gallon cooler with one or two t-shirt wrapped ice-packs.
But before you can even consider fermenting, you also need to get your beer to a boil. And unlike 5-gallon batches, a 1-gallon batch can achieve a vigorous boil in less than 20 minutes using a stovetop––no backyard propane burner needed.
Small Risks, Big Rewards
Nobody wants to dump $50 of their hard earned money down the drain because a bad idea turned out really bad. But with a 1-gallon recipe, the price rarely exceeds $10. This small cost welcomes risk taking and experimentation. I’ve experimented with using unreasonable amounts of crystal malt, fresh pine needles, chopped prunes, charred lemons, and beyond. Sometimes the results were less than I’d hoped, other times, absolute magic.
Impossible Recipes Become Possible
Some beer recipes are just too big of an undertaking––except for the pint-sized brewer. Consider wheat ales. These delightful crowd-pleasers are known for stuck sparges due to their gummy mash, hence, most brewers incorporate at least a 50% grain bill of 2-row barley. But with a one-gallon batch, you can make a 100% all-grain wheat beer––I know, because I’ve done it. A stuck sparge is remedied with a basic kitchen spoon and elbow grease.
And if you’re wondering, the all-wheat ale is like effervescent silk––even at a quenchable 2.5% ABV!
If you’re looking to try something new, consider going pint-sized with your next brew session. There’s little to lose, but a lot to gain. Although, if big-batch brewing is working just fine, please carry on––but lift with your legs––those carboys are heavy!
About the Author | Thomas Guzowski is a small-batch brewer and freelance author. His musings and interviews have been published in numerous locations, including Beer Connoisseur Magazine. Often, you’ll find him on his patio with a cold pint and his pup.
Related Products
All contents copyright 2025 by MoreFlavor Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
.png)
.png)
.png)
(1).png)
.png)
