Small Scale Brewing

In light of my brewing partner's recent comment, I thought I would write about brewing on a smaller scale. Recall that we have been brewing 10 gallon batches in a 20 gallon kettle. But not everyone needs that kind of scale. You can brew a great beer in a small kettle on top of your stove, but you have to watch for boilovers. Once more, please refer to the Good Eats "Beer Show."

A small scale brewer needs:

15- 20 qt kettle	$30	Amazon
Probe thermometer	$17	Amazon
7 gallon siphonless fermenter (my favorite)	$30	Williams Brewing
priming tank	$20	Williams Brewing
strainer (my favorite)	$10	Hop Tech

You will also need something to dispense the beer from. If you're smart, you will have purchased beer in bottles you can cap. Or, buy beer in swing top bottles. NO CAPPING! Please, don't use the bottles with the screw off cap. While I have heard from long time brewers who have used them, I just don't trust them. The glass appears thinner than in a regular long neck bottle.

The accountants in the audience will have noted that my list costs about $100. Hey! You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.