My Budget Test Batch Beer Brewing Set Up

[@bradbenski5752]

I just did this method yesterday. Had no issues at all. After 30 minutes an Iodine test showed no starch, let it go 10 more minutes and checked the gravity. I was at the value calculated by Brewfather for Pre-boil. Overall for a 2.5 gallon batch I ended up with 2.2 gallons in the fermentor at .001 more O.G., I could of added about 170ml of water to get the O.G. on planned target and closer to planned volume in the fermentor

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great result Brad, certainly this method does work very well 🍻🍻🍻

[@kenzjc]

Thanks David, this is the way I brew my beer, small batch brews for the mini kegs, and I’m also glad you have done one, some nice tweaks in there for me thanks 🙂🙂🙂

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, this is certainly a fun way to brew.

[@TheMetaldudeX]

Perfect! I’m realizing my instant pot may be the perfect device for this. It can sous vide and boil.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Awesome, always nice when you already have all or most of what you need already.

[@jimenright9734]

Hi David, after 30+ years of extract brewing, I am finally going the all grain route. Just made my first small batch brew using similar equipment shown. Used a portable induction heater and immediately noticed temperature control was very difficult so the sous vide idea is a major revelation! Will be buying one ASAP. Still researching the best system but strongly leaning to the Brewzilla 35L but have to have a major clear out of my shed first. Love the recipe guides also. Thanks so much for providing so much info. Cheers, Jim

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Jim. Yes this sounds like good plan to me :)

[@alanman5328]

This is great, especially as I already have everything needed for this already! Many thanks for sharing this, very useful as usual.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Alan, I am glad it was helpful! Yes, I guess many people will be ready to go on this set up.

[@TheExplorder]

Great video! Thanks for the tips. Here is one word of advice in return. After the mash and the drainage of the grains, dip (like a teabag) the grains in a different pot with 78C water, to flush the sugar out. Add this to the wort.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. Yes the dunk sparge and maxi biab methods are things that I do from time to time. I figured that for this guide it was best to stick with regular BIAB for simplicity and because it is my usual method. I find with the stirring that I can get good efficiency.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

What a brilliant idea! I was trying to think of how to brew small all-grain batches for experimentation and kept running into challenges with temperature control. I never would have thought of using a Sous Vide cooking device. Thanks!!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear. Yes it has served me very well. I now use Brewzilla GEN 4 units for test batches as they allow a minimum batch size of 5L.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Interesting. I didn't know the Brewzilla GEN 4 had a minimum batch size that small. I still think I prefer the idea of using a Sous Vide setup for small 2.5 gallon batches. A 20 quart stock pot strikes me as a much quicker and easier cleanup than a AIO brewing system. Grain bills are small enough that lifting a bag of wet grain isn't a big problem and with a rack you can even sparge with the BIAB rig. So I think the Sous Vide cooker and a 1500 watt induction cook top will be my path forward to small batch brewing (unless it turns out that in practice that I don't much care for it. Lol). It's far less costly then spending $599 for a Brewzilla GEN 4 35L.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

@CrazyAboutVinylRecords Yes, this is for both the 35 & 65 litre models. Worth looking at if you intend to brew a wide range of volumes. I have various videos about them.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks. 🙂 I already own a Grainfather G40 and Brewtools B40Pro. The vast majority of the batches I brew are 5 gallons. Brewing 2.5 gallon batches will be something I do on occasion, but probably will not be a regular occurrence. Besides, if I buy a Brewzilla Gen 4, adding it to the two brewing systems I already have, my wife will probably insist that I get my head examined. Lol.

[@stefansoder8287]

Thank you David for yet another great video. I have done a few test batches this way, but with my 65L Fermzilla. I do a 12L BIAB batch in it, just taking the malt pipe and bottom filter screen out, no need for an extra pot and sous vide. The rest is exactly as you go with it. Brewfather is doing all the calculations for me. Cheers

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Stefan. Yes this certainly works well for 4-5L batches but if I wanted larger than 10L then I would use an all in one for sure.

[@georgiyv5733]

Hi David, Good solutions for a small test batch brewing. My main concern was to keep a constant temperature during the mash period. Now I know the solution for that )) Thank you for inspiring us to try a new and new ways of brewing! I agree with Allan, wish to have this info few years back.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you Georgiy. Yes, I find these sous vide units to be very accurate and make such a brew very easy compared to a stove or plate. In terms of my timing, there are so many topics to cover and choosing the running order is a constant consideration.

[@AF-kq9lv]

Thanks for this, the plumber putty tip is awesome

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers 🍻🍻🍻

[@darkmart84]

Thanks for all your videos. I got a chance to brew a small batch today for the first time in about two years. Having two young children took away my free time for a while, but I brewed a Black IPA and used a Kveik yeast for the first time. I hope it turns out well!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thank you. Small batches are certainly fast :)

[@TheBruSho]

Great setup for experiments! And I also squeeze my bag with no noticeable astringency

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you, yes its an old piece of misinformation :)

[@skeltaskib]

I tried the inkbird 101w sous vide today. I used a mesh basket and placed the machine in a hop spider in the middle. At first there was a 1c difference between the inkbird and the surrounding area but by half way the temperature was 3c cooler towards the edge. I'll try with just a bag next time as I think the hop spider mesh was blocking up. What was meant to be a 66c mash might have dipped to 63c for half of it. Also, do you pour your wort straight into the fermenter or Syphon it? I waited half an hour and still had a good 2l of cloudy wort left after syphoning the clear layer. I ended up chucking the remainder in as it was.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

There will be temperature variations, no matter the set up, no huge problem. I prefer to syphon the wort but I have poured too. The cloudyness at this point is a non issue.

[@benbinks2012]

Following to the letter now with a recipe I designed on Brewfather as you recommend 👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hope you enjoy 🍻🍻🍻

[@palmada]

​ @David Heath Homebrew I went for it and arrived today! For reference, 18cm long dry-hoppers have the perfect size without needing to canibalize one.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) I had to cut for mine but there may be some regional differences

[@anderswahlqvist3521]

Realized I never said thanks for this video! Started doing 50 liter batches many years ago but starting with this concept (after watching this video) has really inspired me to brew way more often than before. So convenient and to be honest really fun and ”hands on”. Smaller batches are also much more reasonable to consume faster and I can brew recipes that I like but don’t really want 50 liters of... :-) It’s also easy and quick enough to brew after a normal work day which is also nice. Need to get my that strainer (or similar) though, using a hop bag is starting to feel really ineffective but it is what I use in the bigger vessel so want to mimic that setup to make scaling recipes up more reliable, but getting a bit tired of it (squeezing them after cooling is a shore in itself ;-)) Only drawback so far is that it’s a bit hard to raise temperature and make sure the whole mash is consistent, does that stainless steel tray you have there help with that as well? I feel the water is probably not circulating enough for it to really heat consistently. Last question: How do you handle your protein trub? I’ve just emptied it all in the fermenter so far to deal with it later but that has it’s downsides as well depending on fermentation vessel. Most importantly though, huge thanks for this video! It definitely had the intended effect on me, I think I might soon even get higher volumes out of these brews than from the big one ;-)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Anders. Yes, this is a fun and fast way to go. I find the sous vide unit I use to be very accurate personally. Trub wise you can minimise this with how you pour and filter. Some use a sieve but I find my method enough in general.

[@anderswahlqvist3521]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew the water ”coming out” from the sous vide unit is very accurate indeed. It’s just a bit tricky to heat up the entire mash. Temp difference between different spots in the mash can be a couple of degrees. But mostly just change temp for mash out so not too big of an issue anyway :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

This probably means the unit is struggling. You could try adding an extra one.

[@anderswahlqvist3521]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew could be! I might try your method of using a plate to help it out a bit. I added some insulation around the kettle which makes the temp very stable at latest. I do think the main problem with heating is that the water doesn’t circulate through the mash so it quickly warms the water close to the unit and then hits the set temp and turn the heat off again. Stirring a lot while it heats the water up helps though of course :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, the plate will insulate but the difference will not be large really. These units are designed for smaller volumes of water.

[@rodolfocordero1362]

Hi David, this video took me back to my initial batches. I also wished I had seen this video when the home brewing bug bit me. I have shared this with my mates in the hopes for them to make theri own.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. I like this cheap and easy method for small batches.

[@joshbuhl9824]

Hi David. I‘ve put together a test batch system similar to this (thanks for this great idea!), and I have two questions: 1. In the video you add the hops right into the wort but you neither say nor show how you filter these out again, as this system doesn‘t have anything like a false bottom, and the green clip-on pouring sieve obviously has too large holes to filter out the hops. Up until now, I‘ve been adding boil and whirlpool hops in nylon bags on this test batch system. How do you separate them out? 2. About how long does it take you to brew a test batch from set-up to clean-up (not including milling and sorting hops beforehand, etc.)? I brewed a test batch two days argo (your Mango&Lemon IPA), and was surprised that it still took over four hours even though clean-up for this small system is pretty quick. Cheers! 🍻

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Josh, I use a filter when I transfer, it doesnt pick up everything but its enough. When I transfer into kegs or bottles I use a bouncer filter. Most of my test batches take not much over 2 hours.

[@jackowen774]

Hi David, I have recently bought the kit needed to give the test batching a go. I had my first attempt yesterday and noticed my inkbird sous vide was giving a different temperature than the thermometer on my brewing kettle and also the handheld thermometer I have. It was off by approx 10°c. It was the first time I used the inkbird and have previously read they come ready calibrated. Have you had any similar issues?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Jack, no mine has been fine. Sounds like you should ask for a replacement.

[@davidnewton4208]

Great video, I've often wondered about running an experiment mashing a full 5 gallon batch of wort in my all in one system, then splitting it into 5, 1 gallon smaller batches to boil in a pot like this, with different hops in each.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, that works very well. I made a video about this split batch method some years back:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpy2k2CVbtyikM0

[@justinmitchell5660]

5x5L glass carboys from cider testing and it never dawned on me to use them for beer tests... doh! I normally used rubber bungs with s-type airlocks, but overtime those rubber stoppers have become less predicatable and occasionally lodge free. Can you please recommend the the red screw on fermentation cap?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, they work great. I use rubber bungs myself, just be sure to replace them as they wear.

[@mrericmmurphy]

David. I have a video suggestion: How you got stable predictable numbers in Brewfather using the Grainfather. Things like boil off rate, wort shrinkage, water volumes etc. I think a lot of people would find that very helpful to know how to calculate and troubleshoot. Love the videos!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

thanks Eric, Sorry but for some reason KZbin saw your post as spam and hide it from me, hence the late reply. I will consider this for the future :)

[@mariusbjerkenas9338]

Hi, David! I will adapt this method of brewing to hone my skills and to find the beer that I want to make more of. As my first all grain brew, I made your Golden European Lager. It tastes funny, so I will be making small batches until I find out what went wrong. Question: How do you transfer beer from a glass fermenter like this into a small keg (like the 4L Oxebar) without introducing oxygen? And if the keg is filled with CO2, does the air inside a siphon (and the keg's silicone beer line) impact the beer noticeably after lagering? Thank's for your continuous effort to make good content. I will definitely try your latest recipe, "Beechwood Amber Ale", one day!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Marius, great to hear. The trick to not adding oxygen is to start off with a slow syphon transfer. As long as you do not splash then all will be just fine.

[@miyaxu6794]

Great video David!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you :)

[@herewegotoday]

Hey David, what's your opinion on this setup vs the Brewzilla GEN 4 systems now that they can handle small batches (cost aside)? I ask because I really want to do small batches, but I like the idea of being able to accurately repeat steps and brewing larger batches if I want to.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hey David, cost aside the BZ GEN 4 units are much faster and feature rich. I have been doing my test batches with those recently. I have a video sharing my first experience here of a 5L batch in the 65L system:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/boqpmHiXjNx2a6c

[@paulrobertson9439]

The final bit of kit is here so I will be trying my first small test batch using this system tomorrow. I would like to reproduce Sweetheart Stout 2.2% a drink here in Scotland (also used in black and tan - a half pint of 80 shilling and half pint of stout) and this small batch kit should allow me to experiment until I get the recipe correct. I hope my wife appreciates all this effort and equipment needed to make this for her lol Cheers :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Awesome, sounds like you have fun ahead :)

[@georgesmith4494]

Hi David, I continue to discover new videos on your channel that completely change my idea of where next. Can I ask how easy is the sous vide to clean. My sister only uses hers in water and was horrified that I might get wort into it (means I need to buy one rather than borrow hers I guess). Any pointers on keeping it clean after use?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear George. These are not expensive these days and the cleaning is very easy. My process has been:- 1. Rinse under a tap 2. Add pbw to water and heat to 55C using the device. Run this for 15-20 mins. 3. Remove that solution and replace with water. Again heat to 55C for about 10 mins. 4. Leave it somewhere to dry before putting it away.

[@jessoman]

Great video mate, I have just started doing rapid prototype small batches, thanks to lutra, and was wondering how you carbonate do you just use a carbonation cap? I'm assuming you do so you can move on to the next iteration. Thanks kindly

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Jess. It varies! I either use a carbonation cap with plastic bottles or I bottle in the normal way. I also use mini kegs with either sugar or pressure.

[@atticus2581]

I would very much like to see a super micro brew set up. Like fermenting in a 1 quart mason jar.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, that would be interesting I agree! Thanks for your suggestion. 🍻🍻🍻

[@Robust2013]

Glasscarboys arent so popular these days even on budget setups. I got hold of a Fermonster 11,3l fermenter which allows bottling from spigot and oxygen free transfers to keg if you want. Great for small setups. I plan on having alcohol free in keg.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I think that depends on where you are living. Certainly its good that there are non glass options though. 🍻🍻🍻

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

This reminds me a lot of a sous vide system that I did a number of years ago with a induction plate for the boiler. What do you think is the minimum batch size somebody would do for a test recipe to have good results scaling it up? Good video David!! 👍🍻

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Brian. Yes this is something I have been using for a number of years and decided to make a video around due to increased interest in my small batch method from viewers. For me the minimum batch size has always been 3L and I generally use 4L. Like with all homebrew you will never get the exact same result twice but I find it is always very close when upscaled.

[@paulrobertson9439]

Another excellent very interesting video. The problem I have with watching these videos is it usually ends with me having to purchase more "essential" equipment for my brew shed haha Keep up the great work. :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Paul, many thanks :)

[@jjeffles]

Brilliant! About a year and a half late for me... or is it? Your videos never fail to help and inspire.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Brian. I see this as a great way for anyone to test or simply brew small batches.

[@65bellett]

This is how I do all my brewing. Just a couple of things to add. If you use a cheap paint strainer bag with the elastic top you can hang it around the handles on the pot and the rim and it leaves a nice gap for the Sous Vide machine. And another trick I do is my hop stands with the Sous Vide machine set at the desired temp and time. If you carefully pop one edge of the pot up on a cutting board you can increase the wort height to reach the minimum level on the Sous Vide.

[@tman9338]

Details on spacing to avoid burning the bag??

[@tman9338]

Will this work with 10G batch??

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I raise mine on not even 1 inch and its never burnt.

[@nickyrollingsart]

Great video, very informative! Would you also use the Kveik yeast for lagers, or would you recommend something else?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. Kveik can be used for lager like results. I find it very close when used under pressure.

[@zorangavrilovic87]

Hey David, maybe not totally relevant question here, but it's related to the small batches, so I'll go ahead and ask.. What's the smallest batch size for Brewzilla 35L Gen 3? I would like to play around with NEIPAs and to shoot for small corny keg (9.5L) so I wanted to check is it doable with Gen 3? I assume the amount to fermentor would be around 12L, so I guess it'll have to be no sparge in Brewzilla?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Zoran, 10L works, so that should fit nicely :)

[@zorangavrilovic87]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Great to hear, thanks David.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers 🍻🍻🍻

[@jackowen774]

This is something I am looking to invest in. Can I just ask, when pitching the yeast for the smaller brews... Would you still pitch a full packet of dried/liquid yeast or is it advisable to do a percentage of the packet?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Partial sachets are usually all you need. Be sure to vacuum seal them to keep them from compromising.

[@ravilshirodkar1901]

Hi David, this is pretty much the set up I have here in Mumbai, minus the Sous Vide stick. I did invest in a cooler mash tun in the hope of getting a clearer wort (which I do) and the easy of handling a 8-10L batch -- don't have to lift a heavy (soggy) grain bag over the kettle. BIAB has been back in recent weeks as I've been making 4-5L test batches. Good to know you recommend the use of Sous Vide stick to hold the mash temp. MIght consider it. Are they any real options in the electric all-in-one set ups for small-batch (8 to 10L max)? 2 Gallons (8L) is my sweet spot. Very nice video, David.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Ravil, the sous vide really improves on the mashing side nicely in terms of ease of holding temps and the recirculation it offers. You should be fine on batches of 8 to 10L also.

[@PortlyGentleman]

Awesome set up my friend 🍻

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Bradley :)

[@PatrickSandy78]

I used to stir the wort while in the sink to help it cool faster...would that cause any issues with the finished beer?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No but I tend to swill it with the lid on just in case of insects.

[@rapureila]

I just got my inkbird and my first temp controlled fermentation is doing it's thing. I'm keen to brew with kveik and have been looking for those heating elements in fermentation as you have there. Do I succeed with a smaller heat belt or do I need that kind of big wrap to maintain the temperature (35°c)?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. Depends really. Batch size and room temperature will govern this. You could do a test with just water snd see. Some heat belts are more powerful than others.

[@daithiocoinnigh]

For temp control in the mash I put my pot in the oven with a 40C bread proving setting. I only do single stage mash so its handy for entry level solutions. Also recommend brewfather,. FInally the Squeeze has never given me strange flavours, maybe a bit more cloudy, which is an acceptable issue for the return in efficiency.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thanks for sharing :)

[@Vykk_Draygo]

This is the method I use for BIAB. Sort of. I heat the oven up to the lowest temp, then turn it off and set the pot inside after mashing in (with a lid on, of course). Take it out every 15 to 20 minutes to stir, and check temps. Usually stays spot on for the full mash.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, that will work also :)

[@daithiocoinnigh]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew No problem, It's one less thing for beginners to buy, and with modern malt not as massive an issue as it used to be. for people like yourself looking to perfect a recipe the temp control makes massive sense. I'm gonna try the Sous-vide method now that you have raised it as a possibility, and I can use it for a few streaks too.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) Enjoy :)

[@raphael3473]

Hey David, I am brewing from concentrated malts, and I am willing to switch to full grain. One of my objectives is to brew organic asap, but I am wondering if I should go straight to organic malts cereals, or would you suggest that I try first with regular malts. Technically, I can afford more malts if I am not going organic, but I can't tell if it's behaving differently regarding brewing, if it changes even slightly I'd rather go organic at once. Could you help me figure out this one?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry but for some reason KZbin saw your post as spam and hide it from me, hence the late reply. You certainly can go for organic straight away but you will find this will restrict you when it comes to certain malts. Also the cost is going to be a lot higher. As I understand it there is little difference apart from the obvious, so this makes it easy at least.

[@tman9338]

Is the ink bird 100w good enough for 10 gallon mash? ?? I’m super excited because I have all the hardware except temp control and have been using 10G cooler for immersion mash. My intent is to use propane for initial heating and sous vide for mash temp control.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I have never tested it would anything like this sort of volume. I think it would be too slow with just one.

[@tman9338]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I also saw a 1000w sous vide on eBay ( not much more expensive) and wanted to know your thoughts on heating with propane and maintains with 100W sous vide / Inlbird controller for 10G BIAB in keggle ?? Your thoughts or tips?

[@tman9338]

I meant 1000W.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I do not think a 1000w unit will be of much use for that volume. Just smaller sadly.

[@tman9338]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Rats! In my excitement, I found a used one and have it on order. Will test -w- propane for max volume. Been looking for common mash efficacy upgrade solution with my existing kettle sizes (7G,15G,keggle, and 26G)

[@palmada]

The sous vide heater is a great idea! What is the diameter of the hop spider you canibalized though?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Its the standard size designed for corny kegs, Diameter is 66 mm

[@palmada]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Cheers!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

:)

[@1Demair]

Nice Video as usual David! I was recently looking into small batch brewing so this is super useful! I do have a question related to yeast pitching. I can use software to calculate how much to pitch, if using dry yeast, easy maybe. Let's say I use liquid yeast, then is a bit more tricky...how would you go about it?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. The easy way, no matter which type of yeast you use is to use a pitch rate calculator. Brewfather has one built in, yeast manufacturers have them on their websites usually also.

[@vizzo7]

great video. what a nice color your final beer has. I never get this color either yellow or brown

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Viz. colour is pretty easy to predict if you use brewing software. I like these in between shades based on look and flavour :)

[@envueltoenplastico]

Hi David! One thing I forgot to ask, is the Inkbird sous vide able to drive a boil, assuming the batch size is large enough to pass the min level? Thanks!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

It manages 99, so if you are high up enough then yes.

[@envueltoenplastico]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Excellent! I figured that'd be the case, and I gather that's far better then boiling the daylights out of the worth anyway. Will be doing a brew tonight, exciting times!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers 🍻🍻🍻

[@envueltoenplastico]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Update on this, I ended up not being able to crack the low 90s - it ramped up okay but started to stall then. I suspect that's because my batch was a tad too small, I was just about over the min line on the Inkbird so next time I will try with a couple more litres. Luckily I brew beside a little used gas cooker so I have that contingency. There's always the option of fitting an element into the pot too I guess. Otherwise, this setup worked gloriously well and was particularly enjoyable!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, you will need to work out your pot to brew size around the max and min levels

[@jonathanflowers472]

Was the small, green pour strainer you used enough to remove the hops when transferring to the fermenter?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, no problems there.

[@Scootenfruity]

Genius video :) I was thinking what to do with my 5 Liter fermentation bottle, your timing is impeccable. Do you let the sous vide stick run in clear water for a few minutes after brewing with it? Would that be enough to clear it of the sugars?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you Fabian. Yes, I always go the 4L route and the 5L vessels are perfect. I also like that they do not take up much space at all. To clean it I just add it switched off into boiling water. I guess letting it run a little would not hurt.

[@Scootenfruity]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yes! I only used it for cider because I didn't really know how to make small batches of BIAB (it would loose the heat to fast). The other very nice idea is with the steamer at the bottom

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, my method is a combination of ideas that work nicely. I did not invent any of them of course :)

[@rogertornstrom8206]

Its certainly an easy and effective process for testing, or small regular batches. Less than 3 hours from start of mash to fermentation vessel and not so much to clean. Makes you want to experiment all the time 😂

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Roger and yes :) I really enjoy the process and the power of experimental brewing.

[@A2an]

Uhh... It would have ben a lot easier for me if you made this video 4 - 5 yers ago 👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha, I have considered making a video like this for some years. I just got a lot of questions about my test batch brewing in recent months and figured it would be a good time to show this.

[@A2an]

​@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yes, it is lovely that the "audience" is that close to you👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, I really like that myself. It is very time consuming but I really enjoy it.

[@michaeldawson5296]

David, When you heated the wort in fermentation, what was the heating mesh around the vessel connected to the Inkbird ?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Michael, the heating mesh has its own plug and this is added to the Inkbird. the mesh itself is taped onto the demijohn using electrical tape on the edges well away from the heating elements.

[@michaeldawson5296]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew What is the heating mesh and where can it be purchased ?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Its a homebrewing product, here is a random link:- www.ebay.com/itm/312809450499

[@myrbakkbryggeri6886]

Bra video som vanlig og bra oppsett du har der

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Tusen takk :)

[@jonmccombs1711]

Great job!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Jon :)

[@pow06er]

Do you have a method for splitting/saving yeast packets? Or are you using the full packets in these test batches?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes. I split the yeast and vacuum seal the remainder. I double seal and have not had any issues.

[@CountDrunkula]

If they're dry yeast packets if you haven't got a vacuum sealer just run an iron over the edge and throw them back in the freezer. I've got tons of part used yeast packets done like that. Same with hops. You don't need to vacuum them as long as they're sealed and kept cold. So glad I read about that a few days after buying my vacuum sealer.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, if you can remove the air then this should work out.

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Great ideas, thanks!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you :)

[@YorkshirePeacocks]

Thanks this is exactly how i brew except my mash temp is maintained by wrapping my pot in fleeces. Not as good i know . Seems to work though

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. I used to do this also. The sous vide made the process much easier.

[@kenfowler1980]

Nice video mate

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Ken :)

[@StefMAUSCH]

Did I hear correctly, the yeast used was Kviek yeast? Is there somewhere I can learn about this yeast and how you were able to avoid the need for cooling during fermentation?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes :) Here is a playlist for you:- kzbin.info/aero/PLeY07JqsrXM99gAGtN4gwS2Hk3U--MHBa

[@StefMAUSCH]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thank you... and thank you for the content created in this channel and your website. I really enjoy your clear, concise and hype-free style.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Stefan , much appreciated :)

[@thaifoodtakeaway]

An even more budget option is to replace the Sous-vide stick with a kitchen oven set at just below the mash temperature to keep the mash warm. the conversion will happen faster than the temperature drop.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I choose this method due to accuracy :)

[@rql8543]

this was great! I was literally just about to invest in a gas burner because I feel bad hogging the cooker on brew days, now tho, I think i'll buy a sous vide... Any downsides to sous vide vs. a gas burner, apart from time of-course?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thank you. Just speed really. You will need to find one that boils if this is your only method of heat. A small heat plate is pretty cheap and a handy speed kick.

[@CountDrunkula]

Get a cheap induction hotplate - soooo much cheaper than gas and you'll never run out mid-brewday. I started with a 3000 but I also bought a super cheap one for £22 and on 1000 watts it keeps 26 litres boiling fine.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yup, agreed. Mine was cheap and yet it is very powerful.

[@rql8543]

@@CountDrunkula Thank you Sir, I will do

Sous-vide has "budget" written all over it.

[@alanman5328]

Yes, I picked mine up very cheaply.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, I have never spent much money on any sous vide unit. The budget models work well :)

[@nicholasroos3627]

They should be "budget" considering how well understood PID control of a submerged heater element is. Is it because it doesn't say breville?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha :)

[@jordya]

Thanks David! I was planning to do this exact process today, so I’ll take this as a sign. 😉 Would you consider doing a video tutorial on creating small batch setups in Brewfather and scaling existing receipt to use this size of batch? Also, what do you recommend for checking gravity on small batches? Thanks again!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Jordy, sorry for the late reply this got missed for some reason. I have a feeling that i covered this already within this video:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4aTeZSjlpeBra8

[@johngates3040]

Is is there a time concern on when you're cooling your wort

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi John, yes. Faster wort cooling allows for better clarity in your end beer faster.

[@paskrell]

Great video. Given the cost of yeast vs the rest I’m often just doing 19l anyway and give away the beer after to my lucky neighbours. Lol

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Pasquale. Yes I find myself giving away most of my beer no matter what I do. If I was to drink everything I brew then I do not think my life would last long lol.

[@paskrell]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I think my wife would kill me before my liver got the chance. Lol

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha, yes mine would probably do the same.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

You can use the grainfather for sous vide aswell.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, this works well with brewing systems in general.

[@Wrongald]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Ha! I'll go and tell my wife...

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha :)

[@bonedrykneecaps]

Great video as usual! Just wanted to warn people that the sous vide technique might not work for every machine - just tried it with a Wancle and it short-circuited (probably from the steam when boiling to clean - I let it dry for a few days and still doesn't work even though rated up to 99C)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. Sounds like that one was faulty sadly.

[@nicholasroos3627]

Ooof. Already invested in a 41mm hole saw w/ carbide inserts to weld on TC bulkheads and install a 5500w heater element on a defuct keg.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Well thats going to work also :)

[@tman9338]

Details on your setup? I have a spare keggle which I would like to use to mash with 50 lb gran bill for large IPA batches. Only have 120 VAC avail.

[@nicholasroos3627]

​@@tman9338 10gal systems can and do work with 120V but not much larger without reaching the power limitations for single North American 120v 20a circuits(more importantly the gauge of wires used + contact resistance of connections and unknown factors like Vdrop along the unknown length of cable leading to the power socket). Running 120V is a limitation overcome by 1: reducing volume and 2: as David suggests, a secondary source of energy to compensate for the reduced wattage of an element at 120V as opposed to 240. I wouldn't go for anything larger than 7 to 10 gallons total volume without an adequate source of power. Either way GFCI and working with someone licensed who knows their NEC to keep the setup safe and compliant is a good buffer against failure. I can't recommend this last step enough.

[@tman9338]

@@nicholasroos3627 your thoughts on using propane to heat keggle and 1000W sous vide & Inkbird controller to maintain mash temp @ 152Deg ?? 1000W sous Vide not much more expensive than 100W an no extra holes to drill in keggle for 10G BIAB batch.

[@nicholasroos3627]

Your batch size may still pose a problem as the losses thermally will be large and the little immersion circulator will be pumping its heart out. Also....wires around fire warrant some pretty stringent cable management, probably best avoided all together. Propane alone sounds easier if it is available but I'm sure it can be done with added help from a generic chinadheathstick plugged into the temp controller. It really depends on what the goal of having the additional heat is (reducing temp excursion, fuel/energy consumption...etc) and where you draw the line of "effective". At least you won't be burning out the motor prematurely on your nice new sousvide machine this way.

[@envueltoenplastico]

Hi David! This video was a big lightbulb moment! I'm pretty new to brewing and starting to get more keen on learning more varied styles - doing small batches is a great way to iterate and learn on the many different without having to work through a full keg of beer every time! And this setup seems quite affordable too. Definitely doing this! Just one question - how do you control for fermentation temperature for recipes that require a lower temperature that might require cooling? Also, would love some detail on that heating mat! Thanks!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear. Its a cheap but very effective set up. I tend to avoid such yeast with this setup. Kveik yeast provides a few different strains that are very lager like. Voss and Lutra being my favories and they work well at normal room temps (21C). Check out my kveik videos for more information :)

[@envueltoenplastico]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yeah, that makes sense! Then you can just control for heat. Great, thanks for the update. My brother-in-law is a kveik convert actually because it's more resilient to the may vagaries of the weather here in Ireland.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, it works really well. You can use Voss a various temps depending on the profile you are looking for. Super handy stuff.

[@envueltoenplastico]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I have to say, when I started looking around for bits to make up this kit, I didn't expect the hardest part would be trying to find a suitably large stainless steel stock pot with graduation markings!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

You could always make up a stick with markings.

[@mardanheddeokwa]

Very nice informational video David. This is also a nice one for starters. One question, in BIAB there is no sparge step. Does this has some effects on the outcome ? Thanks!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Chris. Yes, usually there is no sparge step but you can certain add it in. Check out “Maxi BIAB” online. This mostly means a reduction in effeciency but this can be reduced largely by the mash stirring.

[@MadZer0]

That InkBird says for use in distilled or purified water only

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

All sous vide units suggest this but this is simply to cover themselves. Ive been brewing small batches like this, as have others, for many years without issues.

[@jonwilliams1158]

Seems like small batch brewing comes with a little criticism? Not sure why? Test batches are kind of fun I think, you can brew more batches, which is part of what I enjoy about brewing. Yes I still brew 20L batches and also have a 70Lsystem, but I enjoy 7-8L batches the most for some reason?? Thanks David!! Always good content 🍻👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Jon. Ive not really seen critique of small batch brewing, just BIAB in general. Thats just snobbery though, which is something that I never take much notice of. Ive got various brewing systems that I can use but this gives me a great way of testing.

[@jonwilliams1158]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Agreed on the Biab method, which most small batches seem to be. My mid sized system used to be 3 vessel, ( which I still have the other two vessels of course😉), but had a stainless filter made for my boil kettle and have been doing single vessel, Biab style ever since and haven't found the down side yet? My brewing has been on hold for some time due to a major move, but I'm also going to try the no chill method, sealing up the brew kettle over night. I've accuired an embarrassing amt of brewing equipment, as a lot of new brewers are sometimes led to believe the need to have, only to realize, how little one really needs to brew a good beer.🤷

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I can brew just as good beer with this set up as I can with the premium and expensive Brewtools system that I have. Having said that when it comes to larger batches I prefer an all in one system.

[@jonwilliams1158]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Agreed, My half barrel system is a BIAC, which takes that a step further and you ferment in it. It's just too big for most of brewing 🙂

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) Yes, you will benefit from a larger brewing system for this. Or two smaller systems for staggered brews

[@hermanmoller7630]

So.. basically you just biab?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Herman, yes, like many homebrewing methods these days it is based on biab. Cheap yet effective :)

[@mightylion4704]

I love your videos I really do but that intro music... maybe time for a change?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha, the last time I tried changing it people went wild. I then had a vote on various types and it won by a huge majority.