1 gallon batches - Too much Trub

[Vogt52]

When I brew one gallon batches I’ve noticed that the smaller diameter carboy causes a large layer of trub, limiting the amount of usable beer. How have you all dealt with this. I brew all grain FYI.

[duncan]

I had the same issue. I started brewing 1.5 gallon batches and primary fermenting in a 2 gal bucket (I think I got it on Northern Brewer). If you feel compelled to rack, you will have enough wort to fill a 1 gallon jug.

[Vogt52]

I asked the same question on beeradvocate as well and somebody responded with a great idea. Begin cooling in your kettle and then transfer to a bucket until at fermentation temps. The will cut down on trub transferred to the carboy

[reverseapachemaster]

I brew a lot of one gallon batches but I haven’t found the magic trick to deal with this issue. BIAB makes it much worse because you’re not able to use the grain bed as a filter, if that is how you are mashing. Even using a traditional mash set up I don’t think you get as good of filtering as you would on a larger batch just because there is less grain to compact into a filter.

One thing I am playing with is calculating the recipe to be a ~1.25 gallon batch with the intention of leaving that extra quarter gallon behind in the kettle where the wort has the most trub. I am still trying to figure out how much volume to calculate in the recipe and how much actually needs to be left behind.

[leejoreilly]

I don’t brew small batches - mine are all 5 gallon. I line my pail fermenter (which I chill in, too) with a paint strainer bag to filter out my trub. I works great - very little trub in the fermenter. I can’t think of any reason why this technique wouldn’t work with smaller batches, too, though if you ferment in a carboy you may need an intermediate step.

[drinkipa (Black Sands Brewery & Supply)]

@leejoreilly

I don’t brew small batches - mine are all 5 gallon. I line my pail fermenter (which I chill in, too) with a paint strainer bag to filter out my trub. I works great - very little trub in the fermenter. I can’t think of any reason why this technique wouldn’t work with smaller batches, too, though if you ferment in a carboy you may need an intermediate step.

+1 here. And using whirl flock in the boil will help clear the wort going into the carboy. Use the bag to catch/filter the cold break and kettle trub

[erockrph]

@leejoreilly

I don’t brew small batches - mine are all 5 gallon. I line my pail fermenter (which I chill in, too) with a paint strainer bag to filter out my trub. I works great - very little trub in the fermenter. I can’t think of any reason why this technique wouldn’t work with smaller batches, too, though if you ferment in a carboy you may need an intermediate step.

+1 here. And using whirl flock in the boil will help clear the wort going into the carboy. Use the bag to catch/filter the cold break and kettle trub

At small scales I prefer to skip the Whirlfloc. You end up with a much fluffier trub and will usually net one or two less beers. For a 1-gallon batch that’s a considerable percentage of your yield.