I agree with the Zymurgy July/August 2026 article “Small-Batch Brewing: Fast, Frequent, Flavorful and Fun” regarding brewing all grain 10-gallon batches taking all day.
I’m seeking input on small batch (probably a case of bottles ~ 2 1/4 gallons, however 1 to 5 gallons is, IMO, great for experimenting) equipment. What all grain all-in-one system is easy to clean, easy to use, easy to brew and comes with the most items standard without needing proprietary ingredient kits? 120v or 240v is OK.
Some may think “Why not use the equipment that was used before being 10 gallon all grain batches?”. Beer I made was OK, but nothing compared to what I make using my 10-gallon setup. There is nothing wrong with the 10-gallon setup other than taking all day and, well, making 10 gallons.
I gave up the 5-gallon batch size in favor of 3.5 for fermentation and 2.5 into smaller kegs. Was cranking out 5-15 gallon batches on a three vessel system that I had built. It DOES not handle undersized batches well.. to much dead space and loss as you go down in size.
I use a 35L 110V Brewzilla (gen3). It works great. 4.5-5 gallons of strike water and boil down to 3-3.5. I ferment in my old 5 gallon corny kegs with trimmed dip tubes. I can do closed system transfers under CO2 pressure into the 2.5gallon torpedo kegs. The process works great. I’d highly recommend it.
The only thing for me is the boil is a little weak at times and the ramp time can be annoying. But unlike my old propane set up, I can set it and walk away with little worries. That makes up for the slow ramp times, IMO. Not always but most of the time. I can’t imagine trying to bring 6.5-7 gallons of wort to a boil at 110V. It would take forever. And then the slower evaporation rate would extend the boil past 60minutes for sure to hit the targeted volume.
brewchez’s answer is perfect. Unfortunately I am a gear junkie. I have the Brewzilla Gen 3, I got it from a friend who quit brewing, like a fool. But I bought a Clawhammer 120v modular system. Really cool and easy but the Zilla is much easier. I’d recommend a silicone floating dip tube in the keg though.
If I could start over from right now, I would get Clawhammer’s all in one. Their pump is mounted on the outside and can be swapped for a different pump. Like bigger if desired. I’d also get a 6.5 gallon keg off amazon. I use these with a bulk head lid and spending valve. I have several, see the link.
One case brewing is my sweet spot. I have an Anvil Foundry 6.5 and find it perfect for my 2.5-3.0 gallon batches. I run it on 240v. Yes, it’s basic. But that’s all I was looking for. It does the job well and is easy to clean.
I work with small-batch kombucha fermentation so I’m curious how the temperature stability on the Anvil Foundry at 2.5-3 gal? Does it hold steady better than jumping from a bigger batch, or is that not really a factor?
I use a DigiBrew 120V for 2-5 gallon brews. No pump on mine. You could easliy connect one. No minimum that I am aware of. I would guess that the smallest mash size will depend on minimum strike water to effectively reach the grains, suspended about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the vessel.
If you have 240v available, I would recommend that for the ability to speed-up the brew day.
From what I was able to find online 2 gallons is the minimum. However, the small batch adapter ring is recommended. Of course, at this time, no Anvil parts are available.