< 2.5 gal 6 (2%)
2.5 - 5.9 gal 151 (71%)
6 - 10.9 gal 45 (21%)
11 - 20 gal 8 (3%)
> 20 gal 2 (0%)
Looks like most people do "standard" 5 gallon batches, although a good number go slightly bigger. I really should have broken out the slightly smaller batches since I suspect that would have gotten a more accurate look at the people who brew smaller than 5 gallon batches. As you've probably noticed from my recipes I tend to brew batches around 3.5 gallons, but I'll occasionally brew a 5 gallon batch if I am going to split it (half with fruit and half plain is common for my sours).
I'm impressed by the two people who answered over 20 gallons, those are some impressive homebrew systems (assuming you aren't pros).
I think that 5 gallons is a practical compromise size for most home brewers, hence its popularity. It's not so little that you drink it all in a weekend and run out, nor so much that you lose a painful amount of money if it gets infected or turns out otherwise undrinkable.
ReplyDeleteI have just recently switched to 10 gallons shortly after switching to all grain. The extra time spent brewing means I cannot brew as often, so 10 gallons of wort makes sense since I have a 50 quart mash tun. But I deliberately wind up with 2 different 5 gallon batches by using different yeasts a/o hops a/o gravities of wort a/o capping the 2nd or 3rd runnings with additional grains.
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