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How large and how long is your, eh, brew day...


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#1 Humperdink

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 04:55 PM

12 gallons, about 7 hours with an hour rest at pitch temp prior to moving to the fermenters to drop clear. Mad a helles today that was about 8 given the longer boil and additional chilling. I don't mind the longer brew days, it does become a problem on double batch days though. Total time includes set up and cleaning.take down.



#2 djinkc

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 05:05 PM

When I'm set up and mash water is ready to go -  4:15  - 4:30.  10 gallons.  Add an hour if I'm starting from no recipe.

 

Ride the exercise bike for 45 min during the mash.  Vorlauf.  Fly sparge for an hour.  Usually kegging 10 gallons and prepping the fermenter during the sparge.  Catch a bite to eat during the boil.  Whirlpool and rest for 15.  Drain into the fermenter - inline cooling.  Cleanup



#3 Humperdink

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 05:09 PM

Apropos of nothing, but I never eat on brew days. Often wont have food pass my lips til 5 PM. For some strange reason it seems to break up my flow. Thankfully I"m not one to get hangry *looks at los*



#4 Beerbecue

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 05:38 PM

I've got my brewday system down to ~4:15 for a 5 gal batch. I usually start ~1:00 on a Sunday and finish before 5:30 and usually have some BBQ food ready at the same time. I like to smoke spareribs while I brew.

 

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#5 Humperdink

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 06:43 PM

Been talking to the little lady about getting a good smoker so I can make dinner while brewing... I love the idea.



#6 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 06:52 PM

5-6 hours for 5-10 gallons usually. I had a 13.5 hour brew day at the beginning of the year where everything went wrong and it was a nightmare.



#7 MakeMeHoppy

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 06:57 PM

usually under 4-1/2 hrs for a 5.5 gallon batch



#8 Humperdink

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 06:59 PM

See, I always knew my process was longer than others. On a great day, no shorter than 6 hours.



#9 Big Nake

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:04 PM

About 4½ hours for a 5-gallon batch. That might fluctuate if I make a lager and need to get the temp of the wort lower but it's pretty consistent. Most brewdays that also means taking a beer from primary, transferring it to secondary and harvesting the yeast for that day's batch.Beerbecue... sweet backyard setup, my friend. That looks nice.

#10 Bklmt2000

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:13 PM

I'm usually in the 5.5-6 hour range for 5.5 gallons, from setup to end of cleanup. 

 

I crush grains while the mash water is heating, i draw sparge water and weigh out hops during the mash, clean out the mash tun during the boil, etc., so not much in the way of downtime during brewday.

 

That includes a 90 min. mash, 90 min. boil, and chill-down time. 



#11 Humperdink

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:16 PM

bklmt That's me too. Trying to fins ways to stagger steps so as to be more efficient. Yet I'm still in a long brew day. I like the product so I wont change, but it's always interesting to see other's short times.



#12 BarelyBrews

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:18 PM

7 to 8 hours usually, i grind the grains in the mancave. If i am boiling outside it requires a lot of carrying. I usually mash in the cave, then run off and boil outside(more carrying) now with winter coming back i won't be able to chill outside too much longer.Good exercise, not sure i can do this when im an old man.

 

In my next life, the house build starts with the garage.



#13 Bklmt2000

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:25 PM

In my next life, the house build starts with the garage.

You and I both.

 

Barb and I are seriously considering building a smaller house in a few years.  I've already started plotting out a garage built for homebrewing.



#14 Deerslyr

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 08:27 PM

About 5 hours from start to finish cleaning. Fastest time clocked yet was 4 hours flat.

#15 dmtaylor

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 04:17 AM

1.7 gallons, 3.5 to 4 hours, BIAB, quasi-fly sparged through a colander, stovetop, no chiller, cold water bath.  Time includes gathering of uncrushed ingredients from various spots in my basement through final cleanup.  Only thing not included is aeration and pitching, which takes ~15 minutes about an hour later or early the next morning.

 

I can do the same time for 3 gallons.  1.7 gallons just happens to be my current standard batch size.  5 divided by 3.....



#16 positiveContact

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 04:50 AM

See, I always knew my process was longer than others. On a great day, no shorter than 6 hours.

 

mine is probably similar.  I do 10 gallon batches and I usually do it like this:

 

spend about 1 hour during a weeknight measuring grain, water and getting the equipment out and making sure it's clean.

 

then on Thursday night I'll mash in.  This probably takes about 1.5 hours to heat up the water, put it in the cooler, mill and put in the grain, stir, check temp and pH.  I usually also get some sanitizer made and sanitize my fermentor(s) and any other equipment I'll need for the following day.

 

the next morning I'll start heating the sparge water and draining the tun.  From this point it's probably about another 4.5 hours.  add time if I'm using a lot of pils malt (90 min boil) or if I'm doing a hop stand (30 min).  also how cold the ground water is is a big factor in how long it takes me to chill (if I have snow available I can use my sub-pump to really speed this process up).

 

So all in all we are talking 7-8 hours depending on some factors.  I could condense this if I did all of the process in one day - probably down to about 5.5-6 hours but it would be more stressful.  the way I do it now I have pretty much everything measured out ahead of time and with no one distracting me (during the day the family is around, at night I'm kind of on my own).  there is rarely a time during the brew day where I feel like I have to rush to do one thing b/c there is something else coming up that needs to get done.  mistakes are rare b/c of the prep work done during the evenings ahead of time.  my goal is to enjoy this process, not get it done as fast as possible.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 20 October 2014 - 04:52 AM.


#17 HVB

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 06:48 AM

About 5 hours from start to finish cleaning. Fastest time clocked yet was 4 hours flat.

I guess on average this is me.  I have had a 3 hours brew day but that will only happen when I get home from work and the HLT has been turned on for me and is already at temperature.



#18 positiveContact

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 06:56 AM

I guess on average this is me.  I have had a 3 hours brew day but that will only happen when I get home from work and the HLT has been turned on for me and is already at temperature.

 

are you including measuring ingredients and prep time?



#19 HVB

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 07:08 AM

are you including measuring ingredients and prep time?

I guess not.  Just the act of brewing and cleaning.  I guess grain prep would be about 15 more minutes.  Hops and water additions get measured out during brew day for the most part.



#20 positiveContact

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Posted 20 October 2014 - 07:25 AM

I guess not.  Just the act of brewing and cleaning.  I guess grain prep would be about 15 more minutes.  Hops and water additions get measured out during brew day for the most part.

 

I don't think I could ever do better than about 4.5 hours but I'd have to really stay on top of things.  3 hours would be near impossible at the rates I can heat and cool liquid.




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