Any Midnight brewers?

Totally man, I work over night anyway so thats when I'm up. Next day off is a batch of Caribou Slobber & Skyrim AALLL night!

Looks like most of us would trade sleep for brew!! My kids are 3 and 1, so late night during the week is my staple. My 3 year old helped me cap a few bottles the other day, so may with his increasing help I'll move to the weekends. I don't enjoy being up late, but something's gotta give.

I have only brewed where I finish up before 6:00 PM 3 times so far. With 2 kids I almost always have to wait until they are in bed for me to start brewing. This Sat I finished up at 9:30-10:00 and it felt really early for me.

Given it looks like I will be midnight brewing for years to come (kids activities seem to be becoming more plentiful) I've been strongly considering building an electric brewery...at least then I can have my strike water at the correct temp as soon as I'm ready to go. That alone may shave 30-60 minutes off of an already late night.

jpoder said:

Given it looks like I will be midnight brewing for years to come (kids activities seem to be becoming more plentiful) I've been strongly considering building an electric brewery...at least then I can have my strike water at the correct temp as soon as I'm ready to go. That alone may shave 30-60 minutes off of an already late night.

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On the few times I did late night brewing and had daddy duties, I let my mash in liquid get close to boiling earlier (e.g. around 7:30 or 8:00 pm) with almost the required amount and then just let it sit covered. Then, after bedtime, just go to the stove and add in some cold water (if it is too hot), or heat it up a bit if needed.

neighbors new dog is being a PIMA I hesitate to be out there after 10 working since she barks & barks. but I may need a late night brew session this week.

All of my pilot batches (3 gallons) are done in the evening. Once the kid is asleep I can get started. Though I do tend to brew on Friday nights so that I don't have to worry about work the next morning.

Most of my 10 gallon batches are done in the morning, although I did brew a ten gallon batch last Friday night but that is not the norm.

Ive done one midnight brew, while it was fun, we finished at like 230am. I was beat. Cleaned up the next morning. I prefer getting up early and starting, while enjoying a coffee. End up enjoying a beer cleaning up around noon. Going to do a double batch saturday. Plan on getting up and starting about 7. Drink my coffee till about 11 then start the beer. Going to be a great day!

All but one brewing sessions finished after midnight for me in 2011, last one after 3am, i like quiet night time, music and few homebrews when nobody bothers me

Funny, I've done two midnight brews and did not enjoy it one bit. By the time I've cooled and pitched I want nothing but sleep. Cleaning up just seems...dreadful.

I like to start by 9AM, 10AM at the latest, on Sunday morning. That way I'm cleaned up, yeast has been pitched, I've got a nice buzz from the homebrew, and it's still early in the afternoon. Then I can enjoy the rest of my day, meet up with friends, etc, all the while avoiding any type of "rush to finish" feelings.

I'm at the opposite end. I usually start at 0400. Too hot otherwise.

Eric

Midnight brewing is the way to go! !
I have a 1 year old son and another due in May. It seems like every weekend we have something planed.So Saturday night my son is in bed, its about 8:30 and my wife could care less what the hell I'm doing at this point. I usually wait till the mash is over till I have my first beer.....usually..

CoalCracker said:

I prefer getting up early and starting, while enjoying a coffee. End up enjoying a beer cleaning up around noon. Going to do a double batch saturday. Plan on getting up and starting about 7. Drink my coffee till about 11 then start the beer. Going to be a great day!

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^^ This. i'm a morning brewer, also. going to do a hefe and a bmc (for the neighbors for new years) this weekend. serving up an alt, a hefe, and a bmc for the wimps for a new years eve party

Just as most people with kids stated night time is a great time to fire up the burner as the kids nod off. I only brew once a month so I do two 5 gallon batches to keep myself occupied for the month and to keep my friends hydrated. On the 16th a smash saison with sorachi ace and a wee heavy are scheduled to go down. I usually mash in with 30 min left in the first boil so I can keep the flow going. My wife is kind enough to let me sleep in the next morning and sometimes nap when the kids are. Come to think of it I bottle/keg/rack to secondaries at night too.

Yup. Cooling a batch right now. Kids go to bed, I brew. A few weeks later, the kids go to bed, and I bottle. Then I start again!

I brew at night as well but only because I wait until my son is in bed...

I've tried that midnight mashing before, and it's just not for me. I like to start by 0500 and be completely cleaned up well before noon. In the summer, it's a necessity. On a cold winter day I might wait until sunup to get started.

Yeah I'll sleep in till 2pm on a Sunday, hit up church @ 5, and then start brewing at 7-8pm til 12-1am. I do work the next day at 8am but ya know what, **** it

I've been finding my self doing this as of lately. Just brewed up 10 gallons in the past 2 days.

I've been doing under the stars though, over a fire. I'm beginning to like it a lot more.

My current schedule is begin starter Thursday night, mash in at 730, Friday,.bathe kids, do bedtime, begin vorlauf at 8: 45.

I do 6 gallon ag batches on my kitchen cook top, so heating up water and getting sweet wort up to boil suck up a lot of time. I pitch at about 2am.

Wouldn't change a thing except moving to a big burner in my garage soon.

Ha, I just did my first night time batch. Started at 8 PM Saturday night, pitched at 1:30 AM, bed at 2:00.
Like many of you I have a young son - four years old - and my wife is expecting twins! So everyone went to bed and I had the house to myself.
I think this will be my plan for the near future!

Yep

I have a 6yr old, 2 yr old, and a 1 yr old. I get home from work, dinner, play, homework, baths. All the while heating my mash water. I usually mash in, put the kids to bed, then I'm ready to mash out.

Turn on some tunes and a light a cigar.

Sure, I brewed a couple batches late...my latest being 1am-5am hefe.

That's been my m.o. Since moving to all grain, and I don't really know why other than I'm just a night person. No kids, and I know the wife likes it because she's in bed by ten anyway and I'm going to be up late no matter what. It's good private time, although I do have some problems holding my mash temps this time of year. Was 25 deg last night when I would have been brewing.

I always brew at night myself. Only time I ever brew in the day is if I am at a buddy's house brewing. But mostly I start around 9 or 10 and wrap up around 2 or 3.

I love late night brewing! I have 3 kids and it is hard to brew when they are running around. Seems like whenever I brew during the day (weekends) I feel rushed and like I am forgetting something. I always have at least one boil over in not more when the kids are awake. I also have to deal with the wife and her questions... She will also say don't make a mess and you are in my way (the inside stuff I do on brew days). When I brew at night most times she has no idea I even brewed since I clean up everything so well.

I would love to try brewing at night, but I like to have music going when I'm brewing and I live in a small culdesac where we're right on top of each other. I could probably get away with it on the weekends, but during the week I'd feel like a dick if I was making all that noise in the middle of the night.

Personally, my favorite time is at sunrise (same with biking), but I might have to give this midnight brewing a shot next year once it warms up a little.

EricCSU said:

I'm at the opposite end. I usually start at 0400.

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I'm with you, Eric. I like to get up before the cock crows, have a quick brekkies and then pour a nice big beer and a nice big coffee to drink while brewing.

I love to watch the dawn of a new day and the dawn of a new beer simultaneously.

I'm afraid if I tried to brew at midnight, I'd end up falling asleep and drowning in my wort! The drowning part may not be so bad, but it would be a shame to let all that beer go to waste...

Whippy said:

I'm with you, Eric. I like to get up before the cock crows, have a quick brekkies and then pour a nice big beer and a nice big coffee to drink while brewing.

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That's what Oatmeal and Coffee Stouts are for. In the summer, I'd usually mash in around 5:30, make some eggs and toast, crack open an oatmeal stout, and eat outside while the sun came up.

Whippy said:

I love to watch the dawn of a new day and the dawn of a new beer simultaneously.

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I have the exact same sentiment.

I am also an early a.m. brewer. Get up at 0400 (on Saturday), get the mash water heating, and have a nice breakfast. I'll have the wort boiling by the time my wife and children are up. That way I can spend my day with them.