Best single addition to your brew day procedure

O2 for sure. Weather it was necessary or not, I used to aerate with an aquarium pump setup for 20 minutes for regular strength beers and 30 minutes for higher gravity beers. Now I aerate for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Saves a lot of time and now I can brew bigger beers with confidence that I'm supplying enough oxygen for the yeast.

A 5 gallon bucket with graduated markings. I use it to measure out strike & sparge water amounts and it's much easier than the 4 quart pitcher I was using. I also drain the first & second runnings into it so my pre-boil volumes are much more accurate than before.

Got the idea from looking at pics of Orfy's set up.

kpr121 said:

Interesting about the puppy pads. I seem to eat through paper towels, its one of the things I have been looking at resolving (expensive approach is to tile/waterproof/enclose my entire brewing area and then just shop vac'ing spills). So I have been thinking about alternatives. Are they much cheaper than paper towels?

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I just lay an old bath towel or two on the floor, costs me nothing to throw them in the laundry machine with my next load.

Bdigs said:

O2 for sure. Weather it was necessary or not, I used to aerate with an aquarium pump setup for 20 minutes for regular strength beers and 30 minutes for higher gravity beers. Now I aerate for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Saves a lot of time and now I can brew bigger beers with confidence that I'm supplying enough oxygen for the yeast.

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I was gonna mention my drill-operated wort aerator. Ever since I added it, I've never had a beer that didn't need a blowoff tube.

zachattack said:

I just lay an old bath towel or two on the floor, costs me nothing to throw them in the laundry machine with my next load.

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Even better idea. Thanks.

62qt kettle + BIAB + 2x2000w elements + insulation

It's a simple low cost 120v system (no PID, just on/off switches). Easy, compact, safe and great results.

kpr121 said:

Even better idea. Thanks.

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The simplest ideas are the best! Haha got the idea from How to Brew.

"Figure 42: Placing a large towel on the floor helps soak up spills and makes clean up much easier later. Four out of five spouses surveyed did not like sticky floors. "

Another trick (this was from a friend of mine, can't take credit for this one either) is to do your bottling on the counter above the dishwasher, with the dishwasher door open. Any drips are caught in the door, and to clean up all you have to do is close the door.

I am going to second the refractometer as a great purchase. Once I moved up to the turkey fryer, I was consistantly missing my OGs. Knowing if I need to crank up the heat or add more water has been helpful in my recipes going "as planned." Also it makes taking other measurements (mash/sparge) throughout the process a breeze, I think I take about 5-6 readings during a brewday, and could not imagine doing that with my hydrometer.

Martin30R said:

Looks like a March pump might find its way onto my "to buy" list ... I've seen it listed here so many times!

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I am probably going to catch some flak for saying this, but I have two pumps sitting on a shelf and prefer now not to use them. I've tried a number of different ways to brew, I have nice kettles w/valves, quick disconnects, tons of tubing, a CFC etc. etc. but after doing a lot of experimenting I got back to a simple three tier gravity system with minimal tubing and an immersion chiller. Thinking of going to no chill actually. When I had more complex setups it was a pain in the rear end (I did not have a fancy brew rig, just pumps sitting around, which I had to move inside after use). Switching tubing around, trying to prime pumps, and of course the clean up. Half of brewing (unfortunately) is cleaning...think about it.

I wouldn't steer anyone away from pumps, but brewing without pumps is working well for me.

dbrewski said:

I am probably going to catch some flak for saying this, but I have two pumps sitting on a shelf and prefer now not to use them. I've tried a number of different ways to brew, I have nice kettles w/valves, quick disconnects, tons of tubing, a CFC etc. etc. but after doing a lot of experimenting I got back to a simple three tier gravity system with minimal tubing and an immersion chiller. Thinking of going to no chill actually. When I had more complex setups it was a pain in the rear end (I did not have a fancy brew rig, just pumps sitting around, which I had to move inside after use). Switching tubing around, trying to prime pumps, and of course the clean up. Half of brewing (unfortunately) is cleaning...think about it.

I wouldn't steer anyone away from pumps, but brewing without pumps is working well for me.

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The system you describe is actually quite like the one I'm using right now. I just replaced my CFC with an IC (haven't used it yet, though) and I'm into the whole "free gravity" thing in a big way. Glad to hear of someone who has both options and is doing something simpler!

All this said, I just had my first taste of an American Brown Ale I made (the first batch with my current setup) and it is down right amazing. I love making beer.

dbrewski said:

Switching tubing around, trying to prime pumps, and of course the clean up.

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That reminds me, silicone tubing and camlocks might be one of the best things I ever did for my brewing. Switching tubing is super easy. Also, sight gauges are really nice for hitting volumes.

Also, I don't consider the pump to be a cleanup issue at all - in fact it HELPS cleanup. I fill my HLT halfway up with hot water from my wort chilling, add a scoop of oxy, then run a hose from my HLT through the pump, through the chiller (backflushed) and then blackflush through my HERMS coil and back into the HLT. I run the pump like that while I finish cleaning the boil kettle and cleaning up everything else.

bruin_ale said:

Also, I don't consider the pump to be a cleanup issue at all - in fact it HELPS cleanup. I fill my HLT halfway up with hot water from my wort chilling, add a scoop of oxy, then run a hose from my HLT through the pump, through the chiller (backflushed) and then blackflush through my HERMS coil and back into the HLT. I run the pump like that while I finish cleaning the boil kettle and cleaning up everything else.

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Yes, and then you have to empty that solution and run rinse through it, correct? And then you have to drain it, disconnect at least four sets of tubing (if you have two pumps) and put them up, and then if you don't have a brew rig you can wheel into your garage (I don't) you have to unplug your pumps and put them away and roll up the extension cords, etc.

When I sat down and figured out what would make my brew day more satisfying for me, eliminating some of this fuss made the list. When I'm cleaning up now, I just empty the HLT and put it on the shelf, I clean out the mash tun during the boil, then I wash the boil kettle while chilling.

Not saying anyone else's approach is wrong at all, this is just my current thinking.

No worries.. I have a wheeled brew sculpture and I brew all electric, so unplugging a pump is the least of my worries (I have to unplug all the temp sensors, the stirrer, the HLT, the BK, the contral panel, etc.). I just hose everything down with clean water until the oxyclean smell is gone rather than running rinse water through - but yeah, it takes another 10 minutes to rinse everything back down. I could probably just run hot rinse water through everything and save the oxyclean step.
The camlocks make moving the hoses no biggy either.

bruin_ale said:

I could probably just run hot rinse water through everything and save the oxyclean step.
The camlocks make moving the hoses no biggy either.

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I don’t have my electric brewery completely setup yet but this is what I am planning on doing: During the chill, discharge the now-hot/warm chilling water into the HLT. Fire up the HLT element to get it piping hot. Then use this hot water to clean the rest of my equipment in place, I can even just leave the output hose disconnected so that I can ‘spray’ down while scrubbing any gunk that is in the MLT/BK. Do you think I would want/need to use Oxyclean? Is it even safe to use oxyclean with the heater elements?

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but the answer to this question could give everyone another great reason why a pump and/or electric element is a great investment.

kpr121 said:

Do you think I would want/need to use Oxyclean? Is it even safe to use oxyclean with the heater elements?

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I use the oxyclean because I have a plate chiller.. just want to make sure it gets really clean. Also, I like to make sure the inside of the HERMS is nice and clean as well...

It's probably not necessary, I used to just use hot water and it worked fine.
No issues with using oxyclean and heater elements, I don't see any pitting/rust or anything if that's what you're asking.

Martin30R said:

What is the one thing ...

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Electric BIAB.

One thing... Oxyclean

Refractometer so i can change things on the fly if i need to :thumbup:

MrShake said:

Adding a pump... EASILY the single best addition to my brew day.

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This.


Followed closely by a commercial dual-basin Elkay slop sink scored from Craigslist. Moving lots of wort around and chilling it fast vs ease of clean-up and reducing the overall amount of time spent cleaning.

BBL_Brewer said:

Equipment aside, larger batch size has made the process a lot more enjoyable for me.

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I put a huge investment into my brew gear this year, maybe $800 in toys that make my life easier. If I had to pick one thing that's made everything better- I've got to agree. Bigger batches.

I'm brew 8-10 gallon batches, 8 times a year? Factoring in neighbors, family, and gifts- that seems to hit the sweet spot of home brew when I want it, and no resentment on my part when someone wants me to bottle some to take home.

My two best brew buddies easily brew two to three times as often as I do, but they are always stressed about having enough beer ready for this party, or that event, or the price of grain because they buy 5 lbs or less.

I shrug and say, if you need a keg of beer for the party- I'll give you one- just give me one in return. I've got beer to spare and no stress and my buddies have no beer and stress. Bigger batches save time and money and make me laugh at my friend who can't keep up with demand.

When I first started brewing it used to take me a better of the day sometimes 12 hours to brew. Best addition to my procedure is to prepare everything the day before I'm actually brewing. Lay out all my equipment and ingredients, mill my grain, prepare my water volumes, etc. Everything that I need is ready when I wake up on my brew day. Now I can be done within 5-6 hours. There's a lot to say for preparedness.

bruin_ale said:

I was thinking going electric.. it's really not that difficult to do and it doesn't have to be super expensive (although it can be and mine was pretty spendy). I love brewing in near silence - except for my tunes going - and having electronic control over the temps is really nice.

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if only THEYDMAKE THOSE PUMPS QUIETER!

dragonbreath11 said:

When I first started brewing it used to take me a better of the day sometimes 12 hours to brew. Best addition to my procedure is to prepare everything the day before I'm actually brewing. Lay out all my equipment and ingredients, mill my grain, prepare my water volumes, etc. Everything that I need is ready when I wake up on my brew day. Now I can be done within 5-6 hours. There's a lot to say for preparedness.

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I was also told that letting your brew water sit overnight allows for the chlorine to escape (if you're using tap water).

Right now my all grain brew day is about 7 hours with no prep, but I like the idea of prepping the day before. I've thought about doing my MASH the day before the brew (I know some people here do that, as I asked in an alternate thread), but I don't know the best way to store the wort overnight (I don't have enough fridge space for that myself.

On another note, I'm really happy that everyone has participated in this thread so much!

Martin30R said:

I was also told that letting your brew water sit overnight allows for the chlorine to escape (if you're using tap water).

Right now my all grain brew day is about 7 hours with no prep, but I like the idea of prepping the day before. I've thought about doing my MASH the day before the brew (I know some people here do that, as I asked in an alternate thread), but I don't know the best way to store the wort overnight (I don't have enough fridge space for that myself.

On another note, I'm really happy that everyone has participated in this thread so much!

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This is true for chlorine, but not chloramine, which is what most water suppliers use these days. A little campden takes care of it though!

I've started measuring out my strike water the night before, it does make things a lot faster the next day. I brew indoors on a gas stove and it can take a loooong time to heat up water. Having it be at room temp gives me a good head start, plus it means I can wake up really early, kick on the flame, then get dressed and get everything else prepped while it's heating up.

I usually have stuff to do later in the day, so the earlier I can do my brewing the better. I like to get up at 6AM or even earlier so I'm all cleaned up (including a shower and mopping the kitchen) by early afternoon.

medusa1066 said:

Immersion Chiller

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second, shortened my brew day incredibly

Moving my AG setup from kitchen to garage where I can spread out a little, not be in anyone's way (nor they in mine), crank up some tunes and enjoy a homebrew while I home brew! Oh, and IC for sure!!

Adding a post-chiller (basically a mini copper coil that sits in an ice bath) to my counterflow chiller setup. Allows me to get down to the 60's during the hot summer months.

Other than that, I think going electric was the most awesomest thing I have done for my brewing enjoyment.

Bmorebrew said:

I think I have a new one to add the the list! Last night I transferred to my keg 5 gallons of an amber ale using a new 1/2" ID racking cane and tubing. I had been using the smaller size all this time and filling the fermenter or keg would take 10 to 15 minutes. This new larger size and I was done in a matter of minutes - can't believe it took me so long to realize they had a larger size.

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Absolutely. Moving to that wider gauge autosiphon (and buying the clip that holds it to the bucket!) has made that aspect so much easier.

A couple other nice little toys that are a must:
-Polder digital thermometer/timer - everything I do involves this little guy
-digital scale
-refractometer


Also, I noticed a lot of people commenting about towels/shamwows/puppy pads/tons of paper towels/etc. I don't mean to sound rude, but what are you doing to spill so much that would necessitate this?

I do all of my wort production in the kitchen (stove + 10 gal cooler) then boil outside on a turkey fryer. I use a sponge to wipe off the kitchen counter, and if I spill a couple drops from the siphon I wipe it up with a small rag. That's it.

DrinkNoH2O said:

Also, I noticed a lot of people commenting about towels/shamwows/puppy pads/tons of paper towels/etc. I don't mean to sound rude, but what are you doing to spill so much that would necessitate this?

I do all of my wort production in the kitchen (stove + 10 gal cooler) then boil outside on a turkey fryer. I use a sponge to wipe off the kitchen counter, and if I spill a couple drops from the siphon I wipe it up with a small rag. That's it.

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I'm not spilling a lot, just small bits here and there. A drop or two while vorlaufing, a drop or two while filling my hydrometer test jar, siphoning, drips from my mash paddle, etc. Yeah, I can keep getting down on my knees to wipe the floor all morning, or I can just throw a towel down and forget about it. I like to keep my kitchen real clean and I'd rather not have sticky spots on the floor. This ensures that I won't.

Timing new brews along with racking days helps save time, money, and effort too: I rack from the primary bucket, scoop 1/2 to 3/4 of the settled yeast out with a sanitized spoon and discard, the transfer the new chilled wort into that bucket. I save $6 on a wyeast activator and clean 2 less buckets.

More so than that though, a march pump!

My digital scale helps measure out hops perfectly! Before I was measuring them out by volume (1/4 cup and such, hoping the bag was 2 oz), now I'm sure I have the right amount every time!

zachattack said:

This is true for chlorine, but not chloramine, which is what most water suppliers use these days. A little campden takes care of it though!

I've started measuring out my strike water the night before, it does make things a lot faster the next day. I brew indoors on a gas stove and it can take a loooong time to heat up water. Having it be at room temp gives me a good head start, plus it means I can wake up really early, kick on the flame, then get dressed and get everything else prepped while it's heating up.

I usually have stuff to do later in the day, so the earlier I can do my brewing the better. I like to get up at 6AM or even earlier so I'm all cleaned up (including a shower and mopping the kitchen) by early afternoon.

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I brew indoors as well and this cut quite a bit of time off of my brew day too.

My favorite piece of equipment for brew day is probably my chiller, overall it's kegs and in the future it will be keggles so I can make bigger batches and brew less often. Finding time to brew has gotten really difficult in the past year or so for me.

As I keep brewing, and keep adding to my equipment, every brew is better and easier than the last. The turkey fryer, immersion chiller and yeast starter have helped alot, but the best addition has been full 5gal boils. Soooo much easier, and less hassle than using cool water to top up the fermenter and being worried about contamination.

Bringing my laptop out to the garage where I brew so I can watch episodes of the Family Guy while brewing !

Calf femurs for the dogs to chew on, they wouldn't leave the boil kettle alone and I got sick of trimming off singed fur...

Frank99 said:

Bringing my laptop out to the garage where I brew so I can watch episodes of the Family Guy while brewing !

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Not a bad idea!

Tossup between FermCap, or using my Heatsticks.. Full boils on the stove, and no boilovers!

The three tips about bottling in one of the threads here - making some sort of dip tube to get all the wort out of the bottling bucket with no tilting or pouring, attaching the wand to the bucket with a short piece of tubing, and using the dishwasher to sanitize the bottles. I save a lot of bending over and what used to be a chore is now no big deal.

Immersion chiller for sure,i timed it today and it took 15 minutes to get 5 gal down to 65,huge time saver