Brewing outdoors

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

doubletapbrewing

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
105
Reaction score
3
I am attempting my first outdoor brew today. I have cleaned everything, put everything in star San in my 5 gallon fermenter. Once the brew starts I will transfer some of the star San into some gallon jugs and dump the rest out since I have quite a bit already premade. A few questions I have, do you guys do everything outside including transferring wort into fermenter or do you move inside once the wort chills. I am going to do everything outside. I want to hear about your outdoor processes!
 
I do everything outside, unless it's colder than 20F. Comfort demands change at that temp. You'll be fine outdoors, and generally, it's more pleasant out there.

Don't leave the kettle open too long after the boil is complete. Infection is possible, but it's not likely to be a problem so long as you don't dawdle, and you pitch a proper amount of yeast that will win out over the forces of evil wild beasts.
 
I am attempting my first outdoor brew today. I have cleaned everything, put everything in star San in my 5 gallon fermenter. Once the brew starts I will transfer some of the star San into some gallon jugs and dump the rest out since I have quite a bit already premade. A few questions I have, do you guys do everything outside including transferring wort into fermenter or do you move inside once the wort chills. I am going to do everything outside. I want to hear about your outdoor processes!

You don't really need to Star-San anything but stuff that's going to touch wort after it's cooled. Your fermentors, your airlocks, your bungs, the hoses. That kind of stuff. Everything else is going to be messing with the wort either before boiling or during boiling, so no need to sanitize that stuff.

I do everything outside except for pitching the yeast, but I only pitch the yeast inside because my stir plate is inside.

As for worrying about wild yeasts getting in your brew...provided that you pitch relatively soon after getting done, you have little to worry about wild yeasts taking over your batch. Undoubtedly, there will be some stray wild yeasts that will get in the wort after cooling. "Hey, guys! We made it into the wort! Look at all this sugar to eat! Woo hoo!" And then ONE HUNDRED BILLION BEER YEASTS SHOW UP. "Yeah, so you wild yeasts thought that this sugar was yours? Nah, sorry. This sugar is ours now. Prepare to die, wild yeast scum!"

Take precautions against wild yeasts, but don't be too worried about it.
 
I also do all my brewing outside, including sanitation, mashing, brewing and cleaning. I've yet to have an issue with contamination. One thing I do is keep my pot cover while cooling and as much as I can until the lid is on for fermentation.
 
As for worrying about wild yeasts getting in your brew...provided that you pitch relatively soon after getting done, you have little to worry about wild yeasts taking over your batch. Undoubtedly, there will be some stray wild yeasts that will get in the wort after cooling. "Hey, guys! We made it into the wort! Look at all this sugar to eat! Woo hoo!" And then ONE HUNDRED BILLION BEER YEASTS SHOW UP. "Yeah, so you wild yeasts thought that this sugar was yours? Nah, sorry. This sugar is ours now. Prepare to die, wild yeast scum!"

Take precautions against wild yeasts, but don't be too worried about it.

This.

OP, you're overthinking/overworrying something that hundreds of thousands if not millions of folks do all the time, and have been doing since ancient times...brewing outdoors. Before there were buildings where people brewed, they did it outside...



In fact in a few weeks on the first Saturday in may brewers around the world, though mostly in north america are going to gather in the back parking lots or driveways or alleys and all brew out doors at the annual big brew day....and thoughs of us who are going to gather at are favorite homebrewshops, like we do every year. And there IS no place "inside" to do anything. And that includes pitching yeast or cooling our wort. And yet we gather together twice a year to dp this....

If there was such a risk to brewing by being outdoors....do you think we would be doing this?

DSCN2812.jpg


DSCN2795.jpg


DSCN2798.jpg


DSCN2810.jpg


DSCN2803.jpg


30611_387808189066_620469066_3994548_994866_n.jpg


30611_387808179066_620469066_3994546_5968966_n.jpg


30611_387808174066_620469066_3994545_5827524_n.jpg


30611_387808134066_620469066_3994538_7742427_n.jpg


;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I do 100% of my brewing outdoors, everything all the way up to sealing the fermenter then I carry that bastard upstairs to find its happy place in the ferm chamber.
 
My one outdoor brew was great and I plan to do them all that way from now on. Did it in the garage with outdoor temp of about 38 F. I did everything, including cooling the wort and pitching the yeast outside. Sealed up the Ale Pale and carried her to the basement. Most enjoyable brew day yet.

EDIT: not sure I will cool the wort if temps are below freezing, though. Suppose that will need to done indoors.
 
Finished up a few hours ago. Everything went fairly well, no mistakes or problems. We will see in about 3 weeks or so how it is.
 
As for worrying about wild yeasts getting in your brew...provided that you pitch relatively soon after getting done, you have little to worry about wild yeasts taking over your batch. Undoubtedly, there will be some stray wild yeasts that will get in the wort after cooling. "Hey, guys! We made it into the wort! Look at all this sugar to eat! Woo hoo!" And then ONE HUNDRED BILLION BEER YEASTS SHOW UP. "Yeah, so you wild yeasts thought that this sugar was yours? Nah, sorry. This sugar is ours now. Prepare to die, wild yeast scum!"

Love it.:D

"YEAST WARS":eek:, coming to you soon on Sci-Fi!!!
 
:off:Respectfully, I must question the authenticity of Revvy's pics.

Of the nine he posted, there is only one with a fat guy (like me), offering middle-finger salute.

My own experience suggests a much higher percentage.

Back on topic. Outdoors here too. Hope to have the new rig going by May 4!
 
:off:Respectfully, I must question the authenticity of Revvy's pics.

Of the nine he posted, there is only one with a fat guy (like me), offering middle-finger salute.

My own experience suggests a much higher percentage.

Back on topic. Outdoors here too. Hope to have the new rig going by May 4!

LOL...

That's one of our old members Decojuicer, at the HBT Michigan Masher's Tent.
 
I live in beautiful CO, so being outdoors is part of the reason brewing is such a pleasure. Also, way easier to clean up.

Amen!

And why don't people want to chill outside when it's below freezing? That's the best time! I throw my kettle into the snow bank and with my IC it's chilled in 10 min.
 
Amen!

And why don't people want to chill outside when it's below freezing? That's the best time! I throw my kettle into the snow bank and with my IC it's chilled in 10 min.

You would be better off leaving it on.the stand. Snow is a great insulator and will hold heat in.
 
I steep on the stove, then the kettle goes outside and wort in the carboy comes back in for pitching.
 
I'll try this.
Prepping my fermenter:


And then my, F150, brew sculpture:


pb
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The day lasted a little longer than I wanted, just have to tweak my outdoor processes. I don't want to have to carry my wort inside, I need to get a way to cool it, a wort chiller is a little out of the budget and down on the wish list. I also need to get a smaller bucket to put all my things to sanitize instead of using my fermenter as my sanitizing bucket and then have to transfer the sanitizer water out right before I put the wort in. Overall there were no problems and it is happily bubbling away as of this morning!
 
I've been brewing for about 6 years and I have never brewed anywhere other than a back porch/deck. Outdoor brewing is the best and I have never really understood why so many people spend so much money to switch to indoor electric brewing.
 
I've been brewing for about 6 years and I have never brewed anywhere other than a back porch/deck. Outdoor brewing is the best and I have never really understood why so many people spend so much money to switch to indoor electric brewing.

You sound like a guy that lives down south. I love brewing outside too, but brewing in 15 degree weather sucks.
 
something is wrong with your 150 brew rig,,not sure, but something is wrong

cool rig,very mobile

Mrs. Bob thought so to! She did not like the HLT on the burner on the roof one bit! :confused:

I was told to order a pump ASAP. ;)

Now it sets in the bed with the boil pot. Much safer in her eyes.

She's also trying to figure out a way to get me a small brew house outside to free up some room inside. :) I've confiscated the extra bedroom for storage and the kegerator.

And I thought I'd have trouble getting funds approved for this hobby. :D

pb
 
+1 on the "don't sweat it". I do everything outdoors. Don't have to worry about spillage. I do sometimes go inside to use the stove to heat water for hydrating dry yeast, but then, sometimes I use the burner on my BBQ grill to do that job. We have a big storage bin on the patio that all my stuff fits into neatly and it's nice to be able to hose off the patio when I'm done.
 
I need to get a way to cool it, a wort chiller is a little out of the budget and down on the wish list

Try a big galvanized wash tub. You can usually pick one up at a hardware store for about $15. Fill it with water and a bag of ice and drop your brew kettle in for a soak. Just make sure the water in the tub can't get into your cooling wort as it might contaminate it.


Overall there were no problems and it is happily bubbling away as of this morning!


Congrats man! Hope the brew turns out great! :mug:
 
All of this sounds so appealing, I think I'll have to try a brew day out on the deck once finals are over in May! :mug:
 
Try a big galvanized wash tub. You can usually pick one up at a hardware store for about $15. Fill it with water and a bag of ice and drop your brew kettle in for a soak. Just make sure the water in the tub can't get into your cooling wort as it might contaminate it.

A plastic storage tote works great as well if you can't get a wash tub. Just make sure to put something in the bottom so you don't have to worry about the hot pot melting through the plastic..although mine didn't when I forgot my blocks of wood.
 
I did my first full outdoor brew on Friday, normally I do everything inside the garage except for the burner that's outside.
It was so much more enjoyable! just a lot to carry outside to set up.
 
Back
Top