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bobbrews

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For each of the below referenced categories, how much time would you say is the most effective when it comes to recreating a beer like Surly Abrasive?

Yeast Starter w/Intermittent Shaking:
Mashing:
Boiling:
Whirlpool/Cool Down:
Primary Fermentation:
Secondary Fermentation:
Dry Hop:
Cold Crash:
Bottle Carbonating:
 
Yeast Starter w/Intermittent Shaking: 3days
Mashing: 90min (you want a fairly dry wort for a high gravity to finish OK)
Boiling: 60min (ale uses 2-row base malt, if pils make it 90min)
Whirlpool/Cool Down: 20-30min (fast to keep your late hop addition aroma/flavor)
Primary Fermentation: 3wks (big beer needs time)
Secondary Fermentation: 1wk (with dry hops)
Dry Hop: 1week
Cold Crash: 1day
Bottle Carbonating: 4wks (high gravity takes longer)
 
Interesting - a 90-minute mash. Is this still true for partial mash recipes whereupon 50-55% of the grist is DME?

I do the same as you recommended far as boiling, primary, and secondary.
However, I usually do the following in the other areas:

1) Whirlpool for 45-55 minutes - Since I use an ice bath instead of a wort chiller.
2) Cold crash for 4-5 days.
3) Dry hop 10-12 days.
4) Carbonate for 2-1/2 to 3 weeks - Abrasive isn't too high in gravity at 1.078-ish / 8.8% abv. is it? I've made 1.074 OG beers that carbed in 2-1/2 weeks.
 
Yes, a mash is a mash no matter what the volume of malt is. You can do a 45min mash, or 60 or whatever. The longer mash results in a drier wort in the sense that theres more fermentable sugars vs the larger "chunks" that lend body but will not ferment. I'd also mash around 150-152F vs 155-160F, this will also give you a more fermentable wort.

The longer whirlpool is fine as long as you're chilling quickly. If anything its better to get the trub down and piled up in the middle of the kettle.

Dry hopping, I haven't that much experience with. I think a week is adequate, if I needed more flavor I'd add more hops before going much longer than this. Although I have thrown a sock of hops in a serving keg and left it thre the whole time I was drinking on it.

Not positive about Abrasive, I just loooke dit up and saw IIPA so I gave advice for a high gravity beer. YOu might be carbed up in two weeks, I just have had my higher OG brews carb more slowly, plus they are always cleared better at 4 weeks although that doesn't stop me from drinking half of them.
 
I typically do a 60 minute mash at 147-151 F since the DME, cara- malts within the DME, and other mashing & specialty grains give me the body I need. It's interesting to hear how others do things though.
 
Good point, rarely a problem with low FG when DME is involved. I think AG simply because I've been doing it so long now.
 
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