What do you do while your beer is brewing?

Hey,

Finished brewing my Blonde Ale last night and during the boil, I was sitting around thinking what ppl do for the 60 or so minutes that they have to wait. I was just staring at my brewpot the entire time being prepared for any boil overs. Ended up cracking open a beer and reading John Palmer's book.

So, what do you do while you wait?

Usually I eat during the boil unless I have things to take care of (e.g. measuring hops, sanitizing)...

I normally don't start brewing until just before the kid's bedtime. So during the mash I often will put one of my kids to bed, which includes bathing, reading books, and tucking in.

During the boil I clean and sanitize the fermenter, immersion chiller, and any other miscellaneous things I need for chilling and pitching. I also dump and clean the MLT.

I try to clean up as much as possible as I go along, so that I don't have to do it all at the end.

Beerthoven said:

During the boil I clean and sanitize the fermenter, immersion chiller, and any other miscellaneous things I need for chilling and pitching. I also dump and clean the MLT.

I try to clean up as much as possible as I go along, so that I don't have to do it all at the end.

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Exactly my answer, to a tee.

After my boilover on my previous batch, I got paranoid so I was watching it like a hawk...or was that an eagle? Some bird of prey.. My boil was relatively calm this time. I usually end up sanitizing everything right before I start and letting it sit in the bucket full of sanatizer. My save me some time to just do it inbetween the hop additions next time.

aliu630 said:

I usually end up sanitizing everything right before I start and letting it sit in the bucket full of sanatizer. My save me some time to just do it inbetween the hop additions next time.

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That...and checking HBT.

drink.......

I rarely have time during a brewday to relax at all--it seems I am always cleaning something, or preparing something, or distracted by something else.

I like to clean up along the way though--nothing like discovering 5 days later that the mashtun wasn't emptied (yeah, alcohol was invoilved in that debacle).

Clean and/or watch tv shows that i downloaded on my computer...i used to play a game of madden, but then once my chiller broke and flooded my beer and i didn't know until it was too late

Dude said:

nothing like discovering 5 days later that the mashtun wasn't emptied (yeah, alcohol was invoilved in that debacle).

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And how did that smell?

uglygoat said:

drink.......

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Now, that describes my experience to a tee.

Actually not really. Like most others I try to work two steps ahead of myself and clean and sanitize as I go. However, as I am about 30 minutes into my boil, everything that can be cleaned and sanitized, is. So I usually sit down with a homebrew at that point. I mean, isnt it tradition to drink homebrew whilst homebrewing?

cubbies said:

However, as I am about 30 minutes into my boil, everything that can be cleaned and sanitized, is. So I usually sit down with a homebrew at that point. I mean, isnt it tradition to drink homebrew whilst homebrewing?

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30 minutes is the point where I also can sit down with a homebrew and watch the steam rise.

Cookiebaggs said:

And how did that smell?

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Mmmmm. Sour mash spent grain. Nothing like the smell of that.

my kid is seven now. she's old enough to clean up after the session...

seriosuly i am usually a step ahead as far as cleaning up and getting equipment ready. i drink throughout the session though...

i've found the mash tun a few days after a session due to druckeness as well....

uglygoat said:

drink.......

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Me Too!!!

Maybe a bit o smoke as well.. It's Hops cousin. Like a family reunion.

Clean up the mash tun.

Carry spent grains out to the dump.

Hook up and prep my IC.

Then turn on the TV and begin sampling a few products to remind me of why I do this...

Brew day is the one time I'm guaranteed to get time to sit down and listen to the Jamil Show, or Basic Brewing Radio.

Obsess about the next step and pace around my kitchen watching the pot like a hawk.





I guess you could say I'm still new.

Spark a bowl, fill a pint, play radiohead, and relax

cglkaptc said:

Spark a bowl, fill a pint, play radiohead, and relax

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Note to self...

Arrange "beer" swap with cglkaptc...

Drink a beer or two...clean and sanitize primary and ancillary equipment.

I actually carry my timer with me to the other rooms I already know I won't have a boil over so I don't worry about it. I'll return about every 10 mins or so to stir it up a bit....

Watch TV, read brew books , log on to HBT, etc.

cubbies said:

I mean, isnt it tradition to drink homebrew whilst homebrewing?

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I can't imagine not enjoying a pint or two of an earlier batch while brewing the next batch. It's mandatory, and IMO an important part of the process!

Once my boil is stabilized and the first hop addition has been made, I'll make sure everything else is sanitized and ready to go. Next Ill dump the spent grain into the compost heap and give the MLT a good rinse. Then it's time to draw a pint, light up a cigar and relax. I usually get out one of my camping chairs and put it near the pot, so I can keep an eye on the boil.

the weather is getting better so this last Friday while we were brewing on the porch we threw a few rounds of bocce ball and threw some beast on the grill, all accompanied by a few from previous batches
-ander

I usually end up on hbt till I hear the boil over..lol

Drinking a HB is greta but right now I'm forced to drink store bought. Pilsner Urquell in a pint sized can cause I hate green skunk bottles.

This thread has reminded me to search on here about any devices that can stop boilovers from happening - had a friend tell me his mom used to cook pasta using some small metallic device in the pot that would stop boilovers. Not sure if any such magical device exists, but it would help free me up during boil given I use an 8gal kettle and start w/6gal of water.


Usually brew in tandem though with me and brewing buddy taking shifts. Got in some good wedge practice in the backyard during the last brewday now that snow is finally melting...hopefully soon just be able to enjoy the outdoors while she's rollin.

uglygoat said:

drink.......

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Same here.... gotta drink beer to make beer.

blizz81 said:

This thread has reminded me to search on here about any devices that can stop boilovers from happening
.

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I think pennies or some kind of coin was suppose to prevent it, but not 100% sure, somebody else can probably chime in on this

aliu630 said:

I think pennies or some kind of coin was suppose to prevent it, but not 100% sure, somebody else can probably chime in on this

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Copper. Note that newer pennies, (1985-present, IIRC), are copper-plated zinc, or some such nonsense, and should probably not be used. 1943, (I think), are also a bad idea, as they are not copper either. You'll easily recognize them, because they are silverish-grey.

As to whether this actually works, I cannot say from experience.


And as for the original topic, I clean, drink, try to find missing equipment, clean, drink, and try not to think too hard about what I'm actually doing. Worrying and messing with things probably causes more problems than inattentiveness.

Drink some beer, eat something, maybe smoke some shisha.

I see that I'm not the only one who indulges while they brew. The smell of the boiling hops is a great cover-up for the smell of the cheeb IMO.

blizz81 said:

This thread has reminded me to search on here about any devices that can stop boilovers from happening - had a friend tell me his mom used to cook pasta using some small metallic device in the pot that would stop boilovers. Not sure if any such magical device exists, but it would help free me up during boil given I use an 8gal kettle and start w/6gal of water.

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A lot of people use a spray bottle of water...but that still means you have to stay with the kettle.

Someone around here was talking about a metal disk you can get at a cooking store (I think it's stainless) you place it in the bottom of the pot. I remember reading about it when I first came on here...but can't find it.

I think this is what you are talking about, but I think its only a warning device. It rattles like a MOFO as it boils. I used to have one in college. I think SWMBO pitched when we moved. Thinking WTF is this. Tossed into the trash...

http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38216/boil-over-preventer.asp

I couldn't the life of me find where they sell these. Maybe Kitchen, Bath & Beyond...

http://www.maxiaids.com/store/prodView.asp?idstore=5&idproduct=1000

Personally, I think you can try this with pasta sauce lid. Just cut a litte notch in the side with tin snips to let air bubbles escape. I think it could stand to be a little heavier like the ceramic disk.

If I looked hard enough I bet Wal-mart might have one of these in the kitchen gadget isle.

Some times I watch Betha do her thing. Most of the time, I run the taps with a sampler.

uglygoat said:

drink.......

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+1!!!!!!!!!!!

I sanitize everything except the immersion chiller before I mash in. I leave everything in a bucket of sanitized water for the entire brew session.

Downtime waiting on a boil area reserved for drinking or checking HBT.

I haven't drank my last two brew days. They went much smoother for some reason. But yeah, I'll just relax outside and listen to some music.

BlindLemonLars said:

I can't imagine not enjoying a pint or two of an earlier batch while brewing the next batch. It's mandatory, and IMO an important part of the process!

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I agree. My normal brew time is early morning sunday (kinda my church). But, nothing wrong with a homebrew at 9:30 a.m. on a sunday.

Beerthoven said:

I normally don't start brewing until just before the kid's bedtime. So during the mash I often will put one of my kids to bed, which includes bathing, reading books, and tucking in.

During the boil I clean and sanitize the fermenter, immersion chiller, and any other miscellaneous things I need for chilling and pitching. I also dump and clean the MLT.

I try to clean up as much as possible as I go along, so that I don't have to do it all at the end.

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+1 on this,
I also listen to archives of the Jamil show while I am brewing, and if I am brewing a style that they have already covered, I will listen to that one in particular.

Beerthoven said:

I try to clean up as much as possible as I go along, so that I don't have to do it all at the end.

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AMEN!+1 I hate cleaning up at the end, probably the only part of brewing I don't like. The less to do at the end the better.

blizz81 said:

This thread has reminded me to search on here about any devices that can stop boilovers from happening

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Just get a huge pot.

Revvy said:

A lot of people use a spray bottle of water...but that still means you have to stay with the kettle.

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Every time I hear that, I imagine a little old lady and her puppy... "No Precious! We don't do that on the carpet! *squirt, squirt*"

+1 on the clean as you go, have a homebrew, sanitize equipment, hanging out with the friends you bring over to "show how to brew" (ie. to clean and sanitize your equipment for you....)

i usually take care of the sanitizing of the fermenter, watch some tv, smoke...