If you are pressed for time, why do you homebrew?

[henchman24]

Don't think he meant that he brews 15 gal/month. I think he was saying he has to plan a month in advance. Perhaps he brews 4 times a year but always brews 15 gallons per brew day?


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Or he has friends like mine...

 

[schoellhorn82]

YOu must not be a parent of a toddler! lol

 

[scarekrow]

For me saving a few minutes here or there could mean doing a second brew that day or start some wine/mead/cider. Maybe start my new smoker. It's just time I can use on other projects or just be lazy. If I can do it efficiently more power to me.

 

[Clarke]

For me I started because I was making beer, how cool is that? Then it became, I want to make great beer like the ones I can get at the store, how much cooler is that? Then it became a cost issue, I can make quality beer at a fraction of the price, this is now super cool. Then I found comradery with like minded people and good times, way cool.

Now, I just want a steady flow of good beer at a fraction of the price that I can share with my friends and I don't want to spend all day doing it.

 

[HumulusHead]

I have a busy ass life between getting ready for a wedding and my crazy out of town work schedule.

The only thing that keeps me sane is brewing.

That being said, I work real hard to schedule a brew "day" into my life and if I can get four solid hours to do it I will. I for the most part cannot find more time in continuous perdiod to do this.

So I am all for cutting down on brew days.

I enjoy the hell out of brewing. Some day I hope to be able to devote time like a lot of people do here, but until then there is no way I am lettin my kegerator run dry.




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[Gnomebrewer]

Along with some other posters, I was shocked at 15gal a month. Then I added up what I drink each week....

two bottles each night, a few extras on weekends, a big session every two or three weeks.......almost bang on 15gal a month.

 

[JimEb]

The more I brew the faster I get...just comes with experience and efficiency. When I first started I'd look at peoples semi-automated brew stands and think, "whats the point, wheres the fun in that?"

Now Im contemplating all-grain and found myself sketching up plans for an automated electric HERMS stand.

 

[AnOldUR]

Was going to post, replace the word brewing with sex, and this conversion changes. Saving time is not always a good thing. Some things shouldn't be rushed.

But given the choice between a quicky or none, the decision is easy. :cross:

 

[myelo]

Between work, kids and chores, I don't have much extra time for hobbies. But I try to squeeze in a brew day whenever I can because I enjoy it and it's relaxing.

In about 10 years when the kids are gone and I retire I'm planning on doing a lot more. I'm also going to play around with growing and drying hops. I may even try growing some barley and malting it because I think that would be fun and I have an extra 10 acres I'm not using for anything else.

This will allow me to look down my nose at home brewers who buy pre-made ingredients.

Just kidding, but my point is that different people draw the line at the point where they balance time with the effort they put into home brewing.

 

[Homercidal]

Was going to post, replace the word brewing with sex, and this conversion changes. Saving time is not always a good thing. Some things shouldn't be rushed.

But given the choice between a quicky or none, the decision is easy. :cross:

Some people prefer a 90 minute mash. I've found conversion takes place a LOT sooner than that, but thickness can affect this. I find I get a better runoff with a longer mash as well.

 

[AnOldUR]

Some people prefer a 90 minute mash.

Since the kids have left the house, there's a lot more opportunity for a long mash without distractions.

 

[Hello]

I see a ton of varying opinions now but I seriously do not think that you (OP) should assume people do not care about the hobby just because they look to shave 20 minutes off their brew day or anything of the sort. I've read that some do it because they find their beer better than any commercial beer, they now consider it more or less a household chore, or they want to save money and not pay for craft beer.

For me, I started to brew and so far have continued to brew because I love the craft. In fact, I tend to give away a lot of my beer because it lets me brew more. The more I give away the more I get to brew and again, I brew because I like the craft. I do not think it would be terrible to save 20 minutes here and there and frankly, it is absurd to think that if a person cares to save time then they simply shouldn't even bother.

Why does a brew day need to consume the entire day just to make it count for you? That is the assumption you've left me with.

Another hobby of mine is photography. I started photography when film not only mattered, but it was all we had. Not only did I shoot with film but I developed and printed my own photos. In some cases, when I found something remarkable that I wanted to shoot, I would lug a 5x7, 8x10 or even 11x14 land camera some place, shoot my scene or subject, develop the film and make contact prints using platinum developer purchased at cost. I did this all by hand and I did it because I simply love the craft. I eventually moved to digital and use film on occasion, which is more a novelty now as you can imagine. Would you dare to ask me "why bother"? Doubtful. You can say I changed with the time but the tools needed to process my own film and prints are still available today and I was in no way forced out of film.

So why bother brewing if I am okay with shaving 20 minutes off my brew day? Because I love it. I took up the hobby because it sounded fun and in the end I'd get beer. I can do it with a friend or alone and the results are the same. I still buy craft beer so I have no argument about brewing better or saving money. I will say that I moved from extract to all grain for one reason, I wanted to control the color of my beer. When my "pale ale" turned out more of a very light golden color and it was not seen as a "pale ale" at all, I knew I wanted to control that. Nothing more. I didn't even consider the savings but I sure as hell appreciate the savings now.

tl;dr?
Don't yuck someone's yum. In other words, if someone wants to brew but wants to do it as quickly as possible then who cares?

 

[HumulusHead]

Was going to post, replace the word brewing with sex, and this conversion changes. Saving time is not always a good thing. Some things shouldn't be rushed.



But given the choice between a quicky or none, the decision is easy. :cross:

The conversation does not change for this guy. I'm all about efficiency


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[Jupapabear]

Was going to post, replace the word brewing with sex, and this conversion changes. Saving time is not always a good thing. Some things shouldn't be rushed.

But given the choice between a quicky or none, the decision is easy. :cross:

The conversation does not change for this guy. I'm all about efficiency

You gotta get it in when you can, you know?

 

[Conestoga]

¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[Dylan42]

I love everything that goes into brewing from planning to brewing to fermentation to tasting throughout the whole process. I wouldn't say that I look to shave time off of my brew days by skipping steps or rushing or not doing a decoction mash. I look to streamline my process each and every brew. The better process I use the less time I spend and the end result is still a rockin beer.

The thing I dred the most currently is dragging all of my equipment out and setting up ladders and chairs for my ghetto three tier to brew. As well as dragging pots, and coolers in and out of my house to my garage to get water. It will be nice once I get a three tier built with a water filter and some food grade hose so everything can be done outside.

In summary I agree with most of the posters by saying that we all brew for different reasons, and all have different situations or circumstances that dictate how much time we can spend on a brewday.

Its my hobby and I can do what I want to. (Sing to the tune of
Lesley Gore - It's My Party)

 

[Broham1]

I am not here to ruffle any feathers,

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight…

Many all-grain brewers who do not do step mashing, in particular decoction, cite not wanting to add another 1-3 hours to their brew day.

Pffft! You only do triple decoctions? If you're not spending at least 16 hours brewing, why bother?

That is just as arbitrary as your line in the sand. The truth is, making wort is arguably the least important step in making good beer. Why does it take you so long to make hopped sugar water?

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Was going to post, replace the word brewing with sex, and this conversion changes. Saving time is not always a good thing. Some things shouldn't be rushed.

But with beer, the payoff takes 2-5 weeks whether your brewday is a quickie extract batch or an 8 hour tantric decoction mash.

 

[Yooper]

You gotta get it in when you can, you know?

I read this three times as "you gotta get it in the can, you know?". I wondered how that would be faster and more efficient.

But then, I read it a fourth time and the light bulb came on and I said, "OH!".

In the words of the wonderful Church Lady, "Never mind!"

 

[jmcquesten]

This is funny to me. I'm actually trying to convince someone to switch back to extract because they are always complaining about not having enough time. They always skip what I consider to be important steps like making starters and taking hydrometer readings (starting and finishing). As it is, I typically find the recipes for him, figure out the mash volumes and temps, and do any other research needed. Also, he's been convinced since day one that a week in primary and a week in secondary and it's ready to keg because there are no bubbles in the airlock. I'm at the point where I'm going to stop researching and making suggestions.

 

[logdrum]

Part of the enjoyment for me is streamlining the process. I dig efficient work flow.

 

[ObsidianJester]

Well, I've done what a lot of folks have done, started with one form of extract, hybrids and gone on to full on all grain brewing.

I've had some spectacular failures all along the line. I stick with all grain brewing now because I think of it like the difference of making a boxed dinner (Hamburger/tuna helper or ramen) vs making from scratch. There is a time and place for it but the difference in time for me of extract variants vs all grain variants is not that much the way I do things. It is one thing for me to come home from work and not have the time to make a full on meal every night so the boxed dinners is the way it goes. I don't have a lot of time to brew. Sometimes I get three or four brew days in a month. Other times it may be 6 to 8 weeks between brew days. Still I would rather brew something I can control as much as possible even including the set up and clean up. (Let me tell you something, trying to brew when it is single degrees outside is a challenge..) I also like generally the process of everything quite a lot till comes time for clean up and the wort chilling process. For some reason those two are always a pain to me, and that will not change no matter what brewing process I use. I don't mind extract brews but I feel that the time change is not that much greater on the back end, if I want to do it I want the whole experience. No problems with anyone that does it their own way. What folks enjoy is what they enjoy, that is all that matters.

 

[brrman]

Wow, I have time to brew, but I wouldn't have time to drink 15 gallons a month.

Hah hah. Well that 30 gallons does disappear. Both my wife and I drink a fair amount of beer and we don't gain weight. It's seriously odd. But I also have people over a lot and give away a lot of beer. So that 30 gallons goes pretty quickly.

Don't think he meant that he brews 15 gal/month. I think he was saying he has to plan a month in advance. Perhaps he brews 4 times a year but always brews 15 gallons per brew day?

Something like that. I do brew a full 30 gallons in 1 day. It lasts about 2 months. I do not usually have a full pipeline all the time. After it runs out I might get to brewing another 30 gallons a month later.

I still buy craft beer, so it's not like I am in a rush. I do it when I get the time and feel like I want to do it. I will say that brewing three 10 gallon batches in one day is rather epic, and exhausting.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Well, I've done what a lot of folks have done, started with one form of extract, hybrids and gone on to full on all grain brewing.

I've had some spectacular failures all along the line. I stick with all grain brewing now because I think of it like the difference of making a boxed dinner (Hamburger/tuna helper or ramen) vs making from scratch. There is a time and place for it but the difference in time for me of extract variants vs all grain variants is not that much the way I do things. It is one thing for me to come home from work and not have the time to make a full on meal every night so the boxed dinners is the way it goes. I don't have a lot of time to brew. Sometimes I get three or four brew days in a month. Other times it may be 6 to 8 weeks between brew days. Still I would rather brew something I can control as much as possible even including the set up and clean up. (Let me tell you something, trying to brew when it is single degrees outside is a challenge..) I also like generally the process of everything quite a lot till comes time for clean up and the wort chilling process. For some reason those two are always a pain to me, and that will not change no matter what brewing process I use. I don't mind extract brews but I feel that the time change is not that much greater on the back end, if I want to do it I want the whole experience. No problems with anyone that does it their own way. What folks enjoy is what they enjoy, that is all that matters.

I'll try not to be offended because you didn't mean to, but this BS comparison is what starts fights.

ALL pre-hopped extract is maybe like a frozen (boxed?) dinner.

A PM or even extract with grains is at worst like a cake mix but more likely a roasted chicken dinner where you used chicken that was already cut into pieces.

I have brewed good AG beers, but my best beers have been All pale extract and mashed grains. Not because PM is better, but because I brewed only 2 AG batches and then went back to PM because of time constraints.

The AG batches were quite good, but middle of the road recipes.

I can replicate just about any results with 6 lbs of pale DME and whatever grains I want.

 

[broadbill]

I'll try not to be offended because you didn't mean to, but this BS comparison is what starts fights.

ALL pre-hopped extract is maybe like a frozen (boxed?) dinner.

A PM or even extract with grains is at worst like a cake mix but more likely a roasted chicken dinner where you used chicken that was already cut into pieces.

I have brewed good AG beers, but my best beers have been All pale extract and mashed grains. Not because PM is better, but because I brewed only 2 AG batches and then went back to PM because of time constraints.

The AG batches were quite good, but middle of the road recipes.

I can replicate just about any results with 6 lbs of pale DME and whatever grains I want.

I don't think you have much to be offended about; there is a chasm of difference between pouring out the contents of a can into water vs. boiling some unhopped DME with steeped grains and hop pellets.

I dunno; I'd probably agree that pre-hopped kits being like frozen dinners...:cross:

I think we can all agree that ingredient quality is an important aspect to brewing good beer and frankly, I don't think the quality is there with the prehopped extract kits (coopers, muntons, etc). Not saying they aren't quality to start with, but consider that these prehopped kits are all imported (I've yet to see a domestic version) and probably come to the US by sea in hot container ships. That can't be good for quality....

 

[geoffey]

I think we can all agree that ingredient quality is an important aspect to brewing good beer and frankly, I don't think the quality is there with the prehopped extract kits (coopers, muntons, etc). Not saying they aren't quality to start with, but consider that these prehopped kits are all imported (I've yet to see a domestic version) and probably come to the US by sea in hot container ships. That can't be good for quality....

Mr Beer makes hopped extract kits, I think they are produced here in the States.

But what is interesting to me about this comment is that about 15 years ago Coopers and Muntons were making what was considered by MANY in the homebrew community great quality extract kits. Go back to the issues of Zymurgy around that time and you'll see what I mean. But these days I don't think many homebrewers regard them as highly as kits from their local homebrew shop, or even one of the many online homebrew retailers. Goes to show how the QUALITY of ingredients has changed so much in a short amount of time. I would guess this is also true in the All Grain realm where getting quality ingredients (ie. "well modified" grains) was much more difficult for the average home-brewer 15-20 years ago than it is now. There is not as much of a need to decoction mash these days (if you ask some people there's no reason at all, but of course there are many opinions about that).

 

[Dopeybrew]

I started with extract brewing to learn the necessary things like sanitization, temp control, and to build up my kit. Recently I went to BIAB, I like where Im at and don't foresee going any further down the rabbit hole. Why not? Simple. Im happy where Im at now. I enjoy the process of a no sparge biab and, after all, is not the point of a hobby to simply be enjoyed?

I liked extract brewing, I made some good beers(to me at least). I went to biab to gain some flexibility with recipes and to cut cost some(extract kits are freaking expensive). I have no want need or desire to go to full AG brewing for several reasons, cost of the equipment being first and foremost.

When it all goes down it comes to do you enjoy the process you are using. I don't care if thats 1 gallon extract kit brewing or 30 gallon 24 hour AG tantric brewing. You have to enjoy it for it to be a hobby.

If you don't enjoy it then why bother?

 

[Braufessor]

I don't think you have much to be offended about; there is a chasm of difference between pouring out the contents of a can into water vs. boiling some unhopped DME with steeped grains and hop pellets.

I dunno; I'd probably agree that pre-hopped kits being like frozen dinners...:cross:

I think we can all agree that ingredient quality is an important aspect to brewing good beer and frankly, I don't think the quality is there with the prehopped extract kits (coopers, muntons, etc). Not saying they aren't quality to start with, but consider that these prehopped kits are all imported (I've yet to see a domestic version) and probably come to the US by sea in hot container ships. That can't be good for quality....

I think the difference is this - "TV Dinner" is synonymous with "crappy food." "Extract Beer" is not synonymous with "crappy beer."

I do agree with your points about quality - if you get some year old can of prehopped extract that is covered in dust and shipped across the ocean, subjected to big temperature swings...... I think you are going to likely get subpar beer. But, just like all-grain, if you start with quality ingredients, you have the potential to get a quality product at the end.

I can see where the "TV Dinner" analogy would be offensive to someone who takes a lot of care and pride in their process, recipe construction, controlling fermentation,etc. etc. etc. Sure, it skips the step of "sugar extraction" ...... but, I don't really think that is the biggest part of the equation - or at least not the only part of the equation. A "TV Dinner" cuts all the corners - you literally just open the box and turn your oven on and sit on the couch till it is done. That is not what extract brewing is.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Yes. Exactly.

Comparing my recipe that calls for:

6 lbs of pale DME
2 lbs pale 2 row
2 lbs vienna malt
1 lb carapils
1 oz magnum 60
1 oz glacier 10 min
2 oz glacier 0

Dry hop 2 oz glacier

WL Irish Ale yeast

to a "boxed" dinner, would be like me comparing you to a self important snotty nosed simpleton.

Get it?

 

[broadbill]

Yes. Exactly.

Comparing my recipe that calls for:

6 lbs of pale DME
2 lbs pale 2 row
2 lbs vienna malt
1 lb carapils
1 oz magnum 60
1 oz glacier 10 min
2 oz glacier 0

Dry hop 2 oz glacier

WL Irish Ale yeast

to a "boxed" dinner, would be like me comparing you to a self important snotty nosed simpleton.

Get it?

and I'll repeat:

I don't think you have much to be offended about; there is a chasm of difference between pouring out the contents of a can into water vs. boiling some unhopped DME with steeped grains and hop pellets.

Some people should spend more time reading for comprehension instead of making up things to get all butt-hurt over.

 

[XXXXX]

I also run races on the weekend. I'm trying to set a record for brewing 5 gallons of beer in the least amount of time.

Seriously, you can enjoy a hobby and still want to shave time. Why don't you start a fire with two sticks to boil your wort? Don't you enjoy the process?

Chisel a giant mill stone for grinding grain, and buy some horses.

Till your yard under, and grow barley and hops.

Too much? Then, why bother?

Perfect point.

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - Carl Sagan

PS: Sorry for reviving a dead thread.

 

[Zuljin]

Because for some of us it is no longer about the art, edification, or theraputic aspects of brewing. For many of us we have our systems nailed, and just have need to produce in order to keep ourselves in "our" beer.

I think most of us are very busy.

20 minutes here, 20 minutes there, it all adds up.

I won't eat packaged food, even though it might save me 20 minutes. I think good food takes as long as it takes, but I won't simmer something for an hour if 15 minutes will do.

The same is true of brewing. I want great beer, but if I can do it in four hours instead of 6, then I"ll do that.

Perfect point.

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - Carl Sagan

PS: Sorry for reviving a dead thread.

These and the like are why.

There are folks who stopwatch all the fun out of it, but mostly, people are looking to brew the best way they can with their time.

 

[grathan]

You know, there are a lot of things there isn't time for that could possibly be amazing one day when there is time, and what if you have a decent head start so you get right into the thick of it when that day comes?

Or perhaps by pushing for the things that are important to you, you shape your life around them and therefore stop being such a tool?

 

[GHBWNY]

For the important things in life, time isn't "had", it's "made". If your priority is saving time cooking dinner to spend more time homebrewing, then so be it. If saving time homebrewing means spending more time with your family, then so be it, and so forth. We all have 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. I don't have more time than you, nor you more than me. It's all about prioritizing the time we have according to our personal needs, desires and external demands.

 

[AnOldUR]

Just like there's a huge difference between saying, "I homebrew to save money" and "I save money by homebrewing," there's an equally large difference between saying, "I save time by using extract" and "I use extract to save time."

In one case, it's your sole purpose. In the other, it's a byproduct. If the byproduct of brewing extract is that you get to do something you otherwise would not be able to do, that's great. If your only reason for brewing extract is get through the process faster, you might be better off buying your beer.


Some of us love to brew. Others like to say they brew.

 

[XXXXX]

I reckon it depends what you do with your newly "earned" free time, doesn't it?

IF, by shortening your brew day, you free up one hour to only waste it rotting away in front of the television, I suggest you're no further ahead.

On the other hand, IF you invest the extra time with family or friends, or if you invest the extra time learning a new skill (or honing an existing one), then it has been a worthwhile endeavour.