Suggest a brewing plan?

[Cdreid]

I'm a trucker and im going back over the road. I'll be RELIABLY home a day to a day and a half. I want to clone victoria bitter and experiment with some 1 gallon batchs of some other stuff to find something light but with taste that i like. Thing is the hometime. Can't check on the brew. I cant do "hardcore" brewing.. from raw hops etc or anything like that (honestly the growing your own hops and going from there sounds awesome).

So...im thinking.. mix it up.. sit it in a closet with a temperature belt on it.. check it once a week and get some kindof electric bottling system? (i dont have time when im home to waste 5 hours bottling). Or some minikegs or something?

 

[erikpete18]

I still check my brews all the time, but there's really no point. Sitting it in a closet and ignoring it is probably better than what I'm doing now anyways! If you really want to cut down on brew time, I'd look at doing extract batches. Really the only time needed is boiling and cooling, which can be done in 2-3 hours if you put your mind to it (little over an hour to heat up and boil, rest to cool). You could do 3 gal batches of extract, ferment in a 5 gal carboy in your closet, then keg into small kegs or tap-a-draft systems. If you're thinking of doing 1 gallon batches, AHB has come out with some 1-gallon all grain kits. That would let you start to do some more advanced brewing, but without a huge time increase. I think 1 gallon batches generally give you a six-pack of beer, so that would help you figure out some new recipes you liked, without having to bottle a ton.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

It takes you five hours to bottle??

 

[Mongrel]

Kegging system would be a lot more cost efficient than an automated bottling line. Then you can fill bottles as needed, or do growler fills.