AG Average Brew Time

[lieb2101]

I'm pushing about 25 AG batches under my belt now and I can say that for the last 15 or so I've hit a consistent 4 hour / batch (5 gallon) brew time including prep and cleanup. This seems to be regardless of if I'm doing 1 batch or 3.

How does this compare with everyone's time efficiency? I'm just checking to see if I need to look into better processes or if I'm doing ok.

Thanks!
-B

 

[user 29674]

Takes me about 6 for a 5 gallon batch so you're doing better than me.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

I'm probably somewhere between 5 - 6 hours. Upgrading my burners soon so hopefully that will help.

 

[jldc]

I batch sparge in a bag and I consistently finish in 4hrs, assuming 60 min mash and 60 min boil. 90 min mash/boil adds time of course.

 

[Saint Aardvark]

Five hours for me if I'm doing a five-gallon batch. I've been doing 1 gallon batches recently, which cuts about an hour off my time; it's nice 'cos I get to spend more time with the kids, and I get to experiment more.

 

[brrman]

I'm usually just over 4 hours on my brew rig. I just started doing 10 gal batches and it only adds about 20 mins to my time...

 

[waldoar15]

I don't really watch the clock all that much, but usually somewhere between 4-5 hrs. Depends on the mash and boil times.

 

[nukebrewer]

I have only done a few 5 gallon AG batches, but my average is around 4.5 hours, though that has greatly improved since I switched to propane burner brewing vice stove top brewing.

 

[bakins]

About 6 hours for 10 gallon batch with 90 minute boil. I drag-ass allot - there are minus to having brew rig in basement next to big screen TV and pool table. I clean my rig before and after brewday, so that adds some time. If I actually did it "right," it'd be more like 4.

 

[EonBlue66]

4 hours almost every time (batch sparger)

 

[mlaw06]

5-6 for me with a 60 minute fly sparge and 90 minute boil

 

[ruffdeezy]

I can do 4 to 4.5 hours if I'm paying attention. It can easily get to 6 if I don't pay attention and miss temps etc.

 

[CalmYourself]

7 hours start to finish for me. Im slow.

 

[Bartman]

4 hours for me and that is with the usual 60 min mash ans 60 min boil. I use my stove and my propane burner to move the hot water along a little faster.

 

[qvantamon]

My last one moved along fairly efficiently (no wasted time), and it took about 5 hours.

That is half hour to bring 3 gallons of water to mash temp (~180), plus 15 minutes letting it heat the cooler, then 1 hour mashing (meanwhile i boil the sparge), about half hour lautering and sparging, half hour to bring the wort to a boil, 1 hour boil, half hour chilling (ice bath, while i sanitize stuff), half hour siphoning and aerating (lost some time on siphoning due to a larger than usual hop bill clogging my autosiphon tip, but nothing major).

That is for a 3 gallon batch, with store crushed grains (but I could easily crush while heating the water anyway) and I'm not counting cleanup (took another hour, but that's because I decided to scour my kettle with bkf today)

 

[fishnfever]

Approximately 6 hours. That is form start to finish (every thing clean and put away after the batch is in the fermenter)

 

[ajf]

7 - 8 hours, but there's a lot of gaps in the middle so I can do other things, and the last hour is soaking the kettle and CFC to clean out all the crud.

-a.

 

[JollyToper]

Funny. I was just about to post the same question after trying to speed up my brew day these last few brews.

My time is for a 6 gallon ale, 60 minute single infusion mash, and 60 min boil.

From flame on to heat the strike water to pitching yeast it takes me 4:15.

Cleanup adds another 15 minutes to the end if I stay on top of it during the boil.

 

[jlpred55]

4-4.5 for me for a standard single infusion batch sparge with 60 min mash and boil.

 

[electric_beer]

I think the main difference in brew times is if you clean throughout the brew day or at the end. My day is usually just over 4 hours...except I don't have a IC so its another hour to cool in the sink.
Once that is built, heck I could do 2 brews in one day!

 

[DKershner]

10gal with a 90min fly sparge and 60min mash and boil takes about 6hrs. I have had a 9 hour brewday before though with a complicated mash schedule and 90min boil.

Of course, that's start to finish, there is so much time where you aren't doing anything though.

 

[joshuafields]

It usually takes us 8-9 hours for a 15 gallon batch, including all set-up and clean-up. Just getting our water up to mash and sparge temp takes a good hour and a half. We are currently using a 20 gallon kettle over two Viking stove burners, which I think are only about 17K BTUs each. We're going to tap the natural gas line and set up a hurricane or jet burner soon, which will speed up water heating and boil. It also takes us an hour to and hour and a half to cool our wort, due to an undersized immersion chiller. We're in the process of upgrading that with a bigger chiller and a whirlpool setup. That should shave off another 45 minutes of so. If we can get down to 6 hours for a 15 gallon batch, I'll be pretty happy.

 

[ReeseAllen]

My 5-gallon batches take 4 hours from the start of heating strike water to pitching yeast. Setup and cleanup adds another 2 hours.

 

[alexnphillips]

average of about 6 hours for 10gal AG.

Side question on this. How long do you think it takes a microbrewery to do it. Say a 7bbl system.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I currently share my HLT and BK between 1 vessel and it takes me 5-6 hours for a 5G or 10G batch. I hope to get down to the 4-4.5 once I get a dedicated HLT completed. Which will be electric so I really won't count my brew day time until it's time to mash in

 

[oceanselv]

About 6 hours for ales and at least 8 for lagers. The lagers take longer to cool the wort.

 

[TechyDork]

4 hours for me if i am on top of things, 6 or so if i have a buddy "helping" me. Those 12oz curls tend to slow the process a bit.

 

[carp]

I can't seem to do better than 6 hours for 12 gallons. This is starting with a recipe but no other prep, so includes setup, weighing salts, grinding grain, and finishing with hot wort in the cube and everything cleaned up. I have 2 burners and a 3 tier stand, so setup is not too bad. I feel like I should be faster but I'm not yet. Not that its a problem.

Company during the brew, while generally welcome, always slows me down.

 

[passedpawn]

This past Saturday I overlapped 2 batches. While the 10g Kona Pale Ale was boiling, the 10g Blue Moon clone was mashing. Should have been a disaster, but wasn't. Probably about 8 hours total. I don't really clean up, I just toss it all in the backyard, fill with water and oxyclean, and leave for later in the week.

 

[DavidSteel]

20 minutes to prep
30 minutes to bring water to temp to mash in
60 minutes waiting for mash while heating up sparge water
10-15 minute making sure sparge water is correct temp
add extra 5 minute for checking temps after mashing etc.
20 minute first runnings
15-25 minute sparge
30 minutes to sparge
45 minutes to bring to a boil
boil for 60 minutes
35-40 minutes to cool
30 minutes clean up

Should be 6 hours and 20 minutes in theory, but sometimes takes me up to 7.

Edit: last batch took me 5 1/2 hours.