All-grain Brewing Alone

[MagicMatt]

Nice! You must be a project manager.

Lead Software Engineer. Though my PM sucks so yeah I mostly do her work for her.

 

[Mathomson75]

I too have done ag alone and for me it was faster i fly sparge and a brew day with my buddies is usually 5-6 hrs alone 4-5 when alone I clean as I go and am not usually drinking and less talk I donly 5gal batches but if I were to do 10 I would say a brew partner would be a must

 

[MaryB]

Do most of the prep the day before. Weigh and crush the grain, weigh out any water additions, weigh out the hops(label them, I use 1 cup glad containers for this labeled 1,2,3 etc, same containers for mineral additions, sparge and mash labels), fill your mash and sparge kettles with water and cover. Brew day I heat the mash water, add the minerals to the grain and mash in, kick back and read for an hour. When the mash has 30 minutes to go I start heating the sparge water(doing 11 gallon batches, sparge is often 8 so takes time). Spend 30 minutes to 45 minutes sparging, soon as I have a half full boil kettle I light that burner to get it started heating(saves me 25 minutes!). Boil 60-90 minutes depending on recipe. Chill with the immersion chiller in 30 minutes and into fermenters. While the boil is going i wash the mash tun and paddle and wipe it down so all the cleanup I have left is the boil kettle and spoon I use in it. Last brew session was 6 hours start to finish with a lot of sitting on my butt reading a book in between.

I have resisted going full all-grain because it seems to be a lot to do alone. Due to my schedule and that of my friends, we are not able to get together as often as we'd like to brew, so I usually end up just doing an extract batch after putting the kids to bed. I have an all-grain setup with pump and plate chiller, so in theory it should be easy. I am skeptical though, and don't want to get into a 7 hour ordeal before realizing I have made a poor choice.

For those of you who do all-grain alone, what are your tips and secrets?

 

[corkybstewart]

I always brew alone. I could not ever imagine having the 7 hour brew day that you fear in the OP. One hour mash, One hour to ninety minute boil, chill it. That's two and a half, add in time for cleaning and heating water makes it about 4 hours with only about 30 minutes being actively spent doing something. To save time... crush grains in advance, set up as much equipment as you can in advance as well. CLEAN AS YOU GO!!!! Super easy and doable to have a 3.5 to 4 hour all grain brew day solo.

I crush my grain as I heat the strike water, and I heat the hot liquor at the same time. My 10 gallon batches take about 6 hours, mostly due to the volume of water I heat.

 

[mongoose33]

I crush my grain as I heat the strike water, and I heat the hot liquor at the same time. My 10 gallon batches take about 6 hours, mostly due to the volume of water I heat.

Doing 10-gallon batches introduces an interesting side element to time efficiency.

I'm doing 5 gallons in about 5 hours. You're doing 10 gallons in about 6 hours. So by my figuring, your second 5-gallon batch only takes an hour.

 

[jmill]

If I portion out my water and mill my grains the day before, I can brew 10 gals in 5.25 hours. Use the downtime to clean while things are going. Helps a lot in the end. It also helps when it isn't 100+ out. I use 1 pump and a few Blichmann burners.

SWMBO helps out on every 4 or 5 brews. She likes the process and likes being involved, but needs to spend her time doing productive things, like work.

 

[schematix]

I made a Gantt chart when I first started All Grain to help me visualize and streamline my process:

Even though the real clean-up doesn't start until after sparging, it seems like its the whole brew day!

 

[jcav]

I have always brewed alone all these years, until this past year. My three sons have took an interest and have come over each on their own brew day with me, or together. It has been really special brewing with them and teaching them. I enjoy it immensely and the time spent together is special. When they taste the finish product weeks later it's very satisfying for all of us and we all get a kick out of it. A friend or two has also come over and watched me brew and it was cool too. I still love brewing alone though and I am more on my game when alone and not distracted. So I really understand the "brewing alone thing"!

John

 

[martiniw2olives]

I went to an electric Brewha BIAC system because I can't rely on help and was nervous handling the hot wort after boil for cooling. Safety is the biggest issue brewing alone.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Safety is the biggest issue brewing alone.

Safety is always Rule 1 when brewing, but I don't agree that there's intrinsic value in having assistants or on-lookers.
They can be a distraction, particularly if there's 'splaining to be done through the process.

I will say running a propane-fired "Armstrong HERMs" (ie: total manual operation) predisposes me of my opinion...

As for the hot wort thing, you're right that moving hot kettles violates Rule 1 and shall be avoided.
But there are at least three different "cool-in-place" methods extant at varying ease of use.
I've never moved a hot anything.

How does one cool a BIAC?

Cheers!

 

[martiniw2olives]

Agree, I was putting myself at risk moving hot wort, I cringe thinking about it. It was moving from stove top to sink for ice bath and wort chiller, bad idea. I also concur with having people around that don't brew, takes me out of my "brew zone" and I make mistakes or miss doing stuff.

The Brewha BIAC has a built in jacket on the conical vessel that you mash, boil, and ferment in. The jacket has an inlet and outlet to run cool water through, either municipal or from a cooler. Works pretty good bringing the temperature down.

 

[day_trippr]

Very impressive. I trust it works as good as it looks

 

[corkybstewart]

Doing 10-gallon batches introduces an interesting side element to time efficiency.

I'm doing 5 gallons in about 5 hours. You're doing 10 gallons in about 6 hours. So by my figuring, your second 5-gallon batch only takes an hour.

I have even done 15 gallon batches so I can use different yeasts and dry hops, it takes the same amount of time.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Only to you.

Had a conversation w/ my son (who also brews and who helped me get interested in this) and he does mostly smaller batches. He lives in an apartment so it's a stove setup he uses.

I was lamenting the turn to MUCH colder weather here in Tundraland, and he suggested going to small batches brewed inside on the stove.

I actually thought seriously about that, though to me there isn't much in the way of time savings. I'd be able to heat water much faster on the stove, and bring the wort to boil much faster, probably shaving 20 minutes off the process. But in the end, I still need to mash for an hour, still need to boil for an hour, still need to crush the grain, etc. etc. etc.

One reason I shy away from small batches is the reduction in time spent isn't anywhere near proportional to the reduction in beer brewed.

That's just about right. But, other advantages to brewing 2.5g batches (for me anyway) are that all the gear goes in a few bins in the garage, and I brew more often, get more variety, and get better at it faster...

 

[bucfan1234]

That's just about right. But, other advantages to brewing 2.5g batches (for me anyway) are that all the gear goes in a few bins in the garage, and I brew more often, get more variety, and get better at it faster...

Lately, I have been thinking about moving to either ten gallon batches or partigyle to maximize the time spent on mashing and sparging. Its seems like I could almost make two brews in the time it takes to make one 5 gallon batch now.

 

[augiedoggy]

I mostly brew alone and find its much quicker than when I brew with someone since im less focused... and now I mostly do 11 gallon batches for the reasons mentioned above...

 

[martiniw2olives]

Very impressive. I trust it works as good as it looks

Yes, having allot of fun with it.

 

[schematix]

brewing alone and brewing sober makes for smoother brew days. not as fun though.

 

[MaryB]

10 gallon batches is more efficient use of time and fewer brew sessions needed. My worst was 7 hours and that was a stuck sparge.

Lately, I have been thinking about moving to either ten gallon batches or partigyle to maximize the time spent on mashing and sparging. Its seems like I could almost make two brews in the time it takes to make one 5 gallon batch now.

 

[MagicMatt]

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but is anyone doing 10-11 gallons all gravity-fed (i.e. no pumps)? I want to move to 11 gallon batches (5.5g now), but not wanting to buy any pumps until I go all electric. As it is, I have to lift my kettle after sparging to get it onto the burner. Don't think that's gonna work with 10g batches.

 

[pvpeacock]

I occasionally do 10 gallon batches with no pumps by brewing a high gravity beer and then diluting it with water in the fermenters before pitching the yeast. I buy the grain and hops for a 10 gallon recipe but only use enough strike and sparge water to yield about 8 - 9 gallons into the brew kettle. When I'm done with the boil, half goes into one fermenter and half goes into another fermenter and I top both off to 5 gallons with tap water. I prefer session type beers (3.5 - 6% ABV), so it works well for me.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]I want to move to 11 gallon batches (5.5g now), but not wanting to buy any pumps until I go all electric.

Pretty much everyone uses the March 809s/815s or the Chugger equivalents, regardless of heating method.
I wouldn't put off picking them up. They're future-proof, and given what you're looking at in the meantime, might keep you out of the hospital.

As it is, I have to lift my kettle after sparging to get it onto the burner. Don't think that's gonna work with 10g batches.

On the batch I did this weekend with a 14g pre-boil volume, that'd be ~140 pounds of ~160°F wort and kettle.

Moving that would be bad juju...

Cheers!

 

[bucfan1234]

I occasionally do 10 gallon batches with no pumps by brewing a high gravity beer and then diluting it with water in the fermenters before pitching the yeast. I buy the grain and hops for a 10 gallon recipe but only use enough strike and sparge water to yield about 8 - 9 gallons into the brew kettle. When I'm done with the boil, half goes into one fermenter and half goes into another fermenter and I top both off to 5 gallons with tap water. I prefer session type beers (3.5 - 6% ABV), so it works well for me.

Cool idea. May have to try it.

 

[bucfan1234]

Pretty much everyone uses the March 809s/815s or the Chugger equivalents, regardless of heating method.
I wouldn't put off picking them up. They're future-proof, and given what you're looking at in the meantime, might keep you out of the hospital.



On the batch I did this weekend with a 14g pre-boil volume, that'd be ~140 pounds of ~160°F wort and kettle.

Moving that would be bad juju...

Cheers!

True. I upgraded to pumping thinking of doing larger batches. I opted for the new keg king pump out of australia, and so far, so good.

 

[tjramsey]

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but is anyone doing 10-11 gallons all gravity-fed (i.e. no pumps)? I want to move to 11 gallon batches (5.5g now), but not wanting to buy any pumps until I go all electric. As it is, I have to lift my kettle after sparging to get it onto the burner. Don't think that's gonna work with 10g batches.

I pretty much do only 10 gallon batches, and I don't have any pumps yet; but its definitely in my plans (as in very soon) to get one.

I only have 2 tiers, and rather than lift the brew kettle, I drain the mash into buckets about 4 gallons at a time and pour that into the kettle. I also ferment in Sankeys, so post boil, I use a bottling bucket to transfer the wort to the fermenter (cause lifting 11 gallons in a sankey into my chest freezer fermentation chamber alone isn't going to happen.

I've done this for years.... I'm quite ready for a pump, though.... hopefully to make things a tad faster and to reduce lifting, since I'm not getting any younger.

(To the original poster, I almost always brew alone; so it's totally doable..... but personally I wouldn't do it on a work night.... Sometimes it can take me over 7 hours.... I'm obviously not as efficient as most posters here; but I also do plenty of other stuff during to brew day, and just take my time; I feel like if I concentrated on it; I could cut it to 6 or so; and I'm hoping the pump will help reduce my chilling time, too; but I don't foresee it getting too much below 5.5 hours..... again, that's just me and how I do things; all the other suggestions are very good time saving tips.)

 

[itsnotrequired]

solo brewer here and start-to-finish time varies due to teh style of beer i am making and the various step times but typically on the order of 6-7 hours. most of my mashes are 90 minutes plus a 10 minute mashout, 75 minute fly sparge and 90 minute boil. that's over four hours right there. i do ten gallon batches and am on an electric setup so i lose some time efficiency with ramping. i'm ten brews into my new electric setup (three vessel, single-tier, herms coil, two pumps) and am learning some tricks that are speeding things up:

• weight out grain the night before.
• heat strike water the night before. i heat 20 gallons up to temp and then wrap the hlt with a couple towels. i only lose ten degrees or so overnight, makes for much faster heating on brew morning. only takes 15 minutes or so to get up to temp. i like the idea of freshly-milled grain so i do that while my water is heating.
• overheat strike water so when i transfer to the mlt and add the cool grain, mash is at temp basically right away. this is standard practice for folks using coolers or similar for mashing but with a heat exchange coil, it isn't necessary. but why not overheat and start the mash timer right away, rather than wait for it to ramp back up to temp? probably saves 15 minutes.
• weigh out mash/boil salts the night before. i use ro/di water and build a profile for all my batches. it doesn't take long to do but one less thing to worry about.
• for mashout, i overshoot the hlt temp by five degrees and then set it to 168. less ramp time to get up to 168 since the heating element fires longer to get up to 173, saves ten minutes or so.
• weigh out hops the night before. i buy in bulk and use vacuum-sealed bags so i get what i need and reseal the rest. something i could do during the mash but one less thing to worry about.
• dry out hlt once it is empty and the sparge is finishing. yeah, it's just water but something easy to do.
• clean out mash tun while heating up to boil.
• sanitize carboys, hoses, etc. during boil.

doing the little steps while there is no active work required for the brew is a big one (e.g. while mashing, while boiling, etc.) i'm an early morning weekend brewer, typically getting up at 5 am. getting up this early allows me to finish the brew session and still have a decent amount of time to spend with the family. and since i took care of a lot of little stuff the night before, i have huge swaths of downtime during that seven hours. lately, i'm doughed in and up to mash temp by 6 am and i go back to bed for another hour or so. get up, mash out and start to fly sparge. i need to match pump speeds when sparging and i am a little gun-shy about checking out while that is happening so i keep a closer eye on the system, watching the pumps. still, i'll step away from time-to-time to check on the family, maybe grab a bite to eat, go to the bathroom, etc. i'll often grab another cat-nap during boil, especially if it is a bittering-only hop addition and there is 'nothing to do' for 45 minutes or so.

 

[MagicMatt]

Pretty much everyone uses the March 809s/815s or the Chugger equivalents, regardless of heating method.
I wouldn't put off picking them up. They're future-proof, and given what you're looking at in the meantime, might keep you out of the hospital.

Don't you need to worry about trub with a pump? I just always imagined it would gunk it up.

I pretty much do only 10 gallon batches, and I don't have any pumps yet; but its definitely in my plans (as in very soon) to get one.

I only have 2 tiers, and rather than lift the brew kettle, I drain the mash into buckets about 4 gallons at a time and pour that into the kettle. I also ferment in Sankeys, so post boil, I use a bottling bucket to transfer the wort to the fermenter (cause lifting 11 gallons in a sankey into my chest freezer fermentation chamber alone isn't going to happen.

Man, I don't know why I didn't think of this. It's so simple. Problem solved.....I may be upgrading my kettle sooner than I thought. Thanks!

 

[MaryB]

Yup my system is all gravity fed! Only thing I lift are the fermenting buckets! I do want to replace the 10 gallon HLT with a 15 gallon but so far I have worked around it.

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but is anyone doing 10-11 gallons all gravity-fed (i.e. no pumps)? I want to move to 11 gallon batches (5.5g now), but not wanting to buy any pumps until I go all electric. As it is, I have to lift my kettle after sparging to get it onto the burner. Don't think that's gonna work with 10g batches.

 

[FatDragon]

I occasionally do 10 gallon batches with no pumps by brewing a high gravity beer and then diluting it with water in the fermenters before pitching the yeast. I buy the grain and hops for a 10 gallon recipe but only use enough strike and sparge water to yield about 8 - 9 gallons into the brew kettle. When I'm done with the boil, half goes into one fermenter and half goes into another fermenter and I top both off to 5 gallons with tap water. I prefer session type beers (3.5 - 6% ABV), so it works well for me.

This is an excellent idea. Have you tried a diluted double batch against a regular single batch of the same recipe to see how this method changes a beer?

 

[pvpeacock]

I have not compared them side by side, but found some articles which say that brewing high gravity beers affects hop utilization. What I do experiment with is using different yeasts in each 5 gallon batch of the same wort and using different dry hops and schedules.

I have also read about brewing a high gravity beer and not diluting it with water until after fermentation is complete and you are either kegging or bottling. However, I was too worried that adding water after fermentation would cause oxidation.