Brew day is exhausting!

[verboten]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01994IQYE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

this saved me from having a house overrun with THINGS. I had 3 of them outside my small house, now they just store garden tools and the like.

 

[shoreman]

I've downsized recently and totally enjoying the hobby! I just don't have a full day to brew anymore on the weekends. Now my brew day is 2 hours and I can do it anytime during the week.

2.5 gallon, BIAB on the stovetop, Short and Shoddy right into an SS Brewtech Fermentor for easy transfer into the keg - brew day is 2 hours tops from grinding grain to fermenter. So much more variety in styles as well. I've got a mini fridge that I rotate 2 naturally carb'd kegs in and out of.

 

[Dland]

I brew 10 gallon batches w 3 vessel keg system, outdoors, even in winter. When raining I have one of those pop up vendor roof tents, a little snow is OK if dry, but admit I don't brew below 20F anymore. It takes me 5 hours from set up to break down on a good day, maybe 6 if I sanitize some kegs and a conical, clean a bit more. It is kind of exhusting I have to admit, and look forward to day when I move rig indoors to more permanent set up. The dueling 220V outlets and a controller have sped things up about an hour. These days, I remember to go in and get something to eat, sit down and maybe write snarky comments on HBT to give legs a rest. For me, it takes almost exactly the same time to make a 10 gallon batch as it did for a 5 gallon batch before I upsized rigs.

Here are a couple of time saving tips though;

Start boil during during sparge as soon as electric element is covered. When I was running propane, I 'd start w 2 or 3 gallons in so as not to scorch wort. This is biggest time saver.

Heat sanitation water (for plate chiller, any empty kegs, and sometimes fermetor) in HLT during boil. Clean during boil, put stuff away as you go when finished with it.

When boil is off, I drop wort temp in BK w immersion chiller down to 150-160F for hop step. This temp drop happens very quickly and you can have cooling water on low flow. It generally takes about 5 min and uses less than 5 gallons cooling water, take out immersion coil and whirlpool to get trub centered. Hop step is done in cleaned out mash tun, if you transfer right you can leave all the hot break and some of cold break in BK. Pump to fermentor by way of plate cooler. If needed, cool wort to pitch temp. Glycol chiller speeds this up. I don't mess w starters, either direct pitch dry, or there was already yeast cake in fermentor. Not waiting for cooling is next biggest time saver.

One last thing is to think though steps for efficiency. If going to get something from inside for instance, see if there is there something you are done with you can bring in on the way. I kind of try to think like I did when working in a restaurant line kitchen.

But yeah,,, it is kind of tiring, but like to I figure it as I got a decent work out.

 

[BassElement]

I only wish I could brew inside. That was the primary reason I went all-electric and single vessel seven years ago. Used a 220V outlet where the dryer plugs in, easy access to my work space, deep laundry sink nearby, it was a brewer's Valhalla. I could even brew in the winter without freezing my wort off. But, Nooooo! SWMBO'd, who's not a beer drinker, said the smell of hops (imagine that) gave her a headache. I think she was just getting back at me for complaining when she'd steam kale or sauté cauliflower. Now that crap smells like death, amirite?

Anyhoo, I got banished to the great outdoors to mash and boil

I'm brewing outside for the same reason, except it was the smell of the boil that got her... being in New England I'm wondering how my Feb brew days will go.

 

[WesBrew]

My brew days are about 5.5-6hrs. it is exhausting I do 5-10 gallon batches in 15g kettle. I've thought about going to a 20g pot and having a basket made by that company (forgot name) and doing brew in a basket. I think I could get brew day closer to 4hrs like that and do less overall work. -would need to setup a 120v sparge water kettle

 

[jddevinn]

I only wish I could brew inside. That was the primary reason I went all-electric and single vessel seven years ago. Used a 220V outlet where the dryer plugs in, easy access to my work space, deep laundry sink nearby, it was a brewer's Valhalla. I could even brew in the winter without freezing my wort off. But, Nooooo! SWMBO'd, who's not a beer drinker, said the smell of hops (imagine that) gave her a headache.

I'd work on a gas extraction/vent system then. Maybe I've been divorced too long but being told someone WANTS to majorly inconvenience something I like to do for a seemingly minor grip wouldn't fly/would make me upset about priorities........ anyway vent system.

I like to pre-fill my HLT Timer for mornings or someone to start the system when I'm leaving work for weekdays and have everything measured and ready to mill to reduce time. A process to clean as you go is also great.

 

[wsmith1625]

I can't believe nobody has suggested this, but try doing a few extract batches for a quick brew day. Save the all grain batches for when you've got more time available.

I would still consider the suggestions already made to make your all grain brew days more efficient. I prep the day before so I can get right to brewing. Good luck and RDWHAHB.

 

[WesBrew]

have space to put in a He-Shed?

 

[wsmith1625]

have space to put in a He-Shed?

Nice emoji! Love my visla, but damn he is needy. Lol!

 

[Imhoppy]

Brew when you set your clock back by one hour in autumn ("fall back") when returning to standard time. Take advantage of that free hour to save valuable time during brew day!

 

[WesBrew]

Nice emoji! Love my visla, but damn he is needy. Lol!

Velcro dogs, I love it though. lots of off-leash play time helps. gets a little better after 8 years.

 

[wsmith1625]

Velcro dogs, I love it though. lots of off-leash play time helps. gets a little better after 8 years.

My guy is 8 and has a fenced yard to run around with my other dog, a hound mix we rescued. He is still needy as ever, food driven, and loves to be right up in my face. Gotta love them.

 

[amber-ale]

I can't believe nobody has suggested this, but try doing a few extract batches for a quick brew day. Save the all grain batches for when you've got more time available.

I would still consider the suggestions already made to make your all grain brew days more efficient. I prep the day before so I can get right to brewing. Good luck and RDWHAHB.

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!! get a "ready to use" wort and completly eliminate (for the winter) the boil at all! Just ferment ( or at worst , boil plain water, cool, add both do fermentor and you are done)

No smell and your brew day will shrink to about 20 minutes!. Fiesta brew has good kits (I think Brewhouse is temporarily out of production, but it was good too).

 

[bwible]

Homebrewing is definitely a labor of love.
I brew 5 gallon batches mostly in the kitchen, and all my stuff is in the basement (kettles mlt, mill, tools for brew day, mash paddle, etc..., so I get it. Been doing it for about a decade. I have to lug a few things at a time up and down stairs as I need them and it's a pain. I have gotten a few plastic bins to put the odds and ends in so it makes it a little easier but I'm still hauling stuff up and down. Until I can make a designated brew space its just the way I'm livin'.

Same here. I brew smaller - 3 gallons, but same idea.

My biggest problem is I have to carry the hot pot and wort chiller down the basement steps post boil to cool because that’s where the nearest faucet is I can hook the wort chiller to. The kitchen faucet has a spray head that there is no way to attach it to and the mrs. doesn’t want to give that up.

I make many, many trips up and down basement steps because that’s where everything lives and I am also tired by the end of the brew day. I’m getting north of 60 now and I’m saying the same thing. I need an easier way.

I have an Anvil Foundry 6.5 but thats limited to an 8 lb grain capacity which narrows the beers you can even make 3 gallons of, and honestly it has its own problems that make it less than enjoyable to use.

Extract is an option, I say every time I do an extract batch how much quicker and easier it is. Extract is more costly though. I know other guys in my club make really good beers with extract, and there’s no reason to knock extract or look down on extract - though some do.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

My guy is 8 and has a fenced yard to run around with my other dog, a hound mix we rescued. He is still needy as ever, food driven, and loves to be right up in my face. Gotta love them.

my lab hound mix is the same way.
whenever I make biscuits out of spent grain and PB she will stand under the cabinet i keep them in until I give her a few.
visitors ask if i giver her attention because she is right there looking to get pet.
I spend a quarter of my work day scratching her behind the ears.

 

[bobeer]

Same here. I brew smaller - 3 gallons, but same idea.

My biggest problem is I have to carry the hot pot and wort chiller down the basement steps post boil to cool because that’s where the nearest faucet is I can hook the wort chiller to. The kitchen faucet has a spray head that there is no way to attach it to and the mrs. doesn’t want to give that up.

I make many, many trips up and down basement steps because that’s where everything lives and I am also tired by the end of the brew day. I’m getting north of 60 now and I’m saying the same thing. I need an easier way.

I have an Anvil Foundry 6.5 but thats limited to an 8 lb grain capacity which narrows the beers you can even make 3 gallons of, and honestly it has its own problems that make it less than enjoyable to use.

Extract is an option, I say every time I do an extract batch how much quicker and easier it is. Extract is more costly though. I know other guys in my club make really good beers with extract, and there’s no reason to knock extract or look down on extract - though some do.

Look into no chill brewing. That way you don't have to lug that hot wort downstairs. You can bring the fermenter to the wort- if the wife let's a kettle hang out on the stove for around 24 hours. Just remove the kettle from the hot stove and put a lid on it and around 24 hours later itll be good enough to put into a fermenter. (If you're doing a whirlpool hop addition just wait until wort gets to 180 degrees then toss in the hops and stir them around and put the lid back on.) Then you lug THAT downstairs to ferment, haha, but at least its not hot and most fermenter buckets have a handle.
I used to use a 5.5 gallon cooler mlt so I had the same limitations as what youre describing. I think my absolute max was 12 lb of grain. I did this for years only brewing 3 and 4 gallon batches but I brewed a ton of different styles so I didn't mind it too much. As you said it though it comes with its own set of problems to use a small mlt full time.

 

[bwible]

Look into no chill brewing. That way you don't have to lug that hot wort downstairs. You can bring the fermenter to the wort- if the wife let's a kettle hang out on the stove for around 24 hours. Just remove the kettle from the hot stove and put a lid on it and around 24 hours later itll be good enough to put into a fermenter. (If you're doing a whirlpool hop addition just wait until wort gets to 180 degrees then toss in the hops and stir them around and put the lid back on.) Then you lug THAT downstairs to ferment, haha, but at least its not hot and most fermenter buckets have a handle.
I used to use a 5.5 gallon cooler mlt so I had the same limitations as what youre describing. I think my absolute max was 12 lb of grain. I did this for years only brewing 3 and 4 gallon batches but I brewed a ton of different styles so I didn't mind it too much. As you said it though it comes with its own set of problems to use a small mlt full time.

Yeah that’s what I have, 5 gallon cooler that holds about 12 pounds. For 3 gallons its fine. I just did a 1.085 old ale with all grain and no extract and that’s right about the limit. When I want to do a barleywine or RIS I can supplement with a can of LME or a couple pounds of DME.

3 gallons works out to a case plus a six pack. I went to 3 gallons because I’m the only one drinking beer in my house. The wife will occassionally drink a dark beer or two. I fully agree about having variety and different styles. I love it. I have 9 cases in bottles and (2) 3 gallon kegs in my kegerator.

I recently acquired a 15 gallon converted keg mash tun but have yet to use it. I may try a parti-gyle with it one day and try to get 3 beers out of one mash. Talk about a long brew day.

 

[WesBrew]

Same here. I brew smaller - 3 gallons, but same idea.

My biggest problem is I have to carry the hot pot and wort chiller down the basement steps post boil to cool because that’s where the nearest faucet is I can hook the wort chiller to. The kitchen faucet has a spray head that there is no way to attach it to and the mrs. doesn’t want to give that up.

I make many, many trips up and down basement steps because that’s where everything lives and I am also tired by the end of the brew day. I’m getting north of 60 now and I’m saying the same thing. I need an easier way.

I have an Anvil Foundry 6.5 but thats limited to an 8 lb grain capacity which narrows the beers you can even make 3 gallons of, and honestly it has its own problems that make it less than enjoyable to use.

Extract is an option, I say every time I do an extract batch how much quicker and easier it is. Extract is more costly though. I know other guys in my club make really good beers with extract, and there’s no reason to knock extract or look down on extract - though some do.

There are adapters to hook up many different hoses and faucets together. but if everything is in the basement, how about getting an electric cooktop to plug in downstairs?

 

[bobeer]

Yeah that’s what I have, 5 gallon cooler that holds about 12 pounds. For 3 gallons its fine. I just did a 1.085 old ale with all grain and no extract and that’s right about the limit. When I want to do a barleywine or RIS I can supplement with a can of LME or a couple pounds of DME.

3 gallons works out to a case plus a six pack. I went to 3 gallons because I’m the only one drinking beer in my house. The wife will occassionally drink a dark beer or two. I fully agree about having variety and different styles. I love it. I have 9 cases in bottles and (2) 3 gallon kegs in my kegerator.

I recently acquired a 15 gallon converted keg mash tun but have yet to use it. I may try a parti-gyle with it one day and try to get 3 beers out of one mash. Talk about a long brew day.

Sounds exactly like my old setup. Brewing those small case+ batches is where it's at. Can't beat the variety!
I'm where you want to upgrade to and I can say it's worth it for the bigger mlt and the no hassle limitations. I got a 10 gallon cooler from a buddy and tossed the old smaller mlt shortly after. Can still do half batches if I want in the big mlt with no issues.

 

[bwible]

There are adapters to hook up many different hoses and faucets together. but if everything is in the basement, how about getting an electric cooktop to plug in downstairs?

Don’t know how you hook a wort chiller to this, but if there’s a way, I’d love to see it.

 

[tracer bullet]

Don’t know how you hook a wort chiller to this, but if there’s a way, I’d love to see it.

I like the basement cooktop idea as well, but yeah depends on where you spend most of the time right now.

FYI that sprayer probably just screws onto the end of the hose that is in the faucet hanging over the sink. Pull it down and have a look. Might find an adapter to go from the end of that hose directly to the chiller? Easier said than done if it's an unusual thread size, but may be possible.

 

[bwible]

I like the basement cooktop idea as well, but yeah depends on where you spend most of the time right now.

FYI that sprayer probably just screws onto the end of the hose that is in the faucet hanging over the sink. Pull it down and have a look. Might find an adapter to go from the end of that hose directly to the chiller? Easier said than done if it's an unusual thread size, but may be possible.

I just took a look and I see what you’re saying. The top of the sprayer does screw off then the sprayer screws off the hose. Don’t know why I never thought to look at that before. I’ve only been in this house since last July. The hose end is a male fitting but it’s a bit smaller than the wort chiller needs. I am going to try to find an adapter. Or maybe I just have to replace the water in barb fitting on my wort chiller with a different size. Thank you! This is why I am on here. You guys are the best!

 

[WesBrew]

If you have water plumbed in the basement id definitely go for a single induction burner and do the whole thing down there. theres some powerful ones out there. if not, you'll figure out a way to get that hose on the faucet.
I have a hose with sink faucet thread on one end and garden hose thread adapter on the other. if it comes down to it... hose clamps and step-down barbs.
Or-you could even have a plumber t off a valve with whatever fitting you want just to use for the brewery.

 

[LittleRiver]

Look into no chill brewing.

I've done no chill for my last two brew sessions, and I'm liking it.

I already have an efficient process (brew takes about 3:45), and I have a nice recirculating immersion chilling rig, but it's even even nicer when I don't even have to take it off the shelf.

 

[bwible]

I've done no chill for my last two brew sessions, and I'm liking it.

I already have an efficient process (brew takes about 3:45), and I have a nice recirculating immersion chilling rig, but it's even even nicer when I don't even have to take it off the shelf.

I remember ages ago being told its best to cool quickly for a few reasons. Break material that falls out, but also not allowing time for contaminants to get a foothold. Thats the biggest reason for wanting to get yeast started quickly as possible.

These days with brew in a bag and no sparge brewing and hazy ipas and everything else, it seems like all the old rules are out the window.

 

[LittleRiver]

I remember ages ago being told its best to cool quickly for a few reasons. Break material that falls out, but also not allowing time for contaminants to get a foothold. Thats the biggest reason for wanting to get yeast started quickly as possible.

I'm well aware of all of those reasons. But I was curious enough to try it for myself.

Regarding break material, what I've found is that if I give the kettle a good strong circular stir right before I seal it up, the next morning the break material is in a nice dense cone in the bottom center of the kettle. No problems there.

Regarding contaminants, the kettle and its contents are at boiling temp when I use stretch wrap to seal the kettle/lid joint. No problems there.

... it seems like all the old rules are out the window.

It's true that many things that were considered "rules" have been proven to be myths. You can brew excellent clear beer, with high efficiency, without sparging, in a single vessel.

 

[BrewZer]

Would crowd the staircase too much and make it harder to bring the gear up and down.

The stair lift is for the GEAR...

 

[bobeer]

I've done no chill for my last two brew sessions, and I'm liking it.

I already have an efficient process (brew takes about 3:45), and I have a nice recirculating immersion chilling rig, but it's even even nicer when I don't even have to take it off the shelf.

Right on!! I swear... been doing it for years and I don't think I'll ever go back.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I've been working from since april I think.
Yet only thought of this last week. duh.
Crush my grains and mash in on my lunch break.
After i'm done working, yank the bag, give it a squeeze and start the boil.
Makes for an easy brew day.

I do chill while cleaning up if it isn't too late.
I have a double immersion chiller.
other wise I let the ferm-chamber fridge cool it.

 

[Traftas]

OP just saw your other thread trying to sell this system. This thread might not be so helpful for that sale lol. It's a good system but will be much easier to use if you can manage to store all the gear near where you brew. How about store it all in the garage (as suggested by @Coastalbrew) and brew in your driveway instead of backyard?

I’m getting ready to brew in my driveway just outside the garage. I don’t store all of the other brewing gear in garage because I am doing a 1968 Ford Bronco restoration and that creates a lot of dust.