Brew days wear me out!

[Johow]

It used to be a tiring thing for me as well but I started making tweaks to my process. That included where I store things so that getting and replacing stuff used fewer steps. I try to clean up as the day progresses so at the end of the day about all I have left to clean is my kettle, some racking hose and maybe a few test tools. Everything else has been used cleaned and put away. I'm outside on a covered patio when I brew so I bring some portable music and a cigar and of course a homebrew if I have one. I do my hop measuring while the mash is going on. After the boil starts and things calm down I can start cleaning up stuff like the dunk kettle and the sieve, grain bag, the bucket I use for milled grain storage. Then I start sanitizing the carboy and getting it ready. Also I spray off the chiller and get it ready for the dunk. After you do it a few times, it sorta becomes routine and there is always time for relaxing and a good bit of waiting.
Oh, I'm 65....

 

[trav77]

Biggest thing that has helped me is milling the grain and collecting the water the night before. Then mise en place, and I'm off and running with very little effort. The brewing part is easy, it's the clean-up at the end of the day that sucks then.

+1 on this. I love the whole process but certainly getting things ready the night before and mis en place makes the brew day so much more relaxing. I have young kids so I've started brewing in the evenings. Prep the night before, heat strike water while making dinner/eating, mash in then put the kids to bed and I'm completely free for boil and cleanup.

I used to love the days where I could just have a couple pints and read a book while brewing but will have to wait a while for that again.

 

[Yeastieboy]

+1 on this. I love the whole process but certainly getting things ready the night before and mis en place makes the brew day so much more relaxing. I have young kids so I've started brewing in the evenings. Prep the night before, heat strike water while making dinner/eating, mash in then put the kids to bed and I'm completely free for boil and cleanup.

I used to love the days where I could just have a couple pints and read a book while brewing but will have to wait a while for that again.

+1... kiddos got me brewing at night to. Sometimes I get overzealous and start heating water before they are in bed. Always a bad idea cause they are young and still want to hang out with me however, they're not old enough to be messin' with 220V and hot water. Frankly, I'm not sure I am either. Mise helps in the beginning but cleanup is the real PITA part. Mostly that's due to the plate chiller. It drives me to recirculate PBW which then needs to be rinsed. Huge pain. Getting very close to buying an immersion chiller instead. Maybe the next big purchase since I accidentally just bought a Chronical... which the Wife hasn't seen yet. She'll either think it's awesome (because it is) or she'll ask how much it cost... or both.

 

[trav77]

+1... kiddos got me brewing at night to. Sometimes I get overzealous and start heating water before they are in bed. Always a bad idea cause they are young and still want to hang out with me however, they're not old enough to be messin' with 220V and hot water. Frankly, I'm not sure I am either. Mise helps in the beginning but cleanup is the real PITA part. Mostly that's due to the plate chiller. It drives me to recirculate PBW which then needs to be rinsed. Huge pain. Getting very close to buying an immersion chiller instead. Maybe the next big purchase since I accidentally just bought a Chronical... which the Wife hasn't seen yet. She'll either think it's awesome (because it is) or she'll ask how much it cost... or both.

Yeah I tried this tonight... Getting started early. Involved some running around but should be done and clean by 10 including dinner and kids in bed! Not bad.

I love my immersion chiller. 5-10 mins to get to pitching temps depending on my groundwater (which is always fairly cold).

It's a pretty easy project to solder yourself up one... Even if you've never done it before. Just use all that spare time you have!