brew timespan......

[Whitetrash]

Newbie here, just wondering how long it takes to brew an extract kit?
I am planning on doing two different beers tomorrow, will I have time for any thing else?:rockin:

 

[shanecb]

Not really long at all. I haven't done an extract batch for a long time but I was usually wrapped up in 2hrs.

 

[Amity]

If it's your first time, two kits will take you most of the day. Ideally, it goes like this:
30 minute steeping grains (if you are doing this)
20 min : heating water to boil, add half of extract and 60 minute hops
60 minute boil and adding hops and last half of extract
20-30 minute cool down in sink (half of this if you have a chiller)
5 min transfer and pitch yeast

It usually takes me about two hours for an extract brew with grains. Longer for your first time.

Good luck!

 

[Amity]

Also, don't drink until your second batch is boiling.

 

[Whitetrash]

Thanks Amity, i am going to brew an Irish red ale in the morn whilst SWMBO is at church, then i need to run to the store before i brew my power pack porter!
looks like i will have time for both brews to be done tomorrow!

 

[mikeysab]

2 hours? wow, that's good timing. Is that just straight extract, propane burner and wort chiller? I guess that's feasible if you have the right equipment, but that just sounds so short.

If these are your first two batches, I'd put aside extra time. If you had your system running for awhile and went through a batch like clockwork, then I'd say give yourself 5 or 6 hours for two batches. That's assuming you're using a chiller, using a propane or electric (220v) burner, got extra pots, and you're not sitting there reading and re-reading instructions. If it's your first time and you're using basic equipment, I'd worry about one batch for the day. If everything goes smoothly, go for the second. I'm kind of a newb, 15 or so batches, most AG or PM, and I've learned to leave extra time. Just because my last batch took 6 hours, I still leave myself 8. Something always seems to come up to make brew day longer. Then again, I have two young kids and a wife that's very unsupportive of my brewing, so It's not surprising to have her ask me to go out to the store and get her lettuce or tampons in the middle of a brew day. There really isn't an answer to your question. It could take two hours, or it could take 6. It's all dependent on your equipment and how well you know how to use it.

 

[Golddiggie]

A lot will depend on how good your stove is... If you can get the water up to temp, hold it for the time needed (if using specialty grains that is) and then get it up to a boil, and hold it there, you could see 3-4 hour batches. Add longer boil times and such, and that (obviously) goes up... Depending on how you cool your wort, post boil, the time could go up, or down.

For reference, I brewed a 5 gallon batch (all grain) using a propane burner, with a 90 minute mash time, and was flame on to yeast pitched in under 5 hours. A propane burner, and IC make a big difference in all grain brewing. I could have used the IC when brewing extract, but the stove handled the smaller boil sizes for extract well enough.

I would suggest seeing how long the first batch really takes before committing to the second one. You might find that you only want to do one a day.

 

[Pommy]

it used to take me around 5 hours for an extract batch on my stove top. Thank god I moved onto all grain!

 

[Golddiggie]

it used to take me around 5 hours for an extract batch on my stove top. Thank god I moved onto all grain!

Nice... Probably doesn't take you any longer to brew all grain than when you did extract... At least, not if you made a few tweaks, like the propane burner and wort chiller...

I'm crushing my own grain not even an hour before I start the mash... Basically, I start the mash water heating up (already have the mash tun pre-heating), crush the grains, when the mash water is ready, drain the mash tun/cooler, put the grain in, add the mash/strike water, and get that going. Once it's about 15-20 minutes from the end of the mash, I start heating the sparge water up... I normally do 90 minute mashes and 10-30 minute sparges.

Thinking back on my extract brews (only did three of them)... I think it was 3-5 hours from start to finish, including setup, sanitizing (fermenter and such), boil time, wort cooling (big time hog) and then pitching the yeast...

Really enjoying brewing all grain even more since getting the burner and Barley Crusher... Only thing I need, that I can't take with me, is a source of water for the IC... I can literally bring everything else needed with me and brew anyplace I want.

 

[mikeysab]

the time it takes all depends on your setup. What will take one guy 2 hours will take another 5. It all depends on your equipment and your skill set. This is another one of those things there's really no answer for.

 

[Golddiggie]

the time it takes all depends on your setup. What will take one guy 2 hours will take another 5. It all depends on your equipment and your skill set. This is another one of those things there's really no answer for.

True...

For a first time brewer, I wouldn't recommend trying more than one recipe in a day... Less stress that way. Nothing says you can't brew another batch within a few days, if you want. Once you have a better idea of what's involved, you could even try after dinner one evening.

Personally, my stove was the biggest hardware issue I had when I went all grain. Trying to get 6+ gallons of wort up to a boil was difficult at best. Keeping it boiling wasn't easy either. The propane burner shave hours off my batch time. I had batches that easily took me 7+ hours when trying to use the stove.

 

[beergolf]

It takes me about 3 hours to do an extract with steeping grains brew. My stove takes a while to get up to temp or I could probably knock a little more time off that.

That time includes getting set up, brewing, and then cleaning the kitchen and all of my equipment after.

My wife likes it when I brew because I leave the kitchen very clean.

 

[GeoGirl]

My first extract took me about 4-1/2 from start to finish, including cleaning, sanitizing and clean-up. The second extract took about an hour less. I think I would have been completely overwhelmed to do 2 brews in one day by myself.

 

[NorthRiverS]

When I was brand new at this game, it took me about 3 hours from beginning to end to brew a batch. I took everything slowly and didn't rush. I read all directions three or four times before I proceeded to the next step. That way I knew what I needed to do ahead of time. It went smoothly, but time went by quickly. Give yourself plenty of time.

NRS

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

As others have mentioned, if you are using a stove you could spend quite a while trying to reach boil, especially if you are doing a full boil. It takes me anywhere from 20-60 minutes to reach boil, depending on how big the boil volume is and how hot it is to start with.

Unless you have a wort chiller it could also take a while to cool your beer to pitching temperatures depending on whether you are doing full boils and how cold your tap water is.

 

[yummybeer]

usually takes me 1 1/2-2 hours for an all-extract brew from setting things up to having things cleaned up.
i'm now for the most part brewing extract with grains for a little better beer. that usually takes me about 2 1/2-3 hours from set up to clean up, depending on how big of a mess i made.
it'll be a while till i plan to get into all-grain.

 

[Whitetrash]

Everything went without a hitch! Only took 3 hours for my first ever brew!
I have an IRISH RED ALE In the ferment-er, Chilling between 63 to 67 degrees. :rockin: :rockin: now all i have to do is ................WAIT!

 

[Ferminator]

Everything went without a hitch! Only took 3 hours for my first ever brew!
I have an IRISH RED ALE In the ferment-er, Chilling between 63 to 67 degrees. :rockin: :rockin: now all i have to do is ................WAIT!

Waiting is the hard part ! My first batch was a little over 2 weeks ago, I've done two more since then, so now I have three going and I think this weekend I'll rock another! It seems to take my mind of the first one, but brings up another issue, where to put it, when it's done??

 

[lumpher]

Everything went without a hitch! Only took 3 hours for my first ever brew!
I have an IRISH RED ALE In the ferment-er, Chilling between 63 to 67 degrees. :rockin: :rockin: now all i have to do is ................WAIT!

not too bad for a very first batch, and good taste in beer, too (i have 10 gallons of that fermenting ) . the time will decrease as you get more experienced

 

[Golddiggie]

Waiting is the hard part ! My first batch was a little over 2 weeks ago, I've done two more since then, so now I have three going and I think this weekend I'll rock another! It seems to take my mind of the first one, but brings up another issue, where to put it, when it's done??

Primary #4... Better get another pair while you're at it... They travel better when in half dozen groupings...

Personally, I have about 8 primaries that I can use for 5 gallon batches. I also have four 3 gallon carboys that I can use... Those are more for mead though. Wouldn't get enough beer out of them for my current brew schedule... Well, unless I was splitting a regular batch to ferment with different yeasts... hmmmmmmm

 

[MaltMonster]

Congrats! I was going to say you should expect at least 3 hours your first time out. So did you bail on doing 2 in the same day?

 

[Whitetrash]

Not exactly, SWMBO had a list of honey-doo's so i did run out of time! This weekend though i am brewing my second batch< Its going to be a Power Pack Porter from Midwest! wish me luck!

 

[RM-MN]

Not exactly, SWMBO had a list of honey-doo's so i did run out of time! This weekend though i am brewing my second batch< Its going to be a Power Pack Porter from Midwest! wish me luck!

If you like dark beer you should love this one but be aware that it takes a dark beer longer to mature. Expect it to start getting good in about 2 months. :rockin:

 

[Whitetrash]

Thanks for the info, i love dark beers! I was not aware that they would take longer. that's okay, i am trying to get it where i will brew a batch of beer EVERY weekend! so once i get started i will have my dark beers continually! :rockin: