Brewing Schedule

[Demaskee]

I've had my first extract batch fermenting for a couple of days now and I'm starting to think about a brewing schedule to:

1) Ensure, I've always got a brew on tap.
2) To improve my techniques
3) Maximize aging time
4) To try more stuff, without having to buy a lot more carboys.

My Current Setup:
1 - Plastic Fermenting Bucket
1 - Glass Carboy
1 - 5 gal keg

My thoughts are:
- Take the current batch straight to keg after about 3-4 weeks of fermentation. Pressurize it at 12 psi and give it a week or so to properly carbinate. I'm not in a super hurry to drink the first batch so I'm not trying to hurry the carbination process.

- Once the fermenter is free'd up, start my next batch fermenting for 3-4 weeks. After that time, transfer it to the carboy to get it off the yeast cake and age it until the first keg is empty.

- Once the keg is about 3 weeks from being finished, start another batch fermenting so the carboy will be empty when it needs to get off of the yeast cake.

Does anyone else work off of a similar schedule?

 

[freisste]

Everyone's schedule will be a little different depending on their individual setup, but what you are describing sounds pretty good.

One thing to consider is what I do. When a keg starts getting near the bottom, bottle the remains. There are roughly 10 bottles (12oz) per gallon, so if there is only a gallon or two left after a party and you want to keep brewing or if you are ready in another part of your brew pipeline to move a beer to the keg, sanitize some bottles and bottle from the keg. Google "we no need no stinking beergun" for a simple and inexpensive way to bottle from the keg.

This way, I always have two "party ready" kegs in my dual tap kegerator.

 

[Begin2Brew]

I'm not in a super hurry to drink the first batch

Sorry to say, you're in the wrong place then.

 

[slapnutz]

I've used the ghetto beer gun and a real beer gun. The real one is a lot nicer.

Having a beer gun allows you to use kegs solely for carbing and then bottles for consumption.

Not crazy about bottles get some swing top growlers. Want more easy to fill capacity, get a party pig.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Demaskee]

Sorry to say, you're in the wrong place then.

Haha true, Well I learned after the fact that I screwed up a few things in the first batch. I figured delaying it may correct some of these issues as well as give the second batch more time to get some additional aging.

 

[Demaskee]

I've used the ghetto beer gun and a real beer gun. The real one is a lot nicer.

Having a beer gun allows you to use kegs solely for carbing and then bottles for consumption.

Not crazy about bottles get some swing top growlers. Want more easy to fill capacity, get a party pig.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Home Brew mobile app

Interesting, I've never hear of swing top growlers (still new to this). I have a two tap kegerator right now but only one home brew keg. The other is set up for commercial beers, this too will change, it's just a question of sooner or later.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

- Once the keg is about 3 weeks from being finished, start another batch fermenting so the carboy will be empty when it needs to get off of the yeast cake. QUOTE]


Get at least one more keg. My kegs are about 3 weeks from being finished he day they are filled.

 

[Demaskee]

Get at least one more keg. My kegs are about 3 weeks from being finished he day they are filled.

I agree, but it may have to wait a little bit. (trying to keep the LOTH happy as well) :cross: