Brewing Solo, The best thing since sliced bread

[nukebrewer]

One thing I realized today is that sometimes mashing in by yourself sucks. I was mashing in today and got a bunch of dough balls since I wasn't able to be stirring continually as the grain went in the mash tun. I was able to get them all broken up, but it took some time and caused me to be about two degrees off from my intended mash temp.

 

[Piratwolf]

I usually have too much to do to be a good host. During the mash, I'm cleaning kegs, weighing out hops, or sanitizing my pumps & hoses. During the boil it's hop additions, cleaning MT, sanitizing fermenter, setting yp plate chiller, etc.

 

[fmr_army]

I'm SOOOO glad to get validation from so many of you guys! I had thought I was the only anti-social, introvert brewer in the world, since I kept reading about brew club batches and such.

I basically brew by myself. My kids (15 and 12) come onto the deck to help occasionally, as the mood strikes them, and my wife sometimes comes out and works on the computer alongside me. Once or twice a neighbor has come over and observed for a few minutes. However, I have my system in place, including how I spread out all over and don't like to have to move around people when I'm grabbing this or that.

 

[sch21c]

I almost always brew alone. I've had a friend over for one brew day. But it was early in my brewing career and wasn't very focused to start with. I've done a few brew days with my homebrew club, but the beer always seems to turn out (much) worse than when I brew by myself.

I've gotten the process to the point that I don't feel I need another set of hands. The only times I find it nice are during the crush and during mash-in. But even then, it's not a burden to do those solo. After reading Brewing Better Beer, I've tried to focus more on the "Zen of Brewing".

 

[DrHops]

I almost always brew alone. Unless my brew partner is off school, my 11 year old daughter LOVES to help me brew beer. She has the same passion that I do about it. A few weeks ago I couldn't wait until she got home and brewed without her, man was she mad at me!

 

[flipfloptan]

Early morning brew day for me. Turn on radio. Mash in at sunrise. Watch sunrise with Dog. Enjoy cup of coffee with dog. Boil wort with a morning home brew.

Thats all for me

 

[tennesseean_87]

One thing I realized today is that sometimes mashing in by yourself sucks. I was mashing in today and got a bunch of dough balls since I wasn't able to be stirring continually as the grain went in the mash tun. I was able to get them all broken up, but it took some time and caused me to be about two degrees off from my intended mash temp.

I always strike 5* hot and stir to get down to my desired temp for this reason.

 

[nukebrewer]

I always strike 5* hot and stir to get down to my desired temp for this reason.

I'm not so broken up about the temp as I am that I got doughballs, which I usually don't get. I also prefer not to mash in higher than my strike water needs to be, especially by 5 degrees. The mash for a typical 5 gallon batch is a lot of thermal mass and I imagine it takes a while to drop those 5 degrees without some sort of forced cooling, all the while conversion is occurring at a sub-optimal temperature for the beer you're trying to brew.

 

[Bithead]

One thing I realized today is that sometimes mashing in by yourself sucks. I was mashing in today and got a bunch of dough balls since I wasn't able to be stirring continually as the grain went in the mash tun. I was able to get them all broken up, but it took some time and caused me to be about two degrees off from my intended mash temp.

I hold my mash paddle under the grain as I pour it in. Absolutely helps avoid dough balls IMHO.

 

[Spartan1979]

I find when I brew with someone else, one person seems to dominate the process, the other person is just along for the ride. If I'm the former, I feel somewhat guilty for running things. If I'm the latter, it just doesn't feel like "my" beer.

 

[TungstenBeer]

I typically brew with my friend. We either do collaboration brews that we experiment on together (because that way we can drink the final product faster if it's not good), or if I'm doing a batch on my own he'll just sit and hang out, have a beer, talk brewing, and learn from me - and vice versa.

Though I certainly have no problems doing it alone.

 

[12pmmike]

My sign in name is pmmike because 90% of the time I brew starting around 10 or 11 at night, usually finishing around 4 am. I worked the night shift (3 till 1:30) for around ten years. I now work on day shift but most of the time I still brew at night. No one I know would stay up that late to finish brewing, kinda relaxing being able to focus on the task at hand with no kids running around. Yet my 8 year old daughter loves to help me.

 

[kombat]

off-topic, but:
If you ever seen the inside of a hot water tank, you may want to reconsider the practice of pulling your brew water from it.

Nonsense.

Anything organic will be killed in the boil.

Anything metallic is in the cold water too.

Stop the fear-mongering.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I find when I brew with someone else, one person seems to dominate the process, the other person is just along for the ride. If I'm the former, I feel somewhat guilty for running things. If I'm the latter, it just doesn't feel like "my" beer.

This is how it was when I started with a partner. I ran the show, and he became disinterested after trying to brew alone and botching the batch.

I'm not so broken up about the temp as I am that I got doughballs, which I usually don't get. I also prefer not to mash in higher than my strike water needs to be, especially by 5 degrees. The mash for a typical 5 gallon batch is a lot of thermal mass and I imagine it takes a while to drop those 5 degrees without some sort of forced cooling, all the while conversion is occurring at a sub-optimal temperature for the beer you're trying to brew.

I find that by the time I pour the water in and stir in the grains, I'm down to the proper temp. This will vary depending on your set-up, so maybe you could do 2* and stir enough to get your temp right. If I had to try too hard to drop temp I wouldn't do it. (Also, I meant I heat the strike water 5* hotter than instructed, not aim for 5* over once mixed).

Nonsense.

Anything organic will be killed in the boil.

Anything metallic is in the cold water too.

Stop the fear-mongering.

Obviously the organic stuff is dead, but why would cold water have the same metallic content when it never goes through the tank? There aren't sacrificial anodes in the cold water lines, are there?

 

[kombat]

why would cold water have the same metallic content when it never goes through the tank? There aren't sacrificial anodes in the cold water lines, are there?

I apologize for being OT, I don't want this to become another "is it safe to brew with water from your hot water tank" thread, but my hot water tank is natural gas, not electric. Do natural gas tanks have sacrificial anodes, or is it just electric tanks? If not, then it's not an issue, but if so, then perhaps you have a point.

Apropos the thread topic, I almost always brew alone. I've brewed with someone else just twice, and they were not brewers. I was merely showing them the process. And, not surprisingly, they became bored.

 

[Sixmilecross]

I long for the day that I can brew outside. Would love to get up early, head outside with a cup of fresh brewed coffee and a nice cigar, and start my brew day

 

[gometz]

I long for the day that I can brew outside. Would love to get up early, head outside with a cup of fresh brewed coffee and a nice cigar, and start my brew day

This is one of the main reasons I really want to buy a house (along with all the obvious benefits).

 

[TommyTbar]

Awesome to hear so many replies with brewing solo, I have now brewed three solo batches and love it too much. I now embrace the zen of brewing by myself i feel the quality of my beer will improve greatly with better attention to my process

 

[Sixmilecross]

This is one of the main reasons I really want to buy a house (along with all the obvious benefits).

Especially with Fall here. You can't beat the cool morning air, while sipping on some coffee. I swear this city will be the end of me if I don't move soon