Crazy idea...

[smccarter]

Wanted to put this out there to get some feedback.

When I brew, I brew 30 gallons over the course of a week. Get the beer in the bottle a few weeks later, then I don't have to brew again for a good while.

I brew 5 gallon batches, so that's three double brew days, or 2 doubles, 2 singles... etc... 6 carboys fermenting for a week, racking and cleaning 6 carboys for secondary, bottling and cleaning 6 carboys... etc... etc...

This is the crazy idea. I'm thinking about buying a 27 gallon conical fermenter. I'm still only geared to brew in 5 gallon batches, but I could do 2 3 batch brew days over the course of a weekend and have 25 gallons fermenting by monday. Remove the trube and yeast after fermentation for secondary in the same container, and even bottle from the fermenter. Leaving just the one thing to clean after bottling.

Thoughts?

 

[beersk]

This is possible, yes. Many breweries have larger fermenters than their brewhouse will allow to brew, so they have to do 2 and maybe more batches to fill the fermenters. I don't know that I'd care much for brewing 6 times in a weekend though...

 

[avm221]

Might be time to upgrade your brewing system and get larger pots so you could do at least 10gal.

 

[smccarter]

I used to brew one batch at a time, but when I looked at how long it was taking to pull all of the gear out, clean it, get the water up to temp... then the after brew work... all of the cleaning. I decided to brew two batches on a brew day. It really only addes a couple of hours to the brew day. I bring the HLT to temp while I'm cooling the first wort, rack the first beer to a carboy, mash in my second batch and clean everything up during the 60 minute mash. That overlap is really all that I add to my brew day. Everything else is duplicated during the mash, boil, and cooling of the wort.

Really wish I could go to 10 gallons, but I brew on the stove top. I don't think the stove can handle 12 or 13 gallons of water in a brew pot.

What I'd like to do is go to an electric system... and build a detached building to brew in. Not really a brew outside in 90 degree weather kind of guy... or brew outside in 15 degree weather. And I like to brew whenever the mood strikes. In a well lit, air conditioned kitchen is my preference.

 

[avm221]

No brewing in 90 degrees. My last brew day was 105. Its not that bad. You dont need A/C to brew get some propain burners and brew largrr batches