Early Morning Brews

[Gavin C]

Step mash for a German a Pilsner. The house is nice and quiet. Not for much longer. Love early mornin brewing

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1446902329.843576.jpg

 

[brewcat]

Up at 6 this morning. A chilly morning maybe in the 20s, so I put on an extra layer. After a recipe rundown, started heating strike water around 6:45. Got the mash going then brewed up the morning coffee. Nice smell of grains and coffee. Was pitching the yeast around noon, just in time for lunch. After some equipment/kitchen cleanup, was out the door around 2 p.m. for the rest of the day.

I really like the morning brews. A nice quiet time to think. See the sunrise, the geese and the coming of winter.

 

[milldoggy]

5 am here, but brew in the basement. Great brew day, citr/azacca pale ale inspired by zombie dust.

 

[Gavin C]

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[Oceantendency]

Mashed in for a protein rest at 3:40, only 52* outside, a few days ago..in the upper 30*s, low 40*s..gotta love Southern CA weather. Got another 40 until mashout and my girls will still be sleeping, hopefully the wife too.

 

[philipCT]

Lit the fires at the crack of 8:15 today. Out late last night so this will have to pass for early morning.

Had prepped water and ground grains the night before. Third time brewing this BCS American IPA. Hit the mash temp perfectly. Now into a 90 minute mash.

 

[brewcat]

Mash is underway. Got started at least an hour later than I wanted. It doesn't feel right starting when the sun is already starting to rise.

 

[splyn]

Fired the burner at 4:30. Finished by 10:30 including an extended whirlpool. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1459625199.855085.jpg

 

[mhermetz]

Well this thread has inspired me to brew early. I can even setup the night before. Have my HLT ready with my water so right at 0500 I can flip the switch on my heaters. Potentially done by 0900! that's amazing. I don't even think the wife would be up by then with the little one.

 

[brewkinger]

Grains milled, mash/sparge water treated and ready to go, hop additions all weighed and brew plan in place the night before.
Up at 545am and in the barn at 6am.
16 degrees in northern VT and I pondered my choice.
Back in the house and breakfast with the family and back out to start brewing at 745.
Glad I did it because the day went extremely well.
Hit all my numbers (actually exceeded my projected efficiency so my blonde ale is gonna be 4.9% instead of 4.5)

 

[philipCT]

Early morning panic. Started to heat the mash-in water and discovered my wort pump was locked up. Disassembled it right there. Cleaned, added missing SS washer (do all March 809's have this missing washer?), reassembled and back on track. Just an hour and a half late.

This will be a long day.

BTW - thanks to Awesome Brewers for the tip on March 809 repair. That's what I love about good equipment. It's usually pretty straightforward to repair. I did luck out finding the SS washer I needed in "inventory".

One other benefit: it's clear that even though I rinse thoroughly and copiously with hot water after brewday, that is not enough. There was a film of dried wort inside this pump. This may have been been the cause of the "stuckness".

New practice adopted after every brewday: circulate hot PBW through pumps for 10-15 minutes.

 

[Oceantendency]

Just mashed in my ESB 20 minutes ago, got the coffee going, best way to start a Monday

 

[milldoggy]

Early morning panic. Started to heat the mash-in water and discovered my wort pump was locked up. Disassembled it right there. Cleaned, added missing SS washer (do all March 809's have this missing washer?), reassembled and back on track. Just an hour and a half late.

This will be a long day.

BTW - thanks to Awesome Brewers for the tip on March 809 repair. That's what I love about good equipment. It's usually pretty straightforward to repair. I did luck out finding the SS washer I needed in "inventory".

One other benefit: it's clear that even though I rinse thoroughly and copiously with hot water after brewday, that is not enough. There was a film of dried wort inside this pump. This may have been been the cause of the "stuckness".

New practice adopted after every brewday: circulate hot PBW through pumps for 10-15 minutes.

It is called a trust washer. My second gen chuggers have them, but my first gen green ones do not. It should be required, but since my green chuggers are still chugging after 5 years, ain't broke, dont fix.

 

[brewcat]

May have to start brewing earlier since the sun is up sooner. Got started today a little before 7 and finished cleaning up by noon.

 

[wyowolf]

Wanted to start early.. technical issues

 

[kombat]

Had my earliest start ever this past Saturday. I lit the burner and started heating strike water at 5:10 am. I was doughed-in by 5:30 am. I needed to be completely done and put away by noon, and ended up getting ahead of schedule. I was pretty much done with everything cleaned and put away by 10:30 am. It was a plain American Lager. I oxygenated for 90 seconds with pure O2, and pitched 2 packets of 34/70 (rehydrated). I checked this morning and there is already a layer of white bubbles forming on the surface. It's fermenting away happily at 51° F.

 

[Alpotun]

So anybody else up early brewing this morning?

 

[milldoggy]

Not here, just a 230 wake up to drive to cape cod

 

[kh54s10]

So anybody else up early brewing this morning?

Brewed yesterday. I got an early start!!!!! (for me). Started milling my grains just before 10am......

 

[brewcat]

Woke up later than I wanted. I could have started by 8, but I'm feeling particularly lazy. I guess I'll try to brew sometime midweek.

 

[divrguy]

Did a pear cider this morning in 30 minutes. Aerated, added a little dextrine and added yeast, in the chamber... Done. Wish my all grain went this fast lol
Now... Cup of joe

 

[brewcat]

Heating strike water now. More excited today, probably because today isn't an actual day off. Should be done by noon then off to work.

 

[ExperimentalMental]

I woke up yesterday and promptly started brewing. It is nice to brew in the cool cool cool of the morning. I made vanilla Porter, matched numbers wells, have airlock activity within about 5 hours. Now just a matter waiting for fermentation to slow so I can add vanilla beans. My brother made a similar beer not too long ago and he was disappointed because the brew shop guy told him to add the beans at flame out, he got little to no vanilla. I wish they had a test for brew shop people, so you would be able to trust their advice.

 

[philipCT]

First runnings of my first NEIPA looking pretty Golden Light this morning...

 

[jwalk4]

Just fired up my strike water for my house amber.

This will be my first homebrew that I make in 6 months!

 

[JonM]

Had strike water heating up at around 5:30. Just waiting for the time to start my late hop additions.

 

[Oceantendency]

Striked water at 4am, doughed in by 4:45am...now I'm at work.

 

[brewcat]

6am about to mash in. Nice cold morning. Probably pushing it bit with my Christmas Stout. Come February it should be really good...

 

[Bulls Beers]

I love early morning brewing. I usually start in the 7 o'clock hour and finish up around noon. I did just that yesterday.

 

[milldoggy]

Heated strike at 430. All done and cleaned up, even with a 45 min hop stand.

Ground water is cold again, makes chilling so much easier