Extract to AG to Extract

[birvine]

I started with kit beers then through HBT-learning graduated to extract with specialty grains. Next, I am working towards all grain. That being said, the engineer in me likes to learn new things, but I'm not sure how long I'd stick with AG if it can take upwards of eight hours to brew. Definitely, in the initial stages, the excitement of the newness and learning curve will make the time fly, but I fear that I will work back towards extract to save time (in life, all we really have is time, and there isn't a lot of it in a lifetime!) after some unspecified time. Then I'd sell all the accumulated AG gear, likely at a big dollar loss, and return to three-hour extract/specialty batches.

Am I insane, or have others gone through this, or at least this thought process?

B

 

[Maxkling]

Umm... 8 hours to brew?

I just did an AG batch 4 days ago and it took 3 to 4 hours including setup and clean up.

Not saying that I wouldn't mind brewing for 8 hours though.

AG is so much more fun IMO than extract, but I like to put time, sweat, and effort into things. Extract to me just seemed like standing over the pot til it boiled then sat and waited. AG the whole time I brewed I was either preparing for the next step or cleaning from the last step.

 

[Golddiggie]

It only takes me 5-6 hours to brew an all grain batch. The amount of time it takes you, over brewing extract with specialty grains, depends on the mash schedule. Go for a shorter mash time, and the difference is less. Go for a longer, or more complex mash, schedule, and the difference is more. I've not done a single all grain brew that's taken me close to 8 hours. The closest I ever came was doing BIAB, in my kitchen, doing full-batch boils. Once I moved out of the kitchen for brewing, things got much easier.

The control over the ingredients, for me, is well worth the extra time spent. If you get the right gear, you can make the time difference a non-issue. For me, that's included a propane burner (to get the water up to temp faster, as well as get the boil started faster) and a good wort chiller (started with immersion chillers, next batch I'll be popping the cherry on my new Chillhog 4000 setup). I mill my grain on brew day, which only takes a few minutes.

Personally, I don't plan to ever abandon all grain brewing. There's something deeply satisfying about designing a recipe, milling the grains, mashing them, and then fermenting the wort you make from raw ingredients.

 

[blkandrust]

4 hrs including cleanup,here.However,I would more than welcome an 8 hr brewday!!

 

[Golddiggie]

I typically do 75-90 minute mashes, plus mash-out and sparge times (close to 2 hours total there)... Hence my time being longer than others posting up. I've seen other home brewers take even longer than me to brew a batch, with a smile on their face.

If you're simply looking at the clock to see how long it's taking to brew a batch, then all grain probably isn't for you. Not to say we don't try to make best use of our time, but that's usually done by streamlining processes where it makes sense. Such as getting water to temp faster, or wort to pitching temp faster. I shaved several minutes off of my batch time simply by installing a ball valve into my kettle. Going from kettle to fermenter in about a minute is a wonderful thing. If course, using a plate chiller will make that time a bit longer, but it eliminates the 8-15 minutes the IC took to chill the wort. So still saving time, chilling the wort faster, and getting it into the fermenter at the same time. :rockin: WINNING!

 

[jwynia]

I try to have recipes/ingredients on deck to take advantage of whatever size window of brewing time I get.

Whenever I can get 4-6 hours, I brew all grain batches of beer.
If I can only squeeze in 3 hours, I make extract batches.
If I have 30-90 minutes, I make a cider or mead.

Depending on how hectic my schedule is, the kinds of things shift around based on that approach, but I always keep the fermenters full of stuff I want to drink.

I could get wrapped up in an identity of being an "all grain brewer", but that'd probably only mean 1-2 batches a month. Give up that identity and think of myself as "someone who makes tasty alcoholic beverages" and I can keep half a dozen fermenters full while keeping up with my other responsibilities.

 

[Ravenshead]

I started at 8:00 this morning and closed the garage door after cleanup before noon.
It was just barely time for my first beer of the day.

I will say the first AG batch I did took six hours but now it's about four. You get better with practice.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I used to be 5-6 hours and am now 4-5 hours. I like the time it takes. It's always a morning to myself while the wife and boy go off and do something.

 

[Zamial]

I am at 5-7 hours for a 12 gallon AG batch. If I do a double batch I am at the 7-8 hour mark. I also do long mashes and 90 min boils... So, please consider that extra volume may be necessary to achieve a balance of your brew time vs. life. Not to mention the cost is almost x2 between extract and AG...

I bet you start into AG and then find the DIY section. That should keep you pretty well occupied well into 2088...

 

[petep1980]

I love people who's all grains took "3-4" hours. Even if you don't use malt, I'd like half the people who claim they have done this to raise the temp of mash water volume to mash temps, wait an hour, bring it to boil, wait an hour, then cool to pitching temps. I bet that's a push in 3 hours.

 

[petep1980]

I used to be 5-6 hours and am now 4-5 hours. I like the time it takes. It's always a morning to myself while the wife and boy go off and do something.

I found by no mash out and no sparge I cut at minimum 2 hours off my brew day, and a huge headache.

I too do mine in the morning, while the wife and the kids do their thing.

 

[Ravenshead]

Three hours would be hard, but I could do 3.5 if I was trying. That includes clean-up of everything except the BK.

That would make for a "no-fun" brew day though.

 

[Maxkling]

I love people who's all grains took "3-4" hours. Even if you don't use malt, I'd like half the people who claim they have done this to raise the temp of mash water volume to mash temps, wait an hour, bring it to boil, wait an hour, then cool to pitching temps. I bet that's a push in 3 hours.

Hmm measure out my water and start heating, while its heating set everything up and with 10 to 15 mins. im at strike temp. Throw in grains and water take measurement if temps are spot on set timer to 60 min. Come back at 20 mins left start heating sparge water, at end of 60 mins drain to bk, start heating, sparge for 10 min., add to bk. 20 mins I'm at a boil, clean up from mash. Then after boil for 60 min. cool for 15min and pitch....

Look like 3 hours to me, if I miss my mash temps or anything goes wrong, or cooling takes long or heating takes longer then it might be 4. I don't get your theory, if you have the right equipment and aren't trying to boil 6.5 gallons on a stove or chill your wort in an ice bath, then yea... see where I'm going. My first all grain was last week, everything went near perfect, still had issues, but I started at 9:30 and was finished by noon.


Actually I couldn't see it taking any longer (with a simple mash schedule and not 10-20gallon batch)... Its a step by step process with most of it on set times. I mean yea you could get your strike water to temp and do nothing with it for 30 min. but why? When its ready go to the next step. Now I can see it taking a while if you get a stuck sparge or failure on certain things.

 

[noodledancer77]

I don't think you are out of your mind. A couple points. First of all, many of the people on here that can brew in a shorter time are more experienced. Remember, us newb all grainers take a bit longer to do things, in my experience. another point to make is that even folks like John Palmer still brew with extract from time to time for the shortest amount of time invested and still a good product in the end. I heard an interview with him...i think it was on Basic Brewing about that.

I'm not giving up on AG, but it's nice to have both tools in my arsenal.

 

[birvine]

A few things... a few references have been made that it took eight hours to brew ag. I stand somewhat corrected.

The main thing though was not only the time, but the time in concert with having learned a technique, then moving on to something new.

Maybe I'm just ADD!

B

 

[Dogphish]

filter water, heat mash water, mash for full hour, fly sparge into max temp brew pot, skip mash out, boil 90 minutes, cool 30 minutes, pitch, a little cleanup left.

my process will never take less than 4 hours, unless you can bend space an time.