House Rules for Brewing

[Jaybird]

Women must not wear tops while around the brewing as it will offend the beer gods and they will curse the batch. Blood relatives are excluded. I don't make the rules of the gods, I just live by them.

You brew alone don't you? LOL jkjkjk!


When I was brewing at the house I had a strict rule of no dogs in the brewery at all, ever.
Brewing game plan was done night before.
No running or horseplay at all! Kids were welcome if they could hang tuff without messing around till flame out then EVERYONE leaves the brewery except the brewers.
Inspirational beer is a MUST! But only 1 till yeast is swimming in wort.
No politics in the brewery! The beer gods dont like it!
Smile and laugh, its fun stuff!

Cheers
Jay

 

[Rbeckett]

Peace is my rule. No loud. I deal with loud, slammong, banging, yelling all week. Peace, is my first rule. Second rule, calm.

Peace and quiet with some mellow background jazz or blues. Everything all planned and laid out, tanks full and everything checked off the checklist before I even start. Then the day progresses smoothly with no hassles or crisis management situations and in about three hours I got a batch in the ferm chamber takin the place of the fermenter I filled 3 or so weeks ago. I try to brew every third week so that my pipe line stays relatively full with a good variety of different opportunities in flavor and style. I used to do three week brews and keep a keg of Hefe on tap, but after a while you need a change. So now I keep a lawn mower brew in the kegerator and bottle the third week batched with a different color or mark on the cap to indicate what it is supposed to be. Over time I have managed to accumulate 24 or more different flavors to choose from at any given time. Plus as some of the brews age they improve and mellow and that is always a welcome taste treat. Hope this helps.

Wheelchair Bob

 

[malweth]

Usually I'm drinking coffee or water while brewing... though it's also usually in the early a.m. - really, I don't like more than a session beer while I'm brewing - the beer comes out better.

It's a pretty informal, never before written down (or spoken) list in my house:

• A chair is often available and almost never used.
• Prep work is required the day before.
• the clock, themometer, and hydrometer are prime and never ignored or forgotten
• Clean while you go is a must. Upcoming equipment gets priority for cleaning / sanitization (transfer tubing, autosiphon, etc).
• Pen & paper w/ brew sheets is required (even with BeerSmith mobile and similar tools.... important information gets lost otherwise)
• Orange cones are set out... kids & dogs cannot go inside the perimeter (unless supervised while helping out)
• Filled carboys get moved with tools, not hands (brewhauler)
• The brew day starts when the fire goes on and ends when the equipment is clean & yeast is pitched. Interruptions are OK only outside those 4-5 hours.

Though rules are meant to be broken...

 

[leadtrumpet]

Years ago I started talking to the yeast as they wake up. I use liquid yeast. Now I am getting my 4 yr old to talk to them. We say things like, 'wake up guys, we are going to make you very happy' and before pitching, 'have fun in there'. Silly things like that. Wife came in and apparently never saw this before and asked who we were talking to. The 4 year old says 'The yeast of course ,they are living, right!?'. She walks away mumbling and shaking her head...

 

[biochemedic]

I'm definitely in the camp of prepare most of the stuff (especially measuring out water) the night before, and all the equipment is out ready to go first thing in the morning (I've pretty much become a dawn brewer, usually mashed in by 7 am...)

I'm drinking coffee most of the early brewing process, but I'm definitely liking the hot scotchie concept!

 

[catdaddy66]

I really only have a couple "rules", per say... Clean thoroughly and enjoy your prior efforts with 1-2 homebrews!

Gonna start getting more anal about the process as I get to my AG phase. More detail oriented is good but requires more discipline which means less homebrew.

 

[gavball6]

+1 on the Hot Scotchie... It has become a brew day must!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

+1 on the Hot Scotchie... It has become a brew day must!

unless you're out of scotch....

 

[Ridire]

unless you're out of scotch....

Never. I can run out if beer but cannot imagine being blindsided by a lack of Scotch in the house.

 

[gavball6]

I have had to shift to the Hot Bourbie a time or two... Still delicious thought!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Never. I can run out if beer but cannot imagine being blindsided by a lack of Scotch in the house.

I'll invite my FIL to your house. you'll run out. hahahhaha!!!

 

[splattsmier]

I have had to shift to the Hot Bourbie a time or two... Still delicious thought!

I'm sure to be flamed for this, but I think I'd prefer a Bourbie over a Scotchie...

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I might be weird just because I brew on the stovetop, but brew day is a day for peace and quiet and solitude for me. Literally nothing to do but watch a pot boil. I like to brew in the morning while I am having my coffee and am slowly easing into the day. It's peaceful, soothing, and constructive.

Now, batch tasting day is *completely* different...

 

[hehawbrew]

I might be weird just because I brew on the stovetop, but brew day is a day for peace and quiet and solitude for me. Literally nothing to do but watch a pot boil. I like to brew in the morning while I am having my coffee and am slowly easing into the day. It's peaceful, soothing, and constructive.

Now, batch tasting day is *completely* different...

Agreed. I'm a morning person too.

 

[unionrdr]

I like to get started brewing in the morning if I can.That means brewday is done earlier. I hate still being at it at 9pm. I got a late lunchtime start yesterday,but was done by 6pm. So that wasn't to bad. Pitched the WY3056 smackpack at 5:54pm yesterday,& @ 8:04pm,it pegged the airlock centerpiece against the cap. And it was a 1.050 wort too. saw first bubble @ 7:3X this morning @ 18C (64.4F). I guess these smackpacks are pretty good.
Not too many bubbles,since my Cooper's microbrew FV is some 27L with 19L batch in it.

 

[RatsoRizzo]

Two rules:

1. Only brew when the two year old is out of the apartment
2. The S-airlock has to bubble from right to left

 

[MaxStout]

1. Bring out all my gear and have it ready to go the night before.
2. Try to get an early start on the day.
3. Tunes are absolutely necessary.
4. I'm not a morning beer person, so I'll wait until after the brew session to have one. But I WILL have one.

 

[unionrdr]

Same here,i need to be clear headed to get it right on brewday. but then again,that passout on Fat Tuesday did make a good beer...

 

[DaNewf]

I brew in my kitchen so these are my rules:

-kids (5yo and 6yo) have to be in bed before the boil begins. I'll do prep work and get the mash started shortly before bedtime. Get the youngsters into bed and get ready to carry on with the boil.
-wife has to be on night shift. I like to have the whole kitchen to myself, this is easier when there is no one else (kids are asleep) on the move in the house. Fortunately she works every second weekend.
-clean as I go and brew night isn't over until everything is cleaned and put away.
-not a hard and fast rule but the first beer usually doesn't get cracked until the wort is chilling. By that time it's starting to get late and I'm feeling a bit tired. Too much beer too early on would be a mistake.

My brew night might start as early as 6:30 or 7:00PM but it's usually around 1:00AM before I finish up and crawl into bed. That's if I'm doing a partial mash (still do an occassional Cooper's kit/DME/Dextrose batch). A 90 minute mash and a 60 minute boil account for 2 and a half hours right off the top. I use my electric stove so getting the water to mash and then boiling temperatures takes a while. I chill using an ice bath and I clean gear afterwards by doing long soaks.

I'm sure there's plenty of stuff I could do different to speed this up but it's really just a way to kill an evening.

 

[Ramitt]

I'm sure to be flamed for this, but I think I'd prefer a Bourbie over a Scotchie...

It is not bad, maybe a touch sweet for me, same with rum. i need to try some Rye next time, that might be tasty.

 

[gavball6]

It is not bad, maybe a touch sweet for me, same with rum. i need to try some Rye next time, that might be tasty.

Oooh... Hot Ryeie

 

[MaxStout]

It is not bad, maybe a touch sweet for me, same with rum. i need to try some Rye next time, that might be tasty.

Mmmmm...I likes me some Templeton rye. I'll even take a dram of Beam rye in a pinch. Love that spicy rye kick.

 

[forstmeister]

Mmmmm...I likes me some Templeton rye. I'll even take a dram of Beam rye in a pinch. Love that spicy rye kick.

I bought some Redemption Rye a while back. It was awesome. The bottle didn't last long. Now I'm working on a bottle of Breakout Premium Rye. It's not as good as the Redemption but still good. I do like Temptleton and Bullit too.

 

[splattsmier]

It is not bad, maybe a touch sweet for me, same with rum. i need to try some Rye next time, that might be tasty.

I like where your head is at. Either way I'm excited to try this with my imperial Porter come brewday...

 

[jglazer]

I generally have to brew by myself. I am a bit too much of a control freak to let others do things when I can do everything myself without it taking up any more time. Cleaning as you go is a must and brings my overall brew sessions closer to 4 hours depending on mash and boil times.

Oh and I always have a brew during mash, a brew during boil, and a brew during cooling, but I guess I can just keep it together better than others maybe? All my notes get written down and I never miss steps. A timer is a great tool to use...

 

[osagedr]

Clean as you go is a good one.

Yeah this is an important one for me. Mash tuns are incredibly easy to clean right after being drained and just get harder as time passes. Carboys too, brew kettle, autosiphon, kegs, etc. etc. etc.

 

[passedpawn]

Brew early in the morning, or don't bother at all. This one thing eliminates a host of problems. I like to be done and cleaning up before everyone wakes up.

 

[NathPowe]

Cool thread.

I too prefer to brew in the morning. My rules -

A) I always have mash tun ready, strike water measured, grains milled by the night before. Then I use a timer to heat water so that I can wake up and mash in while the coffee (also a must) is brewing - usually by 8am or so.

B) Also, like many others have stated, I always have tunes. Whatever I'm listening to the time. It's usually pretty mellow and quiet (SWMBO is often still sleeping), but not always. This past Sunday's session started with The Black Crowes 'Until the Freeze'. Nice recording.

C) Clean as I go. Cleaning sucks and I'd rather just have a kettle and a few other odds and ends to clean once wort is in the fermenter.

D) Give myself more than enough time. If I mash in at 8am, I don't plan on being anywhere before 4pm. It doesn't take me that long to brew a batch (usually 5.5 - 6hrs), but brew day is supposed to be relaxing - I don't want to feel rushed.

General guideline that is often followed (but not always) -
Don't pour a beer until the boil is going good and steady. It's harder to mess up too bad (but certainly not impossible) if I wait until later in the game to start gettin' proper.

I usually brew alone but enjoy it when SWMBO hangs out (usually she'll make a tasty breakfast while I'm going about the brew - score). Hoping to have a buddy join me for a brew day some time soon - although I don't think I'd want more than one other person hanging out during a brew. Too much potential for drunken mayhem. Mostly I just like to have a mellow but focused morning making some beer. Whoa, long post.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Same rule that is my house rule... "Don't be a D*ck" Seems to make everything better.

 

[Clonefan94]

Clean as you go is a good one. I hate cleaning. At least if I do it while brewing maybe it won't sit for a week in a oxy soak...

Free time? What is that?

I love clean as you go. This is really the only "ritual" I have besides drinking a homebrew. I have so many different places that stuff gets stashed, it's nice to have it all ready to be tucked away when thebrew day is over.

I wish I could implement a rule of "Don't bother me the last 15 minutes of the boil" but it always seems that's the time my neighbors drop by to see what I'm brewing and start asking me questions. That's right when I start prepping all my cooling gear, and dropping the last hop additions, so conversation isn't my strong point then.