How long does brew day take you?

[brettwasbtd]

I could trim my day down to 4-5 hours if I had my recipes built, grain pulled, wetted and milled ahead of time. Also, hop additions pulled and weighed out.

But I don't. I mean, I store 300-400# of grain at a time so I can build my own recipes on the fly. That's part of the fun.

Ya, that has been part of my problem. Due to lack of time my schedule will randomly free up and I realize, "Oh i have time to brew" but then I have to craft the receipe, figure out my salt additions etc...just adding time. Having a recipe ready to go makes a pretty big difference

Some of the eBrew guys have ridiculously short heating times. 20 minutes saved here, 20 minutes saved there... I think it probably adds up.

Ya, thats a big time saver. I am hoing to have some fast heating times once I move to electric

 

[Toy4Rick]

Depends on if I am drinking, have friends brewing as well... With the previous, 5-6, without 4-4.25 is normal for me

Rick

 

[BUCKNUTS]

5-6 hours from the time I put the strike water on the burner until I put the fermenter in my basement brew room. Size of the batch changes from 5.5 -11 gallons

 

[sumbrewindude]

3.5-4 hrs if cleaning and cooling are included.

Fastest was 2.5hrs, with a no chill and dealing with pitching the next day.

Keeping in mind - these are small batches, done indoors, multiple things going on at the same time (everything is on a chart for start/stop times), and no drinking while brewing. Fastest way I know to get out of groove and start missing steps/times is to crack open a beer - that's when everything starts to fall apart. Beer goes well with cleanup.

If I stepped up the volume to a normal 5gal batch, I could see where 4hrs would be an average time depending on how fast/many burners you can keep fired up.

With two little kids, a full work schedule that cuts into family time, and a Honey-Do list that keeps growing I need to be effecient if I want to keep my new hobby.

 

[danindenver]

This thread has definitely given me something to think about.
I have brewed 10 times, all extract brews, mostly with the MrBeer kits and it basically takes 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour, if I'm really disorganized.
These are 2 gallon batches that take me 2.5 to 3.5 hours to bottle, later.
If brewing twice as much beer (5 gallons) takes 3 to 8 times as long to brew, then I'm not sure I'll be able to justify the time and expense.
Well, maybe I just don't drink enough!

 

[BUCKNUTS]

This thread has definitely given me something to think about.

I have brewed 10 times, all extract brews, mostly with the MrBeer kits and it basically takes 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour, if I'm really disorganized.

These are 2 gallon batches that take me 2.5 to 3.5 hours to bottle, later.

If brewing twice as much beer (5 gallons) takes 3 to 8 times as long to brew, then I'm not sure I'll be able to justify the time and expense.

Well, maybe I just don't drink enough!

Even when I brewed full boil 5 gallon extract batches it took a few hours to bring to a boil, boil 60 minutes, chill, pitch the yeast and clean up. All grain is definitely a bigger investment in time but I think it's well worth it.

 

[MaxStout]

If you are thinking that a longer brew day is a bad thing, you might want to reconsider this hobby. It's supposed to be interesting and enjoyable, whether it takes 2 hours or 6 hours to brew.

Lots of worthwhile hobbies take time to do: hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. There's no instant gratification.

 

[Beernik]

Today's brew there were no problems, took 6 hours on the dot from setup through cleanup. I'm faster in the summer when I'm doing everything outside and I don't have to worry about keeping the kitchen clean and orderly.

And it's my recipe that came out of my head. That's one of the benifits of all-grain vs. someone's prehopped extract kit.

 

[Transamguy77]

There are lots of good points to this thread, for me it takes 4.5 to 6 hrs, if I'm brewing late at night by myself and can focus its shorter but if I'm trying to live life while brewing it takes longer but then I can usually get my kids to help clean up.

I usually don't really pay attention to how long it takes, I'm done when I'm done, I plan on it taking all day and if I'm done before dinner woo hoo for me.

 

[brettwasbtd]

If you are thinking that a longer brew day is a bad thing, you might want to reconsider this hobby. It's supposed to be interesting and enjoyable, whether it takes 2 hours or 6 hours to brew.

Lots of worthwhile hobbies take time to do: hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. There's no instant gratification.

I don't think time is mutually exclusive with the hobby being interesting and enjoyable. I understand what you are saying, but it is coming across as "if you are trying to make things go faster you aren't enjoying the hobby." I dont think that is the case for anyone here. In fact, I think a lot of people in the hobby have a scarcity in the "time" department and being able to shortening the brewday would allow them to take more interest and find more enjoyment in the hobby. To each their own

 

[te-wa]

6 hrs on my last AG brew. then again, i was changing water filters, tinkering with hose lengths, cutting, prodding, amusing myself. i did a 90 min boil. and then some, trying to get the volume i wanted.
i think if 4 hours is spent and you make a good brew, that's great. but if you take longer, let it flow, let it ride, hit your targets then that's 4 hours you didnt waste from a mistake. brewing is a journey, not a destination... (lol, aerosmith)

 

[schematix]

I do 10 gallon batches and I brewed on Wednesday and it took 7+ hours. Started heating water at 9am, and crushing grain while it heated. Mashed in around 10am and did a multi-step mash for about 2 hours. Started to lauter around noon. Boil started around 1pm, with a 90 minute boil. Cooling was a clusterf*ck. I used my Hop Stopper for the first time and it plugged. 90% of the beer was in the ferms by 3:30pm then it took an hour to clean everything (kettles, pumps, hoses, plate chiller, etc). Long day but at least i'll get 9-9.5G of outstanding beer out of it.

 

[619Brewer]

Just did back to back brew days. Yesterday was a cluster so it ended up taking a lot longer, but today was relaxed, lazy Sunday brew day. Started at 11:30 and pitched yeast and put in the fermentation chamber at 4:00. I didn't rush, 75 min boil, and did a extra long sparge, maybe 1.5 hours and a 60 min mash time.

 

[Corey_SS]

It usually takes me about 6 hours from the time I start heating my water to the time I'm done cleaning up. Though that's usually about an hour longer than I estimate when I promise the GF how long it'll take.

 

[schematix]

It usually takes me about 6 hours from the time I start heating my water to the time I'm done cleaning up. Though that's usually about an hour longer than I estimate when I promise the GF how long it'll take.

Forgiveness is much easier to obtain than permission ;-)

 

[Komocabo]

7-8 hours for me on a 11 gal batch. I like to take it easy and slow. I hate feeling rushed. Yes, I could do it after, but dangit, that's the best part... RDWHAHB

Lazy Sunday brews are good on the heart...and the fememter

 

[ianw58]

Usually about 6 hours from rolling out the brew rig to rolling it back.

Brewing is a hobby and activity that I enjoy - so I'm not actively working to make it uber-efficient. I'd compare brewing to sex - I'm grateful when I get the chance to do it so I'm not interested in finishing quickly.

How very well said, sir! My sentiments exactly.

 

[Mirilis]

5-8 hours:
60 min mash after finally hitting strike temp
30 min sparge
60-90 min boil depending on rec
30 min chill/ whirlpool

In between that set ups and 45 min clean ups

 

[ianw58]

It takes me about 6 to 7 hours from rolling the brew rig to rolling it back into the brew house.

Brewing is a hobby and activity that I enjoy - so I'm not actively working to make it uber-efficient. I'd compare brewing to sex - I'm grateful when I get the chance to do it so I'm not interested in finishing quickly.

Vey well said, Sir! My sentiments exactly...

 

[saxman1036]

Several you are saying that your brew day only takes you about 4 to 5 hours. My brew days, for all grain, rarely take under 6.5 hours. I'm trying to figure out what aspect of my operation is taking so much longer than yours. Do any of you who are taking only four to five hours boil water or the wort on your stove top? Or are all of you using propane burners? Are you doing full 60min boils? Are you counting from starting the water for the mash until things are cleaned up?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[runkelia]

Several you are saying that your brew day only takes you about 4 to 5 hours. My brew days, for all grain, rarely take under 6.5 hours. I'm trying to figure out what aspect of my operation is taking so much longer than yours. Do any of you who are taking only four to five hours boil water or the wort on your stove top? Or are all of you using propane burners? Are you doing full 60min boils? Are you counting from starting the water for the mash until things are cleaned up?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

I hear you, how is this possible? Do you have several burners? Do you not have kids running around the house? It takes me a solid 6.5 hours.

 

[stevo4361]

Several you are saying that your brew day only takes you about 4 to 5 hours. My brew days, for all grain, rarely take under 6.5 hours. I'm trying to figure out what aspect of my operation is taking so much longer than yours. Do any of you who are taking only four to five hours boil water or the wort on your stove top? Or are all of you using propane burners? Are you doing full 60min boils? Are you counting from starting the water for the mash until things are cleaned up? Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

Propane burner outside. 60 minute mash and boils for me as well. Yep, from getting equipment out of my brew room until the last piece is back hanging up. Four to five hours is about it. Don't mill my own grain yet, and usually formulate my recipes much earlier. Thinking of trying 90 min mash, but haven't yet.
My wife usually takes the kids so I have a brew day to myself, some "me" time, especially as my kids are too little to help yet. I don't rush anything, and don't think I'm missing anything. Have a pipe of tobacco once and awhile during the mash or boil. I like my process, and my beer. It's not a contest, whatever works for you, short or all day.


Cheers!

 

[eastoak]

Several you are saying that your brew day only takes you about 4 to 5 hours. My brew days, for all grain, rarely take under 6.5 hours. I'm trying to figure out what aspect of my operation is taking so much longer than yours. Do any of you who are taking only four to five hours boil water or the wort on your stove top? Or are all of you using propane burners? Are you doing full 60min boils? Are you counting from starting the water for the mash until things are cleaned up?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

my brew day is usually between 4-4.5 hrs. my top tier sits in the garage and i i don't move it outside when i brew. i mill my own grain which takes maybe 15 min, all of my grain bills are very simple. a 5 gallon batch requires 8 gallons of water on my system so i fill 2 pails of water for the HLT and the MT, the MT is heating up as i mill the grain. once the water is hot enough i dough in and start the 1hr timer. 5-10 min in i start to recirculate and the Blichmann mash module takes over the burner. after an hr the first runnings go into the boil kettle and i batch sparge. the boil is usually going within 15-20 min and goes for an hr. i dump the spent grains and set the MT in the driveway along with the HLT, i'll run the cooling water in there to rinse out the grain bits and collect water for cleaning. 5-10 min before flameout i pull the hoses into the garage for the plate chiller. chilling takes 8-10 min. i'll grab buckets of water to pour into the boil kettle and run through the plate chiller, scrub the inside of the BK while i'm at it. if i'm using dry yeast i pitch dry and put the bucket in the fridge. if i'm re pitching slurry i aerate with a stainless wand, pitch the slurry and i'm done.

 

[Beernik]

Brewday is my Fortress of Solitude. Interruptions are kept to a minimum by agreement. If my wife wants me to stay sane, I get one day a month by myself brewing, racking, or bottling. I got two this month because it's my first time brewing in half a year.

In the summer, I do it all on a propane (turkey fryer) burner.
1. Start the strike water. Set up while it warms.
2. Dough in, finish setup.
3. Mash out.
4. Heat wort for boil, clean MLT & mash equip.
5. Boil.
6. Cool, start to put things away.
7. Pitch.
8. Clean rest of equip, put rest of equip away.

Because I can do multiple things at once and don't have to worry about keeping the kitchen nice or dry, it's a bout 5 hours. Saturday and Sunday I mashed, cooled, and cleaned in the kitchen. Saturday was 8 hours because of a double decoction and a stuck mash . Sunday was a smooth step mash and took 6 hours.

Both days I drained the MLT and then cleaned it before starting the boil so I could keep the kitchen clean.

Not having to move your equipment shortens the day. The 8 hours Saturday included moving everything into the house. The 6 hours Sunday included putting everything back in the garage.

Being able to heat water and cool wort quickly will really cut down your brewday.

 

[dobe12]

I'm in the 4-5hr camp. All grain, BIAB, outdoors using a turkey frier setup. I have a 2yr old at home and 4-5hrs is hard to come by, so time is a factor. I'm up between 6-7am and starting to brew between 7-8am. A few things I do to speed things up:

- My recipes are planned out days if not weeks in advance. I usually have anywhere from 3 to 6 recipes that I want to brew so it'd just a matter of choosing one.

- Crush my grain the day before and get all my supplies out the night before. Can't be banging pots around at 6am.

- Like others, I multitask. Cleaning equipment while boiling or weighing out hops while mashing, just thinking ahead and having things ready when I need them or clean things when done so I'm not cleaning everything at the end of the day. By the time I pitch my yeast all I have to clean is my brew kettle, racking cane/tubing, wort chiller, maybe a flask from the starter and that's it. Everything else is already clean and up away.

I'd love to slow down and really take my time, but i just don't have the time. If I could afford 6-8hrs, I'd be trying to get 2 batches in back to back. Again, with a 2yr old, it's all about maximizing my time.

 

[EdMerican]

So, you have to ask yourself. Would you rather have really good sex once a week or go quickly through the motions every night?



Damn! That's a tough question. :cross:

Being as I have married with kids mediocre sex only a couple times a month if I'm lucky i would take lame sex every night, thank you very much.

 

[ChuBru]

4-5 hours here too..like pumpkinman says keep busy during down time really keeps the ball rolling...i used to just hang out while heating water or while mashing etc and that easily added another hour or more to brewday

 

[dobe12]

Being as I have married with kids mediocre sex only a couple times a month if I'm lucky i would take lame sex every night, thank you very much.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[m3n00b]

Forgiveness is much easier to obtain than permission ;-)

This is pure gold right here.

 

[saxman1036]

Well, I've certainly gotten my answer: move my arse outside and get a propane burner. I've become remarkably efficient (IMHO) with my brew day, but the heating (mash water, sparge water, boiling the wort, etc.) just takes too dang long. Once I complete all the possible steps I can to prepare for the next brewing step, I find myself doing other things around the house while I'm waiting for the next hop-addition. The wife likes that part (and the fact that she always gets a clean kitchen after a brew day), but waiting for things to heat-up definitely stretches out my operation.

If I were to guess, right now...
* 45-75 min to heat up 4-6 gallons of mash water
* 30-45 to bring the wort (6-7 gal) from the sparge to a boil

I'm guessing with a propane burner outside I could knock those down to 20min & 10min? Granted, we just came off a wicked cold-snap up here (St. Paul) where daytime highs were -18F (not a typo), so perhaps I'll wait for it to warm up just *a little*.

Thanks fellas!