How long does it take you to AG?

[Dr_Deathweed]

I am still pretty new to AG and I am using a single burner for my setup, but from the time I start to think about making it a brew day to the time I put away the last piece of equipment is about 4.5 hours

 

[tbone]

Just finished my second AG batch and from cold water heating up to putting the airlock on the carboy was about 6 hours. I should be able to cut the time down after I get more experience and don't have to read/think everything out so much.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Hey! I'm not subhuman! I just take my damn time!

 

[Reverend JC]

Somthing has just dawned on me. I could be heating the boiling kettle while draining the mash tun into it, thus decreasing the time i waste while fully draining the mash then putting the boiling kettle to the fire.

perhaps i can decrease my 6 hour brew day.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Somthing has just dawned on me. I could be heating the boiling kettle while draining the mash tun into it, thus decreasing the time i waste while fully draining the mash then putting the boiling kettle to the fire.

perhaps i can decrease my 6 hour brew day.

I think pipelining things like this is the key to a short brew session. Taking advantage of "down time" can save a lot of time. Others include:

- start heating your strike water 1st thing and finish your prep while it's heating
- making sure your sparge water is heated by the time your mash is done
- clean up everything associated with your mash during the boil
- sanitize your chiller, carboy, etc. during the boil so they're ready to go when needed

 

[ajf]

I think pipelining things like this is the key to a short brew session. Taking advantage of "down time" can save a lot of time. Others include:

- start heating your strike water 1st thing and finish your prep while it's heating
- making sure your sparge water is heated by the time your mash is done
- clean up everything associated with your mash during the boil
- sanitize your chiller, carboy, etc. during the boil so they're ready to go when needed

I do all of that and it still takes me over 6 hours.

I must admit, I could speed thing up a lot if I didn't heat my strike and sparge water on the kitchen stove, and I could cut another hour off by batch sparging; but then I wouldn't have enough time to drink, and drink, and drink ...

-a.

 

[Kaiser]

The closer the temp to 165 *F, the quicker the mash will convert since alpha amylase is just quicker than beta amylase. BUT the higher temps may not give you the fermentability that you are after.

You may try to shorten your mashes to 30 min when using mostly pale or pilsner malt and see what attenuation you start getting. When you brew the next time, keep the mash at 30 min and adjust your temps accordingly.

I need the long mash to heat the sparge water and have some down-time.

Kai

 

[raceskier]

I guess I'm subhuman too.

I start the clock when I go out and open the garage door. I do overlap everything as has been mentioned. Water heating is pretty quick with a 20 psi regulator on my BC turkey fryer. I generally have been doing a 60 minute mash, 10 minute mashout and batch sparge. I haven't been heating the first runoff until the batch sparge has run, as I have been recording the gravity from the total runoff to monitor my mash efficiency. I clean the mash tun and sanitize all of the post boil hardware during the boil. I start all my accessory cleanup during the wort runoff through the chiller. By the time I have the brewpot rinsed out and everything in the kitchen sink soaking in Oxyclean, I've been right at 7 hours.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

7 hrs!?!? <runs off screaming into the hills>

I've done back-to-back 5 gal AG brews in 5.5 hrs.

If every brew day took 7 hrs, that might be a deal breaker for me.

 

[Wables]

My 5 gallon batches are usually just under 4 hours. I finally got my 10 gallon 2 tier keggle system up and running. My first batch on friday was 5 hours, but I can probably cut out another 15 minutes or so once I learn my new system.

 

[HarvInSTL]

It will affect how fermentable the wort is. If I was making BMC then I'd leave it 90 minutes but I like malty brews. One of the reasons for mashing out is to stop the wort becoming too fermentable.

I realy think that 45 minutes is more than adequate and you can reduce this further.

So you are saying that a 30min mash @ 152 is contains just as much fermentable wort as a 60min mash @ 152?

 

[SuperiorBrew]

About 5 hours for a 10G batch if things go good, 5 1/2 if there are any bumps in the road.

 

[paulthenurse]

It takes me more time to do an AG than it does to do an EF, by a considerable amount. Unless you factor in the time spent negotiating, then it evens up.

PTN

 

[Soulive]

It takes me more time to do an AG than it does to do an EF, by a considerable amount. Unless you factor in the time spent negotiating, then it evens up.

PTN

Yeah, but the cleanup is quicker with AG than EF. I try not to rush EF, whereas sometimes I only have a small window to AG...

 

[discgolfin]

I am usually in the 4 to 5 hr range for average size 5 gallon beers. I did do a RIS at 1.12 OG the other day ALL Grain!! I had 14 gallons pre boil that I boiled down to just under 6 gallons. This took all day but it was fun. I had three pots boiling away at about 15% boil off rate this was a long brew day. It will be so worth it in about 10 months(or more)

Jay

 

[Evan!]

Sanitizing is more of a pain in the ass with EF, you gotta admit. The last thing you want is an infection.

 

[Soulive]

Sanitizing is more of a pain in the ass with EF, you gotta admit. The last thing you want is an infection.

Definitely. I also recommend having keg lube on hand for EF...

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Well, it's a pain in someone's ass, anyway.





Hey, wasn't this thread about how long AG takes???

 

[Desert_Sky]

I avg right around 3.5-4 hours. Right now it's more on the 3.5 hour side being that the ground water is so much cooler than during the heat of summer.

 

[TexLaw]

It depends on what I'm doing. For a single infusion mash, it's about 4-5 hours. For decoction, 6-8 hours. I'm not a robobrewer, by any stretch.


TL

 

[boo boo]

Takes me 5 to 6 hours. I try not to make it a race, rather I enjoy it and miss it once it is done.

BTW Orfy, that picture you posted showing Iodine and grain.... looks like there is a lot of uncrushed grain there. But I was wrong ONCE before

 

[newguy]

well I've only done 3 AG batchs thus far but my last I had down to about 4 hours 15 min. I felt that was pretty fast compared to my last couple 6 hour AG beasts

 

[LostDakota]

Today, first AG, 10:15am light burners for mash water. Lid on at 2:00pm.
Little let than 4 hours. I'm stoked!

 

[Bombo80]

I brewed a batch of stout on Sat., with a 13.5# grain bill. Here is the time schedule I ended up with:

30 minutes heat mash water - 4.5 gal. (crush malt at this time)
10 minutes stir in water, thoroughly
30 minutes rest - 126*
30 minutes raise to mash temp - 156*
60 minutes rest as mash temp (checked at 30 min)
heating sparge water during mash rest - 5 gal.
30 minutes raise to mash out temp - 168*
90 minutes sparge (should have been less - snafu - 1 pint per minute draw off instead of 1 quart per minute)
120 minute boil - needed this amount of time to reduced volume to 5 gal.
20 minutes cool & pitch yeast (1.063 SG)
------------------------------
grand total of 7 hours

I guess if I drop the protein rest and go right to 155* for the mash temp, correct my sparge time (figure about an hour regardless), and only have a 60 minute boil, that would get me into that 4 - 5 hour slot.

Not sure about my efficiency yet.

 

[slnies]

Here is my two cents. Length of time all graining is all about how and what you want to brew. For a lot of ale's a 30 mash is most likely good. For a Wheat bier some suggest a protein rest. So, a step mash is in order, this takes longer. And if you want to brew high gravity, then multiple mashes or lots of boil time are the plan of the day, unless you cheat a little and add extract. I think you get the picture. I tend to think that the time I spend all Graining is time well spent and enjoyed. So have fun and don't worry about the time just plan ahead and have a good time. S.

 

[kladue]

With the old steam injection system it takes about 4 hours to finish of cleanup for 6 gallon batch with 13.5Lb grain bill. It takes about 60 seconds to hit strike water temp at boiler outlet from cold start, and about 6 minutes to have strike water ready in mash tun.

10 Min fill water tank and heat strike water
5 Min Dough In
45 Min Conversion rest
45 Min Sparge/fill boil kettle and heat to boiling at end of sparge
1 Hr Boil
10 Min Cool& O2 injection
1 Hr Cleanup and sanitize CFC

Step mashing for 60+ percent wheat beers

10 Min fill water tank and heat strike water
5 Min Dough In
10 Min Protien rest@130 F
11 Min Step to conversion@154 F
30 Min Conversion rest
45 Min Sparge/fill boil kettle and heat to boiling at end of sparge
1 Hr Boil
10 Min Cool& O2 injection
1 Hr Cleanup and sanitize CFC

 

[BierMuncher]

My best time was 4 hours 5 minutes on 10 gallons. Helps to have two burners and two propane tanks.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i did one in 6 hours last night, including prep time and clean-up and a 90 minute boil.

my fastest AG session yet. i think i could probably do it in 5 no problem, but i like to take my time if i have it.

i'm getting better at preheating water and cleaning/sanitizing/preparing while i'm mashing, boiling, etc.

 

[KatoKiyo]

My last batch clocked in at just under 5 hours including clean up time... I was pretty pleased!

 

[Brewsmith]

I usually start the clock when I get equipment out of the garage and stop it when everything is clean. For normal brews I can get this in 5 hours.