Shift to all grain

[markcurling]

Dear fellow brewers,

Having brewed kits for a few years and then had a couple of years away from brewing, I have recently made a come back and made my first two all grain beers. The help and support I got from this forum was extremely useful, and while the first batch is not ready for tasting for at least another week, the samples I have tried have all been extremely promising!

Anyway, having tackled most of the difficulties of the shift from kit to all grain, I am still finding one problem in making the change, and am hoping that some of you may be able to offer some insight.

When making kit beers a few years ago, I felt it only good and proper to consume the odd beer or two whilst brewing the kits. This made for a very enjoyable and productive hobby. Now, I naturally assumed this process should be transferred when making the shift to all grain. The problem I am running into is that now, given the mashing, lautering, boiling, cooling and other time-intensive steps, by the time I come to pitch the yeast, I am completely and utterly trolleyed. Has anybody else suffered similar difficulties and willing to offer any solutions?

All the best,
Mark

 

[nootay]

Ha, this makes me laugh. I did my first all grain yesterday. A buddy came over and helped along the way. I think we each had 3 or 4 beers. We played xbox in the "sitting" time and cleaned up along the way as well. Oddly, i think having someone there kept me from drinking too many beers. If it were just me doing the entire process, i can see myself setting out on the deck just drinking one after another. Maybe try having someone else around, and find something else to do in the downtimes of brewing. Alternatively, keep on doing what youre doing and eventually youll have a bigger tolerance for your brew days. Either way, just enjoy yourself.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Mee!! Me too!!!

I've gotten over it now and understand how to pace myself, but yeah, those first few AG batches....A time when I should be careful and learning stuff....Always paralytic drunk and could never remember pitching the yeast. The beer fairies always helped me out and finished the brew for me, but yeah. The drinking while brewing thing is definitely another element that needs to be addressed when making the switch.

 

[Pappers_]

I love the word "trolleyed" - now is it trolley-ed or troll-eyed?

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I love the word "trolleyed" - now is it trolley-ed or troll-eyed?

Trolleyed as in "Off his trolley" (Which means crazy) Hope that helps. Trolleyed just means "Pissed as a newt."

 

[passedpawn]

I start brewing at sun-up and drink nothing but coffee during. I like my beer, but I just can't crack one open before noon (camping/canoe trips are a big exception here).

 

[wreals]

When I'm brewing by myself, I don't drink anything, except water or coffee. There is too much hot water, heavy equipment and gear to clean or put away or sanitize.

Now, if people are over, it's a whole different story but wife does still shoot me the odd glance when I crack open the kegerator, at 7am, on a Sunday.

 

[markcurling]

When I'm brewing by myself, I don't drink anything, except water or coffee. There is too much hot water, heavy equipment and gear to clean or put away or sanitize.

I find a few beers helps take my mind off the imminent electrocution risk of my current set up

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I find a few beers helps take my mind off the imminent electrocution risk of my current set up

Getting blotto is definitely the cure for a 240V enema. :cross:

 

[azscoob]

My first beer while homebrewing is poured when pitching the yeast, maybe when chilling the wort if its been a long day, but never when the brewing starts, I get distracted too easily to be drinking when I need to be focused on the task at hand.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

My first beer while homebrewing is poured when pitching the yeast, maybe when chilling the wort if its been a long day, but never when the brewing starts, I get distracted too easily to be drinking when I need to be focused on the task at hand.

I am both a committed homebrewer and a committed beer drinker. To make me choose one over the other in any given circumstance would be akin to asking me to have sex without a woody, or to have a woody without sex. Anything in between is just really awkward masturbation.