I've only done a couple batches since I got back into brewing, but I read a ton here before I started and tried to incorporate the elements that seemed to be consistent.
My routine (both NEIPAs) was to get my starter going about 3 days before brew, cold crashing it for 24 hours before I begin brewing. I pull it out of the fridge the day I'm brewing to get to room temp.
I brew, chill, and pitch. Ferment at 65 (WY1318 for both batches) and it's been 80% done in 72 hours, which is when I do my first dry hop. After 3 more days the fermentation appears done and, by measurement, has been done. I drop the second round of dry hops when I take that reading. I bump the temp up to 70, let the yeast clean up and the dry hops sit for 5 days, do a 48 hour cold crash to 38 degrees and and keg.
This routine has been like clockwork. I think having the starter and ferm temp control makes it pretty consistent. I could cut down the times a bit, but it works out to a 2 week cycle so I'm doing the time consuming parts (brewing, kegging/cleanup) on weekends.
This is a far cry from when I brewed in the 90's with extract and dumping dry yeast directly into the wort. That was always at least 3 weeks of fermentation, then bottling and another 3 weeks of bottle conditioning. Now I'm drinking beer in 17 days and that's conservative. It could be less.
