What do you hate most about brew day?

Williams 728
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Clarke said:
I hate gathering up my stuff to brew, I have a piece here and a piece there and where did I put that other piece again? It was just in my hand..., and I seem to lose stuff right as I need it.

My world is peaceful, daughter minding her business, wife doing her thing, dog sleeping, UNTIL I START TO BREW then it is chaos. Daughter wants to help (she is 3), wife wants me to do something or I am in her way, dog becomes my best friend. I have even waited for them all to leave just for them to come right back in mid mash or boil get my help with something. Needless to say I have never had a brew day go right, and I am used to it, I love it all...

I also find waiting on the beer to condition to be the hardest.

-edit- the best, nice sunny day when I start then it rains...
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Ditto. It's all the interruptions while brewing. Son: "Dad, can you take me surfing?" Me: "I can drop you off once I start to mash, and can pick you up 1 to 1/2 hours later. But, if you miss that window, I can't get you until after the boil, chill and transfer to the fermenter." Son: "What?"

Given the amount of waiting around brewing entails, my wife and kids can't understand why I can't do errands or drop them off/pick them up in the middle of brewing. I have to explain to them that I don't want to leave a propane burner burnning without being there and that alot of brewing is a matter of timing.

The other thing I don't like about brewing is waiting to see what my recipe actually tastes like........ 6 weeks + after brewing it. By then, I've forgotten what I made.
 
It's a hobby...there isn't supposed to be anything to hate about it. If you have a "hate" about it, then change your approach....take pride in accomplishing the cleaning, of making that pot shine again, of watching clear water flow through a plate chiller, of putting something to look forward to in a fermenter, keg or bottle, of cleaning things so you have something to look forward to....
Maybe it's just me, but even after 15 years, I still get a thrill out of making this magic work....and continually tweaking and improving. The challenges are just too many to get bogged down in some detail that is required to do a good job.

I guess I should have named by brews Pollyanna Brewing :)
 
chezhed said:
It's a hobby...there isn't supposed to be anything to hate about it. If you have a "hate" about it, then change your approach....take pride in accomplishing the cleaning, of making that pot shine again, of watching clear water flow through a plate chiller, of putting something to look forward to in a fermenter, keg or bottle, of cleaning things so you have something to look forward to....
Maybe it's just me, but even after 15 years, I still get a thrill out of making this magic work....and continually tweaking and improving. The challenges are just too many to get bogged down in some detail that is required to do a good job.

I guess I should have named by brews Pollyanna Brewing :)
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I think hate is just a relative term, I don't think any of use actually "hate" we are all just talking freely about a hobby we love and the parts that go a little crazy, I am sure if there was true hate none of us would be having fun with this discussion
 
chezhed said:
It's a hobby...there isn't supposed to be anything to hate about it. If you have a "hate" about it, then change your approach....take pride in accomplishing the cleaning, of making that pot shine again, of watching clear water flow through a plate chiller, of putting something to look forward to in a fermenter, keg or bottle, of cleaning things so you have something to look forward to....
Maybe it's just me, but even after 15 years, I still get a thrill out of making this magic work....and continually tweaking and improving. The challenges are just too many to get bogged down in some detail that is required to do a good job.

I guess I should have named by brews Pollyanna Brewing :)
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lol you're allowed to hate certain aspects of a hobby.
 
chezhed said:
I'm pretty much in agreement with this...over the years, I've made the same kind of improvements. And now it's even better because I have access to instant hot water and sink in the garage. My three tier brew stand is on wheels so I just roll it out the garage door with everything hanging off it and set up some folding tables for stuff......damn things..if I pinch my fingers one more time :cross: ......
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I put my stand on wheels too, it's two-tier because I lack height in my 1926 garage-built-for-model T's. I even made it long enough to put the propane bottle on the end so all I have to do is twist the valve on brewday. My workbench gives my my space to keep my hop additions, irish moss, etc, and the "grain room" is a small store room at the front end of the garage. Would love to have your sink...

All this had enabled me to do double brew days! I can do a 12 gallon batch in 5 hours, start to end....I can do a double day, one 12 gal and one 6 gal in about 8-1/2.....but I am beat at the end.
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Sounds about right - I'm sitting at 5 hours on brews with short mash times and 60 minute boils, 6 if I need to do a protein rest or low temp mash and a 90 minute boil. The double day coming up is an American Amber and an American Brown, so I'll use your 8.5 as a benchmark to shoot for! :mug:

One think I always thought I wanted but turned out I don't is company on brew day. My wife will pop her head in once in a while, but having someone come by and hang out tends to stop me from multitasking, and I end up doing all the cleaning at then end, which I don't enjoy as much - something about cleaning on a deadline (ie: gotta get the MLT done before the second hop addition) helps me make a tedious job less so.
 
Black Island Brewer said:
One think I always thought I wanted but turned out I don't is company on brew day. My wife will pop her head in once in a while, but having someone come by and hang out tends to stop me from multitasking, and I end up doing all the cleaning at then end, which I don't enjoy as much - something about cleaning on a deadline (ie: gotta get the MLT done before the second hop addition) helps me make a tedious job less so.
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I have had good results with friends over. Turns out I do almost everything and a whole lot of talking, but they never seem to impede my progress. Then again since I am an indoor brewer space is quite limited and I can't clean my tun when my bathtub is full of wort pots. LOL. That just sounds ridiculous. I suppose I could clean it out while the boil is happening, but usually I'm too busy measuring out hops and timing additions.
 
I brew inside on my stove, so I'm going to say the fact that the boil turns my kitchen into a blazing inferno. It's irritating in the winter and overbearing in the summer.
 
chezhed said:
It's a hobby...there isn't supposed to be anything to hate about it. If you have a "hate" about it, then change your approach.... :)
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Unfortunately most things come with a compromise: I love scuba diving but hate sunburns, love making woopy but hate cuddling, love fishing but hate mosquito bites...................


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
I hate when you get all set up and prepare yourself for brew day and when you wake up its really WINDY! The wind can make an otherwise awesome brew day very frustrating. Especially when using the propane burner. You have to constantly watch it in case the flame blows out. I miss having an attached garage. My garage now is across a parking lot and has no water nearby. Not worth carrying everything back and forth.
 
I live in the city so brew at my parents most of the time, for me it's the hectic nature of having equipment in two places going back and forth on brew day means I am unsettled most of the day because I am rushing around getting there and prepping, hurrying to clean and then transporting home. The only positive I see on my imminent move to the suburbs is having a dedicated brew area
 
Being new to brewing, there's nothing I hate more than not making enough time for brewing, not having enough fermenters, or having empty fermenters. Started in January and brewing batch 7 this week.
 
1 - Worrying if I have enough propane

2 - Cleaning

3 - Brewing in the late PM/dark. Totally crappy experience and I won't do it anymore.
 
UWDawg13 said:
Being new to brewing, there's nothing I hate more than not making enough time for brewing, not having enough fermenters, or having empty fermenters. Started in January and brewing batch 7 this week.
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I read that as "brewing 7 batches this week" the first time :)
 
grathan said:
No a keggle. I take a metal scrubbie and quickly hit the trouble spots. Dump it in compost outside garage door, rinse with garden hose and flip over to dry.
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What about various measuring implements, starter jar / flask, tubing, mash tun, paddle?
UWDawg13 said:
Being new to brewing, there's nothing I hate more than not making enough time for brewing, not having enough fermenters, or having empty fermenters. Started in January and brewing batch 7 this week.
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Don't worry. Soon your problem will be like mine. Looking at 4 1/2 * fermenters of beer and realizing you've got about 2 fermenters worth of bottles left empty.

* One batch went oversize because I was getting good dark wort and couldn't bring myself to stop the sparge. Moral of the story: have an extra fermenter kicking around on brew day.
 
Besides cleaning, I hate wasting an incredible amount of water while running the immersion chiller. Allows and gallons. I need to develop a system...
 
Last night I filled my party tub (swamp cooler) and 4 homer buckets. Still used more water than that but I used all the homer buckets for cleaning. And the party tub for my fermenter.
 
For today: The mash went slow. Wasn't doing anything special. Just seemed to take forever.

Oh, and the rain. It's been cold & drizzling all day.
 
Cleaning. That is the single reason I don't have a brewery yet. Unless I hire someone to do that...;)
 
Zepth said:
What about various measuring implements, starter jar / flask, tubing, mash tun, paddle?
kicking around on brew day.
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starter flask - throw in the dishwasher, magnet bar gets quick water rinse.

measuring implements - I wipe the refractomter with a rag as used. Honestly I might stop using this anyways. I have a 500 ct box of dispoable pippets. Though I usually just dip in water and reuse a single one. I don't use anything else.

Tubing - Garden hose has attachment to hook to end of tube. blast water back through 2 tubes and pump into kettle.

Mash paddle - This ends up in the kettle. It's a large metal spoon that gets hit with the same metal scrubbie as the kettle and rinsed the same time. Same with the Immersion chiller.

I don't mean literally 40 seconds total, but I certainly could do it if that was the focus. The key is placement and minimal footsteps from start/end of use to storage location with a spot to rinse close by. For example a sink with a rack above it right next to your kettle in a dedicated brew area.
 
I saw a guy say he captures wort chiller water in buckets/carboys and uses it in the laundry washer to wash loads of clothes.

Thought that was a brilliant idea.
 
Hook it up to an ice bath and use a cheap pond pump attached to the IC. Put the return in the pumps tub and recycle the water.
 
After my first brew of the year yesterday I have to say by far clean up is the worst. Yesterday was doubly tedious as it was the first day with my new system which incorporates a pump, therminator and about 20' of silicone tubing with cam locks. I'm still not sure how I'm cleaning the pump but I did remove the therminator and soak it in PBW afterwards. Every time I flushed it I had little hop particles coming out, and I must have flushed it 10 times!

When I first started brewing last year I always enjoyed sipping a few beers while brewing. I think that has to end as my tenacity for cleaning seems to slip appreciatively with every beer. :drunk:
 
bondra76 said:
I saw a guy say he captures wort chiller water in buckets/carboys and uses it in the laundry washer to wash loads of clothes.

Thought that was a brilliant idea.
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I've also hear of folks saving the water to wash the dishes and for flushing toilets. Some folks use that water to clean brewing equipment. The water could also be used for fresh PBW and Starsan buckets as well.

I have a plastic 55 gallon barrel that I took home from work. I'm considering installing a drain valve and cheap pump for watering the lawn. I just need to figure out how to treat it to prevent mosquitoes.
 
donovanmaxwell said:
I've also hear of folks saving the water to wash the dishes and for flushing toilets. Some folks use that water to clean brewing equipment. The water could also be used for fresh PBW and Starsan buckets as well.

I have a plastic 55 gallon barrel that I took home from work. I'm considering installing a drain valve and cheap pump for watering the lawn. I just need to figure out how to treat it to prevent mosquitoes.
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Screen door mesh over the opening to keep the mosquitoes out. My drums have a lid with a small opening that I have a mesh screen over.
 
bondra76 said:
1 - Worrying if I have enough propane

2 - Cleaning

3 - Brewing in the late PM/dark. Totally crappy experience and I won't do it anymore.
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The solution to number 1 is to buy a second tank and to get empty tanks fill promptly. If you end up with two empty tanks, there's no point in having the second.
 
I strongly dislike the clean up. Everything else is great fun.

I have 3 kids and a wife, and an otherwise pretty busy life, so the time spent mashing/sparging, plus clean up is just too much. I've switched to extract brewing on most days simply because I don't have time to spend the whole day brewing. Now I spend 2 hours. 3 at most. Less control over the brew, but it still turns out well.
 
Toilet Rocker said:
Besides cleaning, I hate wasting an incredible amount of water while running the immersion chiller. Allows and gallons. I need to develop a system...
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I water the garden with the water. Garden needs to be watered anyway. I need to get a longer hose, so I run it all the way out there instead of filling pots and carrying the water to the garden.
 
I detest stove-top boiling. I brew outside at friends and family every chance i get!

I have been, and will be an urban dwelling apt monkey for...well, likely ever lol. I've looked into the heat sticks and induction burners and i unfortunately don't have the appropriate receptacles to currently use them. Hopefully my next apt will have something more accommodating.
 
This is going slightly off topic but I've noticed a few posters drink beer while brewing. I don't understand. I mean I don't eat when I cook, why on earth would I drink while brewing? I don't think that's a good idea while being around boiling wort and open flames. Now once the brew day is over then I'll happily have a home brew.... after five. PM!:D
 
Daphne-weizen said:
This is going slightly off topic but I've noticed a few posters drink beer while brewing. I don't understand. I mean I don't eat when I cook, why on earth would I drink while brewing? I don't think that's a good idea while being around boiling wort and open flames. Now once the brew day is over then I'll happily have a home brew.... after five. PM!:D
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What do you mean you don't eat when you're cooking?

"Doo doo doo, I'm just cutting this cheese for my dish, and NOPE - not gonna try a small piece. Making this sauce, humm de dumm, NOPE - not gonna taste it. Cutting this bread, humm de ho, NOPE - can't try a piece!"

Seriously? It's like 1-2, or 3 beers over the course of 4 hours. No biggie.
 
Daphne-weizen said:
This is going slightly off topic but I've noticed a few posters drink beer while brewing. I don't understand. I mean I don't eat when I cook, why on earth would I drink while brewing? I don't think that's a good idea while being around boiling wort and open flames. Now once the brew day is over then I'll happily have a home brew.... after five. PM!:D
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When i brew i'll have one - three beers... that usually last over 5 hours or so lol. No risk of intoxication unless you're (not you specifically, you know) a *******! I agree... pounding beers while using a propane burner with boiling wort... not good.
 
I had a hard time with this. Like most people, on brew day itself cleaning isn't my favorite. I am not a fan of packaging day whether it is kegging or bottling a few beers off a keg, but after thinking about it long and hard I figured it out.

What I hate most about brew day is when my wife asks "Where are you at in the process? Oh you just mashed in, so you have time to (insert chore or errand here) for me?" THAT is the thing I dread most on brew day.
 
grathan said:
I think I spend all of 40 seconds cleaning on a 6 hour brewday so I am gonna go with managing boil time. I think I got ADD when it comes to standing over the kettle for that long so I constantly walk away and do other things. I cringe at recipes with lots of hop additions.
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Oh you mean like the DogFish Head 90minute clone I did? Every 3 minutes I was adding hops... For 90 minutes...


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Daphne-weizen said:
This is going slightly off topic but I've noticed a few posters drink beer while brewing. I don't understand. I mean I don't eat when I cook, why on earth would I drink while brewing? I don't think that's a good idea while being around boiling wort and open flames. Now once the brew day is over then I'll happily have a home brew.... after five. PM!:D
Click to expand...

I had a friend over during a brew session. We had beers, we laughed we cried, we brewed beer, we let the hose fall out of the fermenter and lost half my volume before realizing it... Now I'll have no friends over and only 2-3 beers total.... Until after ;)





____________________________
Primary: Cider
Primary: Kölsch
 

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