What do you like to do while mashing?

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Beerbeque

Beerbeque

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I usually brew on Sundays. I like to nap while mashing sometimes but often I start smoking a rack of ribs and/or bottle my previous batch... and drink beer too. How do you like to spend the mash hour?
 
Last time I decided to nap during the mash it was a late night/early morning brew session. I woke up 5.5 hours later, got great efficiency on that brew! :D

As for what I usually do, I measure out hops, clean up, take care of kids, surf, do chores, and sometimes go to the store to pick up something I forgot like ice!
 
sit there and stare at it...... :)

I spend the time organizing for the rest of the brew day and sanitizing everything for after the boil and cool down
 
Either running around like mad because I didn't prepare other things ahead of time, or slacking too much and ending up mashing longer than I need. My procedures were different for the last 7+ batches so I haven't settled into something yet. I've been doing no-sparge so I'd use a little of my time to measure and heat mashout water but otherwise I'm also concentrating on making sure the boil kettle, burner, propane, thermometer, hops, whirlfloc, yeast nutrient, timer, ..... is ready. I'd clean/sanitize equipment during the mash if I had extra time to kill.
 
I tried smoking ribs but they wouldn't fit in my pipe. Seriously I spend my time trying to remember what the hell I forgot to do this time.
 
I usually go make another Irish coffee and look over my check list. I always start heating up my sparge water with 15 mins left in the mash.
 
+1 for Bernie, Baum and lumpher. Even though I got fantastic price on a group buy, 12 pounds of grain is nothing to screw up for no reason.
But while I am boiling/cooling off, I like to clean up what I can. I have the start to finish thing down to about 5 hours.
Today's batch is almost ready to pitch the yeast. Just got to remember to take the O.G. I have placed the hydrometer on top of the fermenter so I have less chance of forgetting, although this strategy has failed in the past! :)
 
I get set up for the sparge. If I have no other beer duties i.e. kegging, washing, cleaning. I grab a nice cold one. Then I either chit-chat with SWMBO or make something to eat.
 
unless I'm mashing really low for attenuation, I only let it rest for 20 minutes or so. Not much time to do anything other than measure out water and put it on to heat, and maybe dig out a few supplies, some sanitizer, fermentors, etc.
 
Get the sparge water warming, hops prepped, check the temp on my Big Green Egg (usually BBQ at the same time), then play some MW2 until the timer rings.
 
I BIAB, so I monitor the mash temp and get the sparge water going, and drink homebrew. coffee is a great idea. i might have to try that too!
 
I spend my time wondering why the hell I didn't think of trying this when I was 15. You don't need to be 21 to buy any one component for the process, but beer happens at the end.

However, at 15 we didn't have the patience, know-how, or the Internet to teach us how to do all this. More importantly, our parents would have definitely wanted to know what the hell a giant glass bottle filled with gunk was doing sitting in the closet.

This is one of the many reasons my wife and I don't want to have kids... especially if Dad's brewing every weekend. They'll figure it out.
 
I did two simultaneous batches today. With 30 minute mashes for each (I have 2 propane burners, but just the one mash tun). Let me tell ya, there's ZERO downtime when you've got two batches going 30 minutes apart. There's ALWAYS something to clean up, put away, take the temperature, measure something out, etc. It's about 4 hours of continuous effort.
 
When I'm mashing, I like to pour an ice cold Coors Light and tap The Rockies! I know it's cold because those Rockies turn blue. After that i like to to give a toast to world peace and reflect on my day and the many joys of saying "decoction" over and over until i'm only focusing on the "coc".


Or I measure hops and other $h1t.
 
talk about brewing process with my newb brewing buddy over a few beers! (and stir every 15min.
If I'm solo watch tv... stir on commercial breaks .
 
WilliamstonBrew said:
I spend my time wondering why the hell I didn't think of trying this when I was 15. You don't need to be 21 to buy any one component for the process, but beer happens at the end.

However, at 15 we didn't have the patience, know-how, or the Internet to teach us how to do all this. More importantly, our parents would have definitely wanted to know what the hell a giant glass bottle filled with gunk was doing sitting in the closet.

This is one of the many reasons my wife and I don't want to have kids... especially if Dad's brewing every weekend. They'll figure it out.
Click to expand...

Actually, i started brewing @ 15 (28 now) for a science project. My mom had to buy the stuff for me, the guy @ the lhbs looked like he wanted to call the cops or something. My partner in crime made wine. Our teacher was actually really proud of us. My first brew was a newcastle clone! While mashing, I always get my sparge water heated and hop schedule down pat. By this time i'm drunk, so i write everything down:)

First Post, BTW
 
samc said:
I tried smoking ribs but they wouldn't fit in my pipe. Seriously I spend my time trying to remember what the hell I forgot to do this time.
Click to expand...

ya need a sanke pipe...

giant-pipe.jpg


Pipe%20Accident.jpg
 
Coffee and breakfast. i like my brewdays to be done by noon or 1, so I'll usually be mashed in by about 7am, with enough time for me to cook bacon & eggs, make coffee, and measure my boil additions.
 
I measure the sparge water then take a nap. I usually brew after work, so this short nap is very rejuvenating.
 
I keg the batch i brewed 4 weeks ago while mashing.
Then I rack the batch I made 2 weeks while boiling.
I drink from the batches I made 6 and 8 weeks ago the whole damn time.
 

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