When is it time to brew a new brew?

[detz]

Just looking for what other people do. Do you get sick of beers and start a new one, do you run dry, do you time it out so you have one ready?

It sucks only have to taps, if I brew something that isn't great I'm stuck with it for 2 months so I better hope the other one is great. I'm thinking of starting a new one every two weeks and bottling if there is no room on tap.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Brew it, keg it, carb it & start drinking, brew another and let it sit til the kegs empty or I get bored if its awful, and repeat.

 

[poptarts]

Brew smaller batches if you want more turnover.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Since I *only* bottle right now, I start a new batch every 2-3 weeks... that is when I notice I am running low on previous batches. So for 2-3 months I'll be brewing (what I consider) non-stop, then for 2 months or so I'll take a break.

I use that break time to taste and research how I can adjust previous batches, or I will research a brand new recipe/style I want to try. Though I have a mountain of bottles so I really could brew 8 5-gallon batches in a row and still have a few spare bottles left over... I think I have too many bottles. I will mix in smaller batch sizes of higher gravity styles so I can put down a couple bottles of these to let age.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

3 weeks before the one you have runs out!

 

[jekeane]

I have made enough good beer that I don't force myself to drink my bad beers. Unless it is a beer that might benefit from age I don't let it take up space in my fridge.

 

[detz]

Brew it, keg it, carb it & start drinking, brew another and let it sit til the kegs empty or I get bored if its awful, and repeat.

I don't have the space to store them cold which is what you should do, right?

I have made enough good beer that I don't force myself to drink my bad beers. Unless it is a beer that might benefit from age I don't let it take up space in my fridge.

So you dump it?

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I don't have the space to store them cold which is what you should do, right?




So you dump it?

If you properly purge and transfer without introducing oxygen you can store kegs at room temperature. You can pressurize them and read the charts for getting it to equilibrium and proper carbonation levels for style at room temperatures. You can even keg condition and carbonate it with priming sugar like you would do when you bottle and just let them sit at room temp (sort of like a huge 5 gallon steel bottle).

 

[Onkel_Udo]

You can also bottle from the keg and set them aside if you desire.

No issues with storing warm if you kegs are clean and you did not aerate the wort.

 

[Owly055]

I brew 2.5 or 3 gallons once a week at least. I have my brewing system down to where I can do a complete brew in under 3 hours, and do it while I'm doing other things. I recently bought a Tap-a-Draft system which uses 1.5 gallon PET bottles that lay down in the fridge with a tap that screws to the top. They are designed for CO2 cartridges, but I force carb the bottles from my shop CO2 bottle, and use a paint ball tank for serving pressure. It's a simple system that works great for me. I often bottle condition part of a brew, and I sometimes also tap some into 1L EzCap flip top Grolsch type bottles for sharing. I pressure these up from the big bottle after tapping to "enhance" the carbonation a bit. I also force carbonate a few growlers (ordinary glass growlers) at about 20 psi...... for sharing.

This means I get to brew more often....... It means I get more variety........ At the moment I have a "steam beer", an ordinary ale, and a saison in the fermenters. I have a lightly soured saison on deck along with my Calliente Whoop Ass IPA, and a Mosaic Lawnmower beer. In bottles, I have a red lager called RAT (Red Ahtanum), a Zythos Pale Ale, and a dark I call Dragline Dark (an array of American Hops). I also have two varieties of my Hibiscus Wedding Lager in bottles.

I have resisted getting regular large kegs so far....... the Tap-a-Draft system will lay down on the second shelf of my fridge. When they come up with a 2 or 2.5 gallon corny with a with a small diameter that will lay down. The system I have seems to be as reliable and simple interim solution. I have no intention of increasing brew size.


H.W.

 

[brewcat]

Timing. How much of the keg gets emptied in two weeks to a month. Allows you to ferment in the weeks before the keg is gone. Smaller batches would be a good option. Or bottle some beers and only keg ones that you want on tap.

 

[detz]

Could I keg 2.5G and bottle the rest right from the fermentor? Say, fill the keg up first and then what's rest bottle? Maybe use bomber bottles so it's easier? What issues would I have with that? I guess smaller batches makes sense but since I mostly buy kits it would be hard to split it.

 

[bobeer]

Could I keg 2.5G and bottle the rest right from the fermentor? Say, fill the keg up first and then what's rest bottle? Maybe use bomber bottles so it's easier? What issues would I have with that? I guess smaller batches makes sense but since I mostly buy kits it would be hard to split it.

No issues at all with that. Just make sure you get the priming solution right for your bottled half.

If you have a brew shop around you don't have to buy kits. Just get some recipes, or make your own, and then rack half to the keg and bottle the other half. I do it when I split a batch with a friend. He doesn't have kegs so we keg my half and bottle his half. Works great!

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

I will only keg something I know I will easily finish. Learned that the hard way when it took me several months to kick a 5gal keg of Belgian Trippel, which held up my supply line. I like Belgians, just not 5 gallons at a time, so along with a few other styles Belgians are now strictly bottle-only. Pale ale's and IPAs are always welcome in the kegs at my place.

 

[steveoatley]

I try to have a beer ready, when a keg is about to kick
So I only have to clean the keg once, and rack right into it.

But,
Don't be afraid to pour out a beer you do not like - contrary to belief - it is not a sin to pour out a beer you don't like - or one your friends won't drink.

Painters will paint over a canvass they do not like

You could always bottle a few for posterity, and get that keg empty sooner.....

my 2 cents
That and another $1.35 will get you a cup of coffee at Md's
S