I thought, I'll open the spreadsheet and put some numbers in. Next I knew, I had the mash on. Then I got a phonecall from the airport, my daughter's plane's delayed I have to go pick her up. I get there and find out I'm taking her friend home too. oh sure it's no problem, it's why I exist. I did have plans to reheat during the mash, but it started a bit high - 67. It's 6:30 at night and 10 degrees celcius under the pergola. I wrapped it and went out. By the time I'd got back it had dropped to 65 - perfect! Even a half batch is such a giant mash, it holds it's temperature. I am a three-vessel brewer, I tend to make 12litre batches, I found the "voile" and that's all I needed. I have been too busy to read anything or watch anything about how to do it. I got the strikewater good, I pushed the voile into the corners with my spoon and poured in the grain. My gods! A wet wet mash! Anyway I was pretty happy to find 70 minutes later I was at 65 degrees. I hadn't planned to use a rope, but I'd parked us under the pergola just in case. I gathered up the voile corners and lifted, and held, and said "I need a rope". A minute later I snapped the picture. I no-chilled, so by 9.30 I was cleaned up and farting into the couch. You can see my 10 litre cube over on the left. I do a hairy, post whirlpool hot wort siphon transfer into it, and that's my whole process.
So that was the easiest brew I've ever done. One vessel is so simple, you get a lot of control, which gives you a lot of time to be prepared and not screw up. If anyone is wondering if brewing is expensive, you basically are looking at my whole setup now (plus a fermenter). This makes wort production so basic, I feel ready now to start the other stuff like open fermentation. Thanks for the calculator!
Richard
. (Lol on the daughter 
).
).
