Just been thinking of ways I can save a bit of time on my Brewdays. I'm pretty organised prior to starting and use Solar Hot Water to reduce heating times but even then I find it a good 5 - 6 hour process from start to finish. (Including cleaning up) I use an immersion chiller so that also takes a bit of time.
I know its not considered ideal but as time is an issue for me today, I've decided to stop the Mash at 75 minutes, raise the bag and bring my kettle to mash out temp. It's going to take a good 20 minutes to get to Mash temp so in theory the grain is still in contact with the water for over 90 mins as the bag is still in the kettle just raised slightly to stop it burning.
Is this a terribly idea / practice to use longer term?
Anyone have any other good time saving tips I might be able to use?
Post #2 made 9 years ago
Bundy, It is better to leave the grains in the kettle until mash-out, as the density of the Wort is lower at Higher Temperatures.
The lower Density allows a faster drain from the Bag.
Also a longer Mash, will give you a higher S.G.
Another way to save an hour or more is to NO-CHILL, either using a "Cube" or leaving the Wort Cool over night in the Kettle.
The lower Density allows a faster drain from the Bag.
Also a longer Mash, will give you a higher S.G.
Another way to save an hour or more is to NO-CHILL, either using a "Cube" or leaving the Wort Cool over night in the Kettle.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #3 made 9 years ago
[Clever thread bundy 
. You even brought joshua back to life 
. Short on time (have to write to Josh to see if he really is alive - lol etc)]
[center]Do as much as you can the day before...[/center]
If possible, the night before brew day, weigh everything out (grains and hops) and set everything up.
All-grain, or any sort of brewing, is simple but that does not mean that there are not a lot of steps that need to be followed. For example, I could 'simplify' a brew day instruction by just saying 'Sanitise fermentation equipment' but there are many steps involved in that. For example, a plastic fermentor has about eight parts to it and all of these need to be collected, sanitised and assembled.
There are many more things that can be added to this thread but to summarise this one tip, do everything you can the day before brew day.
. You even brought joshua back to life . Short on time (have to write to Josh to see if he really is alive - lol etc)][center]Do as much as you can the day before...[/center]
If possible, the night before brew day, weigh everything out (grains and hops) and set everything up.
All-grain, or any sort of brewing, is simple but that does not mean that there are not a lot of steps that need to be followed. For example, I could 'simplify' a brew day instruction by just saying 'Sanitise fermentation equipment' but there are many steps involved in that. For example, a plastic fermentor has about eight parts to it and all of these need to be collected, sanitised and assembled.
There are many more things that can be added to this thread but to summarise this one tip, do everything you can the day before brew day.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 27 Aug 2014, 20:10, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #4 made 9 years ago
Bundy , I try to do things in clumps to save time.ie. sanitizing as many utensils at once, boiling my yeast and irish moss water in the microwave at the same time and while the mash and boil are going I start the cleanup on used utensils and sanitizing the fermentation bucket. I just try not to be doing too many things at once so as to miss a step. Hope something here helps.
As a sidebar.... PP hope that REALLY is Josh as I miss his posts, they , like yours are very informative.
J
As a sidebar.... PP hope that REALLY is Josh as I miss his posts, they , like yours are very informative.
J
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Post #5 made 9 years ago
[J, long work days atm so still haven't sent joshua a PM. Can you PM him? Ask him where he has been and why we haven't seen him for so long 
. Copy me the PM's!]
[center]Unpopular but nearly always, less equipment is more...[/center]
Brewing is about making sweet liquor, boiling that to wort and then fermenting that wort to become beer. BIAB makes the production of the sweet liquor (and boiling it to wort) incredibly easy and fool-proof so it is really important to question yourself very hard any time you are tempted to buy/make a bit of equipment. Please read this thread.
The production of sweet liquor (which is easy as), can be made very difficult and unsuccessful with the addition of equipment. The addition of any equipment in a BIAB scenario (and also, nearly always a three-vessel scenario) will nearly always cost you dearly on every single brew.
I don't want to be the equipment/technology/automation killjoy but, if I am honest, all my tinkering in these areas has been a total waste of time, money and effort. I have a heap of stuff here that I am too honest to sell as I know the equipment will not be of value to them.
[center]Before you buy equipment...[/center]
1. Think it through. How much work (time/effort) will that save you? (Nearly always it will cost you a lot of work.)
2. Will it produce better beer? (Nearly always the answer is, "No.")
3. How many moving parts does it have?
4. How many steps are involved in cleaning those parts? (Have you visualised those steps?")
5. How many steps are involved in sanitising those parts? (Have you visualised those steps?")
I've moved on from trying to automate anything kettle related but I am still an idiot
. I've been trying to come up with ways of using pumps etc to clean and sanitise my fermentors and kegs for the last few years...
I hate to admit it but... I think I am coming close to accepting that, at our scale of brewing, everything is best done manually.
PP
. Copy me the PM's!][center]Unpopular but nearly always, less equipment is more...[/center]
Brewing is about making sweet liquor, boiling that to wort and then fermenting that wort to become beer. BIAB makes the production of the sweet liquor (and boiling it to wort) incredibly easy and fool-proof so it is really important to question yourself very hard any time you are tempted to buy/make a bit of equipment. Please read this thread.
The production of sweet liquor (which is easy as), can be made very difficult and unsuccessful with the addition of equipment. The addition of any equipment in a BIAB scenario (and also, nearly always a three-vessel scenario) will nearly always cost you dearly on every single brew.
I don't want to be the equipment/technology/automation killjoy but, if I am honest, all my tinkering in these areas has been a total waste of time, money and effort. I have a heap of stuff here that I am too honest to sell as I know the equipment will not be of value to them.
[center]Before you buy equipment...[/center]
1. Think it through. How much work (time/effort) will that save you? (Nearly always it will cost you a lot of work.)
2. Will it produce better beer? (Nearly always the answer is, "No.")
3. How many moving parts does it have?
4. How many steps are involved in cleaning those parts? (Have you visualised those steps?")
5. How many steps are involved in sanitising those parts? (Have you visualised those steps?")
I've moved on from trying to automate anything kettle related but I am still an idiot
. I've been trying to come up with ways of using pumps etc to clean and sanitise my fermentors and kegs for the last few years...I hate to admit it but... I think I am coming close to accepting that, at our scale of brewing, everything is best done manually.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 28 Aug 2014, 20:56, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #6 made 9 years ago
No-chilling has saved me a ton of time as it decouples the brewing and fermenting. You'll save time not having to chill the wort, clean the chiller, sanitise your fermentation vessel, pitch yeast etc. You can also store your wort for months and ferment when you have a spare 30 mins.
Also, you can purchase another urn and do two batches at the same time. It's not that much more effort and will save you 5+ hours. When you factor in the time, the $200 outlay for an urn will soon be forgotten.
Also, you can purchase another urn and do two batches at the same time. It's not that much more effort and will save you 5+ hours. When you factor in the time, the $200 outlay for an urn will soon be forgotten.
Post #7 made 9 years ago
Several posts followed hathro's post above so I have moved them and copied hathro's post above to a new topic that can be found here.
Last edited by Nuff on 15 Sep 2014, 23:51, edited 1 time in total.
Post #8 made 9 years ago
Put all your brew day equipment/instruments etc in one place.
I did a brew day the other day for the first time in a while. If you are an idiot who has bought too many useless gadgets like I have, make sure you keep all the stuff that is actually useful in one spot! I spend most of my brew days looking for stuff (like that really important little hose little hose that I use when aerating)
.
On this last brew day, I had a very simple brain wave...
Buy a plastic container with a lid (I have a heap) that you can put all your key brewday stuff in. There's not much you'll need in that box but, as I say, if you are an idiot like me, finding the important stuff might be a problem for you.
I did a brew day the other day for the first time in a while. If you are an idiot who has bought too many useless gadgets like I have, make sure you keep all the stuff that is actually useful in one spot! I spend most of my brew days looking for stuff (like that really important little hose little hose that I use when aerating)
.On this last brew day, I had a very simple brain wave...
Buy a plastic container with a lid (I have a heap) that you can put all your key brewday stuff in. There's not much you'll need in that box but, as I say, if you are an idiot like me, finding the important stuff might be a problem for you.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 17 Sep 2014, 19:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #9 made 9 years ago
Well after some input on this topic from the Guru's I am probably not as bad off as I thought.
One thing I do that might help others with saving a bit of time (Especially as PP mentioned it in this thread) is in regards to cleaning and sanitising Fermentors.
My Fermentor cleaning process.
After each use, my Fermentors are cleaned that same day. Once clean I half fill each with water. I then add half a cap full of no Rinse Sanitiser. (I use a no rinse sanitiser used in the Dairy industry, its mainly Phosphoric Acid and some mild Detergents - I've got 20L of the stuff if anyone in Perth wants some at Cost as I'll never go through that amount in 100 years)
I then put in and submerge all my Plastic hoses, Bottle filler, etc etc. The Lid goes on, give it a swirl to coat the Lid and sides, and its all kept nice and sanitary till my next brew day.
Come next Brewday all I need to do is tip out the Water and everything is already sanitised ready to go.
I've kept Fermentors this way for months between uses, and the bonus is all the fiddly bits and pieces like, taps, hoses etc are kept clean as well.
I'd think for those that no Chill it would be a good process for your Cubes also in helping keeping them sparkling clean.
================================================================================================
So on reflection in more detail 5 - 6 hours for a brewday is probably as good as I am going to get.
Breaking it down - 3 hours taken with the Mash (90 mins) and Boil (90 mins) then probably add another 30 - 40 mins getting to Strike temp and similar getting to Boil. So I'm then up to at least 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
Being I Chill there's another 30 mins. And maybe another hour to allow for Setting up Packing away and cleaning.
Easy to see how it gets chewed up.
One thing I do that might help others with saving a bit of time (Especially as PP mentioned it in this thread) is in regards to cleaning and sanitising Fermentors.
My Fermentor cleaning process.
After each use, my Fermentors are cleaned that same day. Once clean I half fill each with water. I then add half a cap full of no Rinse Sanitiser. (I use a no rinse sanitiser used in the Dairy industry, its mainly Phosphoric Acid and some mild Detergents - I've got 20L of the stuff if anyone in Perth wants some at Cost as I'll never go through that amount in 100 years)
I then put in and submerge all my Plastic hoses, Bottle filler, etc etc. The Lid goes on, give it a swirl to coat the Lid and sides, and its all kept nice and sanitary till my next brew day.
Come next Brewday all I need to do is tip out the Water and everything is already sanitised ready to go.
I've kept Fermentors this way for months between uses, and the bonus is all the fiddly bits and pieces like, taps, hoses etc are kept clean as well.
I'd think for those that no Chill it would be a good process for your Cubes also in helping keeping them sparkling clean.
================================================================================================
So on reflection in more detail 5 - 6 hours for a brewday is probably as good as I am going to get.
Breaking it down - 3 hours taken with the Mash (90 mins) and Boil (90 mins) then probably add another 30 - 40 mins getting to Strike temp and similar getting to Boil. So I'm then up to at least 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
Being I Chill there's another 30 mins. And maybe another hour to allow for Setting up Packing away and cleaning.
Easy to see how it gets chewed up.
Last edited by bundy on 19 Sep 2014, 09:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #10 made 9 years ago
Ahhh, tis true bunny.. but, I have to say.. being a retired ol' f@rt.. it's a very enjoyable time. Now, if I did it for a living.. I think it would get old rather rapidly :D
Bill
Hop Song Brewing-Santa Rosa, California
Hop Song Brewing-Santa Rosa, California
Post #11 made 9 years ago
Bundy, I usually get by right at 4.5 - 5 hours depending on some variables. No matter what I do. Only way I get out quicker is for a 2.5 gal batch then its about 4 hours.
PP
, understand completely... Like my grilling utensils .....Keep all your supplies and utensils in the same place !Easy access saves a few minutes looking for things . But also sanitize as much in the beginning as you can .
PP
, understand completely... Like my grilling utensils .....Keep all your supplies and utensils in the same place !Easy access saves a few minutes looking for things . But also sanitize as much in the beginning as you can .-
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Post #12 made 9 years ago
I have just started into BIAB, but have some experience with extract brewing. I was taught that rapid cooling was the way to go; it reduced sulfur compounds, oxidation bi products and the cold break decreased cold haze. At least, that is what I had written down in my brew journal. Anecdotally, I did find that rapid cooling produced a better (cleaner tasting) beer, but granted, it was not a very scientifically rigorous test. Being able to split up a brew day and pitch the next day would be a great time savings. I don't have the luxury of having a good chunk of the day to dedicate to brewing. Any advice or input would be appreciated. In a perfect world, I would like to split the wort and treat one aliquot with rapid cooling and the other with no chill and compare the final brews...but not sure I want to go through the hassles now.
Post #13 made 9 years ago
I have been no-chilling a while now( well, 9 mos and about ten to fifteen 42L batches). One thing is for certain, chill haze is a regular thing for me since I switched. Does not bother me a bit, though.
Oxidation, I do have a pale ale that I bottled 5 mos ago that has developed a very slight "cardboard" taste to it. Still tastes great to me, and most anyone else cannot detect it. From that same brew day, I have bottles of a higher gravity IPA remaining. It is said that oxidation can take on "sherry-like" notes in a higher alcohol beer. I get nothing from it at all. Limited data points here, but all I can contribute really ... as most of my beer is consumed pretty quickly.
I'll keep my eyes open, but if this is as bad as it gets ... I'll continue with no chill while having 0 regrets.
Oxidation, I do have a pale ale that I bottled 5 mos ago that has developed a very slight "cardboard" taste to it. Still tastes great to me, and most anyone else cannot detect it. From that same brew day, I have bottles of a higher gravity IPA remaining. It is said that oxidation can take on "sherry-like" notes in a higher alcohol beer. I get nothing from it at all. Limited data points here, but all I can contribute really ... as most of my beer is consumed pretty quickly.
I'll keep my eyes open, but if this is as bad as it gets ... I'll continue with no chill while having 0 regrets.
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Post #14 made 9 years ago
Rick, the Chill haze comes from the Very simple proteins that fall out around 170F.
If your brewing with higher protein grains, Chill the No-Chill, in a fridge to around 35F. (After it is Cooled to Ambient)
Then remove the Wort to another Cube, or Fermenter.
That should remove ALL the Chill haze proteins.
If your brewing with higher protein grains, Chill the No-Chill, in a fridge to around 35F. (After it is Cooled to Ambient)
Then remove the Wort to another Cube, or Fermenter.
That should remove ALL the Chill haze proteins.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #15 made 9 years ago
Noted Joshua, if I ever desire clear beer I will cold crash primary. It really does not bother me at all, though .. but it's nice to know how to work around it when necessary.
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Post #16 made 9 years ago
Rick, if you Force Carbonate the Beer, you can Crash Cool to 0C/32F, removing most of the Yeast, too.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Time saving ideas on Brewday
Post #17 made 9 years ago
Apart from no chilling have you considered getting an over the side element? This would speed up your ramp times a fair bit which based on how you outlined your brew day is the main area you could save time.
