Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Brew day efficiency ideas  (Read 2265 times)

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6078
Brew day efficiency ideas
« on: February 20, 2015, 05:20:36 pm »
I am all about efficiency but some of these ideas seem extreme. What do you think?

http://brulosophy.com/2014/12/22/18-ideas-to-help-simplify-your-brew-day/

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk
« Last Edit: February 20, 2015, 05:24:24 pm by BrewBama »

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2015, 05:33:41 pm »
I agree, except for
Pressure canning starter wort
Clean as I go
Measuring hops before I brew
No bags, I go commando
FWH and WP is pretty awesome, but I dont know about using it solely
Big ass chiller with pumped recirculation
No secondary unless im doing a second fermentation
Limited drinking
Minimal worrying

But other than those few, I agree. Unnecessary!

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2015, 05:38:53 pm »
I already do some of those things.
  • I weigh out all my hops during the mash
  • I get as much ready the night before as possible. Buying water the night before makes getting out of bed easier if I don't have to go somewhere before I get started.
  • I skip secondary, most of the time
  • I don't drink until the flame is out
  • I clean as I go to a point. I use the chiller runoff as cleaning and rinsing water. I get most of my cleaning done while chilling and whirlpooling.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2015, 05:47:10 pm by Steve in TX »

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2015, 05:44:09 pm »
I already do some of those things.


  • I weigh out all my hops during the mash
  • I get as much ready the night before as possible. Buying water the night before makes getting out of bed easier if all I don't have to go somewhere before I get started.
  • I skip secondary, most of the time
  • I don't drink until the flame is out
  • I clean as I go to a point. I use the chiller runoff as cleaning and rinsing water. I get most of my cleaning done while chilling and whirlpooling.

I do this stuff, too. Drinking after flameout was big in my QC.   ;)
Jon H.

Offline ranchovillabrew

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 321
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2015, 05:51:59 pm »
I do most of those.  I generally don't drink until the boil is settled in.  I mill the day before or a few days before.  I get as much ready the night before.  Rarely secondary. Pump on the immersion chiller. Clean as I go. Measure during mash.

I look at efficiency as getting the most out of  your most precious resource.  Whether that is money (ingredients,  fuel, equipment) space (batch size, type of equipment, storage) or time (prep, less steps,  quick chilling)

For me these days with two little ones,  time is by far the hardest to come by. I try to minimize the length of my brew day as much as possible.  Finding half an hour in the evening a few days before brewdays is much easier than spending an extra half hour on brewday.
- Charles

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4439
  • Play Nice
    • Harvey's Brewhaus
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2015, 05:47:04 am »
pretty much everything for me except 30 minute mash....i just tend to do around 75 minutes.

most my brewing starts at 6am so drinking coffee works just fine  ::)
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27137
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2015, 10:02:32 am »
Yeah, no short mashes for me.  And as I said to Drew, I'm too lazy to can wort to make brewing easier.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2015, 02:35:09 pm »
It's not like I heat my canner with a Gilligan bicycle powered canner. I actually think canning starter is lazier

Offline tommymorris

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3869
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2015, 07:05:22 pm »
What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4439
  • Play Nice
    • Harvey's Brewhaus
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2015, 07:12:59 pm »

What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.
I think this often. Especially when I see folks rushing everything. This is just a therapeutic session for me.... Time mostly irrelevant.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2015, 07:18:53 pm »

What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.
I think this often. Especially when I see folks rushing everything. This is just a therapeutic session for me.... Time mostly irrelevant.

Yeah, I agree. I have my process down to be efficient and consistent, but not feel rushed. Brew time is my time.
Jon H.

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7795
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2015, 07:20:20 pm »

What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.
I think this often. Especially when I see folks rushing everything. This is just a therapeutic session for me.... Time mostly irrelevant.
I'm jealous of you guys. Finding time is the biggest challenge in brewing (or any hobby) for me. Any efficiency that doesn't come at the expense of my enjoyment of the process simply makes it easier for me to find the time to brew.

Plus, I love the challenge of finding new ways to streamline my workflow. I felt pretty accomplished the time I was able to crank out 8 one-gallon batches of beer in 5 hours.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline tommymorris

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3869
Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2015, 08:55:06 pm »

What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.
I think this often. Especially when I see folks rushing everything. This is just a therapeutic session for me.... Time mostly irrelevant.
I'm jealous of you guys. Finding time is the biggest challenge in brewing (or any hobby) for me. Any efficiency that doesn't come at the expense of my enjoyment of the process simply makes it easier for me to find the time to brew.

Plus, I love the challenge of finding new ways to streamline my workflow. I felt pretty accomplished the time I was able to crank out 8 one-gallon batches of beer in 5 hours.

I only brew once per month. When I do, I don't mind if it takes 5 hours.


Regarding 8 one-gallon batches of beer in 5 hours., I can definitely respect that kind of efficiency. You must have eliminated all hop additions except FWH and whirlpool additions. ;)
« Last Edit: February 21, 2015, 08:57:50 pm by alestateyall »

Offline brewday

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 453
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2015, 10:39:28 pm »
What's the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.

I love playing golf, but not 5 hour rounds!  ;)

I'm down to a 3.5 hour brewday for American styles and that's perfect for me - it's like watching a football game.


Offline jimmykx250

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 328
Re: Brew day efficiency ideas
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2015, 06:51:06 am »
I love to brew. Its like cooking for me, kind of therapeutic. Im still learning as ive only been brewing for 9 months or so. Some of these things i do but the FWH and WP are new to me what are they? I usually throw hops in at 60 and at flame-out.
Jimmykx250