[neuse]

I’m looking into getting back into all grain brewing, but for a couple of reasons I need to keep a relatively short brew day. I’m looking at doing 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. The Brulosophy “Short & Shoddy” method could keep the brew day short enough, but I don’t know about the beer quality. The main short cuts are a 30 minute mash and 25 – 30 minute boil. Their descriptions of the resulting beer are generally positive, but sometimes with a phrase like “especially knowing it only took a couple hours to brew.”

I’m happy with the quality of my extract beer, but I would like to have more flexibility in ingredients and beer styles. Due to the constraints, my options are 1) Stay with extract only (no specialty grains) or 2) Go with BIAB with 30 minute mash and 30 minute boil. I’d like to hear some opinions about whether the abbreviated  process would yield at least as good quality as extract brewing.

[denny]

In Simple Homebrewing,  I talk about doing a 20 min mash/20 min boil. I average 75% efficiency and the beer was the same as made by traditional methods.  I discovered that I generally had to increase bittering hops by 50% to account for the shorter boil.

[BrewBama]

I mash in a bag for usually about 90 minutes, lauter (no sparge), and boil for 30 min.

A few Summers ago I kept track of my mash specific gravity. Based on my results I use 90 min total.  Since I am not going to sparge I get a few more points by using the xtra time. I usually add dark grains at the 30 minute to go mark.

For the entire 90 min, I recirculate thru a water bath to maintain temp (HERMS).

I like the results of just using 1st runnings.

[dmtaylor]

I find I get more reliable good efficiency with a 40-minute mash. But other than that, go for it!!

[redrocker652002]

I was just going to add that I read the book Denny and Drew wrote, at least in the process of, and the part about cutting the mash and boil time really intrigued me.  I am still new, so I follow the traditional rules, but to be able to cut the time spent by almost and hour and a half is sure tempting. 

By the way, it is a good book for those who like a simple, easy read and not too technical like the Palmer book that I got about halfway thru and realized I was more confused than ever.  LOL. 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

a relatively short brew day.

In addition to Simple Homebrewing, there are two HomeBewCon seminars from 2017/2018 that I found to be good sources for ideas to shorten the brewing session: "Brewing When You Have No Time" /1/ and "It’s a Sprint: Brewing Beer Faster" /2/.   Some techniques reduce the total amount of time it takes to make the beer; other techniques move the time/effort to the day before or the day after.

Back in 2018 / 2019, I tried a couple of shorter brew days for some "standard strength" American ale recipes.  I ended up at 30/30 (mash/boil) for APAs and 45/45 (or 45/60) for browns.  (aside, but perhaps related: my best barley wines have been 60/120 vs "re-iterative mash" or adding DME). 

I'll suggest starting with a 45/30 (mash/boil) schedule for an APA/IPA. Use a high DP base malt (probably not Maris Otter or Golden Promise) and go light on the specialty malts.  A pH measurement and/or iodine test may be useful.

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/1/ https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/seminar/brewing-when-you-have-no-time-getting-more-out-of-your-limited-brewing-time/

/2/ https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/seminar/its-a-sprint-brewing-beer-faster/

[Drewch]

You've just described my standard all-grain method. 

10 liter batches.

No-sparge BIAB: 30 minute mash; pull the bag; add "first wort" bittering hops; then a 20 to 40 minute boil.

With a fine crush and squeezing the bag firmly, I get at least 75% mash efficiency at 30 minutes on moderate gravity recipes.

[neuse]

Thanks all - Really good stuff. I think I'll go with BIAB, keeping all these ideas in mind. I'm looking forward to getting back to all grain brewing. The mash is magic.