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Author Topic: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing  (Read 9684 times)

Offline dbeechum

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A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« on: May 18, 2011, 04:26:17 pm »
After I announced my little misadventure in speed brewing, I was heartened by the number of forum members who stepped up with their own experiences and experiments.

Well now's our chance to get it into print. I'll be writing up an article for Zymurgy later this year, so I'd love to get everyone's experiences, recipes, etc consolidated here.

What are your thoughts and experiences. I suppose we should say beers that went from grain to glass in 12 or fewer days.

Let's make Denny's teeth grind! :)
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Offline Malticulous

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2011, 06:36:53 pm »
I can do Popcorn Cream from a bottle in 14 days. I'd guess I could push 12 out of a keg.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/popcorn-cream-188132/

That fermentation schedule can kick out beers fast, clean and very clear. Popcorn is neat but I've since converted to cereal mashing grits, cornmeal or rice. It's too much like BMC for most homebrewers but I like to have it around. I lager it but that takes a month.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 07:41:41 pm by Malticulous »

Offline tygo

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2011, 08:03:57 pm »
The fastest beer that I've brewed has been my stout.  But I haven't brewed it since I've started kegging.  I wonder how fast I can get it into the glass now...hmmm....
Clint
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Offline dannyjed

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2011, 08:22:03 pm »
I have been inspired to try a Bitter from grain to keg in 7 days.
Dan Chisholm

Offline euge

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2011, 08:43:53 pm »
Five days for a mild. Drinking it on the sixth. Gotta use a large pitch of flocculent yeast though. Ferment in the upper 60's.  I think you could even push it into the 1.045 range and get it done in time.
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Offline gmac

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2011, 09:22:26 pm »
My last beer was my best so far and received a lot of positive comments (some of which I even believe).
12 days and could probably have been done in 10 if I'd been home for part of it to monitor the temperatures.  There's another batch going right now.  Maybe I'll name it Dozen Day Cream Ale...

Offline weazletoe

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2011, 09:56:19 pm »
I've done my house IPA in 10 days. Fourteen is ideal for it, but I was desperate to get something on tap.  ;D
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Offline punatic

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2011, 11:46:03 pm »
Sorry Drew; no such thing as speed brewing round these parts.

Fish are biting!  I'll brew tomorrow...

Surf's up!  I'll rack da beer over next Tuesday...

Lava's moving down da pali!  I'll keg next Saturday...

Wots da hurry?
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2011, 12:22:50 am »
For those that missed it, my most recent quick beer was an Irish stout.  I brewed on a Friday, kegged on Wednesday (it had been done for at least 2 days), force carbonated and served on Saturday.  Gone in ~3.5 hours, less than 8 days after the yeast was pitched.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline rabid_dingo

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2011, 02:05:13 am »
See, I guess I just don't understand what the point is if this is the result.

From the other thread.
I chose not to respond but now I have a chance... :-[

I think that Barry was selling himself short. I think that there are brewers out there that can brew a
fast ferment beer that meets expectations and does not take a "normal" amount of time.

I know that there is a point relating to integrity, but if one takes the time to perfect a recipe that is a good
go-to beer that is known to have an outcome that is done quick, what is the harm. I guess it does defeat
the purpose if one goes through the trouble of finding a beer that can be brewed and served in a short
time span. But who is to say that some experimentation would not lead to that "Beer in my back pocket"
that if in a pinch I need a beer I could do it...

It would be nice to have a beer that could be good to go quick-like...

In the words of Barney Stinson...wait for it...

Challenge accepted!  8)
Ruben * Colorado :)

Offline phillamb168

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2011, 03:17:16 am »
In the other thread I mentioned that I've got a Spitfire clone that I put in the fermenter Saturday. I'll accept your 12-day challenge and pull it into a keg for force carbing next Wednesday (I have a party Friday and need the two days for carb). Will let you know how it is....
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Offline tygo

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2011, 04:49:08 am »
So does the 12 days include the total time it takes to get the beer ready or just from brewday to drinking?  Or are we including total preparation time, including a starter?  As in "Oh, $#!^ I need a beer in 12 days!".
Clint
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narvin

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2011, 06:04:15 am »
I did an ESB that was served in exactly 12 days.  It was a clone of a brewpub beer that was open fermented with ringwood and crash cooled after 7 days.  Came out great! 

More info here:

http://csibrewers.org/content/?p=452

Offline Hokerer

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2011, 08:25:46 am »
So does the 12 days include the total time it takes to get the beer ready or just from brewday to drinking?  Or are we including total preparation time, including a starter?  As in "Oh, $#!^ I need a beer in 12 days!".

Better duck!  Here come the dry yeast groupies :)
Joe

Offline denny

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Re: A Call to Action - Speed Brewing
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2011, 09:03:18 am »
I guess since my name has been invoked twice that I should try to clarify what I was saying....sure, it's entirely possible to make a beer fast.  What I was trying to get at is that sometimes the beer needs more time, no matter what you do to make it go fast, and you need to pay attention to what the beer's telling you.  If the beer says "I'm done, drink me!", cool.  But if the beer is saying "hold on, bub, I need more time" and you go ahead and drink it anyway you may be doing yourself a disservice.  Believe me, I've been on both sides of that fence.
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