Making beer in bed

MashBag · Jul 13, 2024

This thought was inspired by @MrRook thread about where we started.

How many of us save brewday time in some way with a alternative process.

Do you overnight chill?
Maybe split the boil?
Long overnight mash?
Ferment in kettle?
Preheat?
Cold overnight mash?
Something else?

Talking to few people there are a
variety of timesavers out there.

Equally do you prefer a full end to end brewday?

The Baron · Jul 13, 2024

I do it regular I will mash in the afternoon after work then take the wort upto pasteurising temp say 80-85c then cover and leave to cool.
I then boil the next day and leave to cool naturally in the FV(if you boil early you can usually pitch the same day).
I also do a normal brew and leave to cool overnight it depends on how much time I have but on working days I do the first method.
I like my split method(the First) as I have flexibility to stop midway and do other things if needed and can slip a brew in when working and have more time for the family etc.

Buffers brewery · Jul 13, 2024

As I only brew every 5 or 6 weeks, I like to make the most of it. My brew day is more like a brew two days. As an outdoor brewer I spend half a day setting my brewery up and cleaning everything. One day brewing. Half a day cleaning and putting brewery away.

Sadfield · Jul 13, 2024

Full end to end brewday, with the zen inducing sound of a nice relaxing sparge trickling away. The soporific smells of malt and hops. Cycling on Eurosport. Perfect. Why rush and cut corners 'It's a hobby, it should be enjoyable'. Why do it if you don't enjoy it?

The Baron · Jul 13, 2024

I do enjoy it just that I need to sometimes fit my brews in to life not everybody has enough leisure time to spare after family commitments its either that or don't brew.
A rather big assumption nobody upto now has said they do not enjoy

MashBag · Jul 13, 2024

Absolutely. I think people enjoy brewing in different ways.

It isn't a hobby for me it's a life style choice.

jof · Jul 13, 2024

I generally do overnight cooling & add yeast the next day.
Transferring to the FV while still.above 90c

I tried cooling with my new cooling coil but have abandoned this as 3rd brew got an infection somewhere along the line, so I'm back to a technique that works for me.

Also tried early morning mash at 5am to use economy 7 when power price shot up. It worked ok, but was cold, dark & lonely just to save a few p. (I hadn't set an alarm, I just had something going round in my head so couldn't get back to sleep that day)

Agentgonzo · Jul 13, 2024

Crush and condition the grain the night beforehand. Get the equipment ready and measure out the mash and spare liquor the night before and let it stand to offgas the chlorine. Then leave the GF in delayed start mode.

Wake up in the morning with the liquor ready at strike temperature. Mash in, have breakfast then proceed as normal

marshbrewer · Jul 13, 2024

I've tried overnight / no chill but have reverted to a long, leisurely brew day. These can be very long for some historic recipes with long mash and boil times, and crazy sparge routines, but not always. I can potter about doing other things.

Moe · Jul 13, 2024

When I brew at the weekend and have time I do a full brew, have a beer and enjoy it. I do this most of the time.

When I brew in an evening after work and want to speed up I have done some or all of the following:

- preheat mash water so it is ready when I get home
-pre weigh ingredients
-30minute boils
- partial chill + use kveik yeast
-no chill

I have some isomerised hop extract in the fridge. For fun I want to see how quick I can make a 23L all grain brew.
I am thinking a 30-45 minute mash. Heat up to boiling point, add isomerised hop extract, and maybe some flavour hops. Add to the FV and wash up.Pitch some hornindal once it’s cooled to 40.

Let the kveik do its thing, keg and force carbonate.

I think a stout would work for this method. I don’t think it would make the best beer, but it will be a fun activity to see just how quick I could make a drinkable stout.

Worst case and it’s not very good, the brother in law would still drink it

An Ankoù · Jul 13, 2024

MashBag said:
Talking to few people there are a
variety of timesavers out there.

Equally do you prefer a full end to end brewday?

The days of the 90 minute mash commanded by the Almighty and given to the prophet Dave Line on Mount Sinai, are long gone in this benighted corner of heathendom.
I nearly always mash overnight so I get anything from a 12 to 14 hour mash. When I open the mash tun the following morning, the mash is only warm.
Alternatively, I'll mash early in the morning and do the brew in the evening. If that;s the case, I'll do a part-chill, just enough for the "whirlpoool" hops and then leave the wort to cool in the morning.
It works for me. Á chacun sa méthode. As they say in Cleethorpes.

stubrewworx · Jul 13, 2024

Mash, boil and ferment in kettle on kitchen stove, well I move it off the stove during ferment. Bottle straight from kettle.

Use water from hot tap to speed up the mash temp, 45 min mash, 30 boil, cool overnight or through day if brewed early on.

I only brew 8 to 9 litres so heating times are not too bad.

No need to prep much as most utensils and consumables are in one toolbox or existing kitchen ware.

I usually order base malt in the quantity I want for that brew and it's pre crushed fine. Just speciality malts and hops to weigh out.

Start to end of boil is done in approximately 2.5 hours. Inc. Testing water and clean down/tidy up.

Caramel Ox · Jul 13, 2024

I don’t mind the half day it takes, it’s an interesting subject though as all forms of process omission are practiced somewhere in the farmhouse brewing tradition.

You could go all in with cold water, malt and hops and a full mash and boil program if the controller allows. Everyone knows you need to lauter the mash and not boil the grain but there are some people who don’t.

Would do a lazy beer swap or comp?

Stu · Jul 13, 2024

The only thing I generally do is make sure I have everything in the house and thoroughly cleaned the night before.
That means a quick sanitise and I can get going.

My stuff lives in my Brewing / Radio / Car stuff shed.

dad_of_jon · Jul 13, 2024

only once or twice have I gone overnight. I just do a reduced boil no cooler. Chilled or near frozen water or yeast choice let me finish same day.

MashBag · Jul 14, 2024

I always think "Lautering" is an interesting point for homebrewers with AIO units.

rekabmit · Dec 2, 2024

An Ankoù said:
The days of the 90 minute mash commanded by the Almighty and given to the prophet Dave Line on Mount Sinai, are long gone in this benighted corner of heathendom.
I nearly always mash overnight so I get anything from a 12 to 14 hour mash. When I open the mash tun the following morning, the mash is only warm.
Alternatively, I'll mash early in the morning and do the brew in the evening. If that;s the case, I'll do a part-chill, just enough for the "whirlpoool" hops and then leave the wort to cool in the morning.
It works for me. Á chacun sa méthode. As they say in Cleethorpes.

Do you leave the pump on overnight? Have done an overnight brew tonight but could not decide to leave pump on or not.

MashBag · Dec 3, 2024

I don't have a choice, it's always on. Every time, everybrew.

rekabmit · Dec 3, 2024

Thanks went without, house smells a bit beery, which in code means don’t do it again. Next time l will leave the extractor on.

An Ankoù · Dec 3, 2024

rekabmit said:
Do you leave the pump on overnight? Have done an overnight brew tonight but could not decide to leave pump on or not.

Haha, no.
I set my mash in a picnic cooler wrapped in a couple of towel. I adjust the temperature back up to target after 10 or 15 minutes and then leave it until the morning. My brewery's never even seen a pump.

Making beer in bed

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