# Time Efficient Brewing (or How To Brew When You Have Kids)



## Mick0s (4/1/16)

Hi all, I think I already know the answer to this one, but thought it was worth putting out there for those who know better to tell me that its stupid. 

So, I've been BIAB'ing for about a year now, with only 5 brews under my belt, mainly due to the fact that September saw the arrival of my son, to add to the now 2yr old, daughter. As the title suggests, time to myself is now at a premium, and setting aside 5 hours for a brew is seeming more and more difficult, unless I want to hang out in the garage until midnight.

So I had the thought the other day, would it be possible (AND a good idea) to spit te brew day into two parts. Say, running the initial mash during the day, when timings are a little more lenient, leaving the wort there for a few hours, and then later on kicking up the temperature for the boil and hop additions?

My current plan would probably be to get the mash going in the early afternoon, then hoist the bag, maybe covering the urn with some cling-film to stop any crap getting in there.

Now, skip forward to after dinner, and kids baths, and kids beds, and kids being kids and not wanting to go to sleep, etc. I could fire up the urn again, get the boil underway, and actually guarantee I'll be around for when the hop additions need to take place, and whirlpooling etc. rather than chasing after Violet up the driveway, or prying crayons out of Lucas' fingers.

I rekon that not having to start from scratch after dinner, I could foreseeable be done and dusted by around 9 or 10 (thanks no-chill!) which is MUCH more appealing when I look back at those Canberra winter night-brews that I did the year just past.

my only concern is that this might inadvertently effect the wort somehow (maybe the lower temperatures, or oxidisation), however part of me assures me that its just like starting out with a can of extract, or a fresh wort kit for a brew...


Thoughts?


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## The Judge (4/1/16)

What about:
*Tues night*: spend 30 mins to set up gear, weigh out / mill grain and set a timer to get water up to strike temp for 7pm on the next night.
*Wed night*: mash and boil from 7-9pm. Stick to well modified malts and you can reduce your mash time down to 30 mins. Chuck into a cube and no chill at 9pm. Fill pot with water and go to bed.
*Thurs night*: thank god you filled your pot with water so you don't have a dried-out sticky mess to painstakingly scrub tonight. Now you have a 30 min clean up. 

Of course this means the Mrs will complain at you for 3 nights on the trot that you're not around to watch this season's X Factor with her.


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## Mick0s (4/1/16)

The Judge said:


> What about:
> *Tues night*: spend 30 mins to set up gear, weigh out / mill grain and set a timer to get water up to strike temp for 7pm on the next night.
> *Wed night*: mash and boil from 7-9pm. Stick to well modified malts and you can reduce your mash time down to 30 mins. Chuck into a cube and no chill at 9pm. Fill pot with water and go to bed.
> *Thurs night*: thank god you filled your pot with water so you don't have a dried-out sticky mess to painstakingly scrub tonight. Now you have a 30 min clean up.
> ...


Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "well modified malts"?

And miss X-Factor? But how will I know what Guy Sebastien is wearing nowadays?!?!?!


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## droid (4/1/16)

the best thing i've done (2 kids 5&7) is increase capacity, initially capacity was 23 ltrs, then 40 ltrs, then moved away from glass to kegs and went to 60ltrs - I enjoy brewing but can't say ive missed not brewing for nearly a month, it seems there's more time to fine tune a recipe, get the ingredients, do a starter, drink beer that's had more time to condition etc

not for everyone but definitely, undeniably more time effective

good luck!


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## Killer Brew (4/1/16)

Just get them to assist with hop additions


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## mofox1 (4/1/16)

I've done the mash and brought it to a 15 min boil before turning it off for the night, resuming the next morning. Obviously no hop additions the night before.

Note that was by accident, not design, but it worked out well.

Timers to kick off heating water and having the grain crushed the night before is probably one of the best ways though.


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## Ciderman (4/1/16)

With the amount of time spent cleaning I find doing two brews back to back with the second mash overlapping the first boil saves me a couple of hours.


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## contrarian (4/1/16)

I have 2 kids under 5 so understand that brewing time is at a premium. What I would suggest is just leaving the mash for longer. The only difference I have noticed with a longer mash is that you end up with a higher attenuating mash and a slightly drier beer but I don't mind that. 

I have mashed in and then not ended up being able to get the boils going for 3 or 4 hours with no ill effects. 

So just mash in when you can in the arvo and after the kids are in bed get the boil going. Too easy!


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## pist (4/1/16)

Best improvement for me was increasing capacity. I was already single batching in a keggle, went and bought a 100L pot for double batches. Can knock out 3 batches in the one go if need be. This cuts down the amount of time i have to allocate to brewing


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## The Judge (4/1/16)

Mick0s said:


> Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "well modified malts"?


It was actually a bit of an unnecessary comment, seeing as pretty much all of the base malts you buy from your LHBS are fully modified. It simply means how much of the malted grain's complex starches are converted to simple starches ready for saccharification in your main mash rest. Because the malts we buy are so well modified, you don't really need to be mashing for long durations, and a shorter mash time can produce a fine beer with good efficiency.


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## Topher (4/1/16)

I like hanging in the garage until midnight!


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (4/1/16)

I got 4 kids and can confirm overnight mashes and split boils are a good way to go. 

Oh and back to back mashes, the 2nd done during the first boil is a good way to double output if you have to stay up til midnight.


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## Dazzbrew (4/1/16)

I too have a couple of little kids and i also have to split up my brew day to suit the family life. My typical brew day runs like this.
lunch time; set up the gas bottle, burner, stand and keggle, add strike water.
4:00 - 5:00ish; heat strike water and dough in. Put the lid on and lagg the crap out of it with old blankets. Then go inside for dinner / bath / put kids to bed.
7:00 ish head back outside raise to mash out whilst stirring the mash, hoist the bag and head on to the boil. During the boil clean and pack away anything you wont need again.
i have usually got the wort cubed and all equipment cleaned up by about 10:00pm.
The next morning the cube goes into the ferm fridge (acting as a normal fridge) to drop the last 10 or so degrees to pitching temp. That night the cube gets added and aerated in the fermenter and yeast pitched.


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## jbaker9 (4/1/16)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I got 4 kids and can confirm overnight mashes and split boils are a good way to go.
> 
> Oh and back to back mashes, the 2nd done during the first boil is a good way to double output if you have to stay up til midnight.


If you can find time to brew with 4 kids I think anyone can! 

Thumbs up for back to back brews... Mashing while you boil and only one washup. Not for the faint hearted though, I recommend you get your technique down first.

I would increase to 3 batches in one go but I don't drink enough to warrant it...


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## Kingy (4/1/16)

Definitely double your output. All tho it's a bit risky if you've only done a handful of brews. You don't want to be drinking 40plus liters of shit beer. 
I set all my gear up the night/arvo before brew day and have the timers set for 4am. When my alarm goes off at 4:45-5am everything is at temp to mash in. 
The brew day can be half over by the time the world Wakes up.
You could always cut back on consumption so there's not so much demand for production haha.


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## JDW81 (4/1/16)

pist said:


> Best improvement for me was increasing capacity. I was already single batching in a keggle, went and bought a 100L pot for double batches. Can knock out 3 batches in the one go if need be. This cuts down the amount of time i have to allocate to brewing


A lot to be said for this. I've increased my capacity so I can brew a greater volume less often. I usually set aside a day and knock out 2 40L batches which I split into 4 x 20L cubes. Each brew gets cube hopped differently, +/- dry hopping and maybe different yeasts to mix it up.

It's bloody handy having 4 cubes in the garage to choose from and with some slight changes here and there, can often get 4 quite different beers from one day at the races.

JD


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## MastersBrewery (4/1/16)

1 ditch cheap motion dynamics mill motor, kids cost more, and they love milling by hand.
2 build a tripple batch brauclone,(it has delay start built in) in your brew room install tv and pool table, you and the kids can play pool, Xbox/watch tv all while brewing.

yes I did the above and it worked well for me, brew day was around 6 hours but most of that was playing games of pool or watching 22, playing playstation, and ended the day with 60l of fermenting beer.


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## mr_wibble (5/1/16)

I get everything ready the night before. I have to brew outside, so it all get unpacked & re-packed afterwards.
I do leave the pots and other brewing accoutrements in a clean state, but they get dusty etc, so need a fresh rinse & sanitise.

I flick the switch on the HLT about 5am, mashing by 05:45, ..., into the fermenter and cleaned-up by lunchtime.

What I should do is buy a little time-controlled switch, so when I get up at 5, the HLT is at temperature.

If you can't find 1/2 a day, you could also consider doing 6-pack batches on the stove. Yeah the boil + mash still takes 2 hours, but the pre-heat, & clean-up would be minutes.


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## mxd (5/1/16)

for me I went to a 60 ltr system and I no chill

I setup the day/days before, then can complete (where I need to be paying more attention) in 4 hours.


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## earle (5/1/16)

I BIAB in a crown urn and chill. I usually set up the night before and put the urn on a timer so that It's ready to mash in around 8 the next day. If I get my act together on that day I can be chilled, into the fermenter and cleaned up by about 12. If you used a timer to do that but got up much earlier and no-chilled you could be finished and cleaned up by around 9 I reckon.


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## Matplat (5/1/16)

Doing it in the 1v system, I flick on the mash water to pre-heat at 5ish then when the boys are in bed by 7:30 I dough in and generally make it to bed, with a cube of wort cooling down, by around 11-11:30.


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## CmdrRyekr (13/1/16)

Been said, but crush the night before and fill your HLT, stick it on a timer. Ready for mash in early! Jump out of bed, tip in the grain in, stir then back in to make the kids breakfast. Or go back to bed, as I've done a few times.


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## Barge (13/1/16)

View attachment 86035


I had a few years break from brewing due to kids/work/missus who hates brewing. I decided to get back into half way through last year. As you can see I started with fresh wort kits and went from there.

Firstly, I recommend buying your grain milled from the retailer. It's obviously more expensive but makes the job a lot easier. 

Secondly, go electric BIAB. I'm in the middle of building a Braudino but currently use a temp controller from keg king. It's good enough to get the strike water heated without having to hover over it. I start heating around 5pm and try to mash in when the kids are sitting down to dinner. Only takes 10 minutes or so. I then leave the mash until after baths, etc (sometimes 60min, usually longer). When it's all clear I mash out.


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## Barge (13/1/16)

This was my brewing regime from last year. 

I decided to get back into brewing in the middle of last year. Previously I had a 3V system and found it very time consuming. Between kids, work and a missus who is not at all supportive of my hobby, I had a break for a couple of years.

I have 5 kids and managed a fairly continuous cycle of fermentation and keg conditioning. I started out with fresh wort kits and obviously used them to keep the beer flowing. I also threw in a couple of extract brews as well.

My main recommendations would be

1. Electric BIAB. You can set the temp with a controller and come back when ever to mash in, mash out, etc. I currently just use a keg king temp controller but I'm nearly finished building a Brauduino. I start heating the strike water at about 5 pm and am finished brewing by 11. I can fit the mash around dinner and baths and then start the boil at bed time. 

2. Buy your grain milled. I get my grain from craftbrewer, pre-milled and vaccum sealed. It saves me time and gives me a window of opportunity to brew. If I'm too tired, etc on one night I can leave it for the next night or whatever.

3. Go big. My biggest regret is only getting a 38L pot. I can only do single batches which is why I've had to top-up with FWK's and extract. I'm thinking of trying to brew over-gravity this year and filling 2 15L cubes per brew. Either that or I will add some DME to make up the volume. 

Anyhow, I have 5 kids under 10 (3 with autism - the 3 year old is non-verbal) and a wife who hates beer/brewing. If I can crank out nearly 20 batches in 6 months, anyone can.


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## Hippy (14/1/16)

I find the most effective way is to plant a seed in SWMBO's mind that it would be a good idea to take the kids to her parents farm for the day then I have the place to myself.


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## stux (14/1/16)

60L system (less brewing required), setup day before or early in the day. Ie weigh grains, mill, and get all equipment out and clean and ready to go.

Strike/Mash/Boil later.

No Chill. And then cleanup either then, or the next day.

Ferment at leisure.

Keg at leisure (sortof). It only takes a few minute to keg 60L through 1/2" hose! I have the 3 kegs cleaned, and starsanned before hand.


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## indica86 (14/1/16)

Barge said:


> 2. Buy your grain milled. I get my grain from craftbrewer, pre-milled and vaccum sealed. It saves me time and gives me a window of opportunity to brew. If I'm too tired, etc on one night I can leave it for the next night or whatever.


I don't see that as a huge time saver.
I have bulk grain here and mill as I need.

When kids are of school age - well, for me, I work shift work - get the water on at 0530, mash in, take kids to school, come home and boil, no chill you're done before lunch.


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## Liam_snorkel (14/1/16)

20min mash 20min boil. Works well for hoppy pales.

http://brewrr.com/posts/beer-time-continuum


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## Barge (14/1/16)

indica86 said:


> I don't see that as a huge time saver.
> I have bulk grain here and mill as I need.
> 
> When kids are of school age


How long does it take to mill? Time is precious when the kids are younger. My older kids feed and bathe themselves so dinner/bath time is not an issue. It is for my younger 2 though. I have to feed the 18 month old and make sure the 3 y.o. stays at the table. Then I have to bathe/dress/etc both of them. 

I'm assuming the situation is similar for the OP.


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## SBOB (14/1/16)

Barge said:


> How long does it take to mill?


I've only had a mill for a few brews but for me its like a 10 min process...
- weigh out grains based on recipe print out - 5 mins
- setup mill with cordless drill
- crush grain - 5mins

usually do it while the mash is heating up anyway


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## indica86 (14/1/16)

Barge said:


> How long does it take to mill?


5 minutes.
My kids are older though...

I understand the issue, I had the same problems with attempting to ride my MTB when the kids were little.
Sometime you just have to MAKE time.


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## Barge (14/1/16)

Fair enough. I wouldn't even be able to get the space to store the grain and mill, let alone fit it into my brew day.


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## Kingy (15/1/16)

indica86 said:


> 5 minutes.
> My kids are older though...
> 
> I understand the issue, I had the same problems with attempting to ride my MTB when the kids were little.
> Sometime you just have to MAKE time.


Haha my kids are 3 and 18months I recently retired my mountain bike to fund an air conditioner for the family and some brewery upgrades. I had to choose which hobby I could dedicate my limited time with. And mountain bike riding ain't fun when ya on a time limit. 
I'm up at 4:30-5am for work weekdays so of a weekend i get up at that time to mash in (brewery on timers) all finished and cleaned up by 10 or 11. Unless I get rained off at work or there's a 5-6 hour window of opportunity for some reason I brew than. 
That's a good reason to have your own mill and ingredients or just have a recipe/ingredients on hand so when ya do the chance to crank out a brew the stuff is there to do so.


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## Markbeer (15/1/16)

Weighing out and milling can take for me 10 mins to 45 if I am doing something with 7 or so malts and a large batch.

I keep 4 base malts, about dozen different spec malts. Dont underestimate the space and the ire they draw.

But you can brew what and when you want if the opportunity arises.

Barge if you have a 38l pot just get another and do side by sides. Will take virtually the same time but double the output and 2 different beers.




Barge said:


> How long does it take to mill? Time is precious when the kids are younger. My older kids feed and bathe themselves so dinner/bath time is not an issue. It is for my younger 2 though. I have to feed the 18 month old and make sure the 3 y.o. stays at the table. Then I have to bathe/dress/etc both of them.
> 
> I'm assuming the situation is similar for the OP.


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## Barge (15/1/16)

Markbeer said:


> Barge if you have a 38l pot just get another and do side by sides. Will take virtually the same time but double the output and 2 different beers.


Good idea, I hadn't thought of that. Because I made an electric kettle, and put money into the elements and enclosure and time into wiring it and getting it checked then I'm planning on putting up with it for a while.

Next on thw build list is the Brauduino. I just need to cut out the enclosure and it will be ready to start putting together. I'm hoping that will make the brew day that much easier again.

Down the track I was planning on upgrading the pot and using the existing elements, enclosures, etc. and cube malting/hopping to get 2 or 3 different cubes from one session.


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## Bribie G (15/1/16)

earle said:


> I BIAB in a crown urn and chill. I usually set up the night before and put the urn on a timer so that It's ready to mash in around 8 the next day. If I get my act together on that day I can be chilled, into the fermenter and cleaned up by about 12. If you used a timer to do that but got up much earlier and no-chilled you could be finished and cleaned up by around 9 I reckon.


Late response but to double the output of an urn BIAB brew without buying a second urn, provided that you have the means to heat up a second batch of strike water, you can do a mash in a bag in an esky while the first batch is boiling. When the urn is free, transfer mash in bag and go again. I use a 30 dollar Aldi esky, 40L I think.

Only adds about 2 hours to the day. 

If really fanatical you could just keep the mashes coming at 2 hour intervals till you collapse in a heap.


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## mxd (15/1/16)

Liam_snorkel said:


> 20min mash 20min boil. Works well for hoppy pales.
> 
> http://brewrr.com/posts/beer-time-continuum


the only issue I see with that is I think mashing is 3 pints and 3 pints in 20 minutes (sure we've all done it) could have a negative impact on my 2 pints for boiling


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## michaeld16 (15/1/16)

CmdrRyekr said:


> Been said, but crush the night before and fill your HLT, stick it on a timer. Ready for mash in early! Jump out of bed, tip in the grain in, stir then back in to make the kids breakfast. Or go back to bed, as I've done a few times.


I have had to adjust a few recipes due to increased mash efficiency due to going back to sleep for a few hours after doughing in.


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## MetalDan (15/1/16)

If I was to mash in in the morning, and not get to the boil until the arvo would there be issues if I just left the grain in the urn all day, or better to pull the grain after standard mash in time? It'd be nice to be able to mash in and then just leave it and go out all day..


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## Liam_snorkel (15/1/16)

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/58615-extended-mashing-times/


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## thylacine (15/1/16)

Mick0s said:


> Hi all, I think I already know the answer to this one, but thought it was worth putting out there for those who know better to tell me that its stupid.
> 
> So, I've been BIAB'ing for about a year now, with only 5 brews under my belt, mainly due to the fact that September saw the arrival of my son, to add to the now 2yr old, daughter. As the title suggests, time to myself is now at a premium, and setting aside 5 hours for a brew is seeming more and more difficult, unless I want to hang out in the garage until midnight.
> 
> ...


Overnight mashing...

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=30815


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## chesl73 (25/1/16)

I've done overnight mashing before although do it slightly differently to the link - and I also BIAB which means you don't have to bother with sparging which helps.
My 2 cents split schedule would be:

Friday night: After the kids are in bed get everything measured and get organised and heat the kettle to strike temp and do the mash. At the end of the mash dump the grain and cover the kettle with the wort in it.
Saturday: Do the boil and depending on the time I either do a no chill - actually more of a 'slow chill' in which at flameout I cover the kettle with a sanitised tea towel/towel and put the lid on and let it cool overnight. Or you just go straight to chilling your wort and fermenting.
Sunday: If you've slow chilled, transfer to fermenter, pitch the yeast and you're done.

I've done slow-chill lots of times (all indoors though as I do smaller mini-BIABs) and I've never had a problem with contamination.


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## BDC (29/1/16)

Great thread. Keen to hear any other suggestions or tricks picked up along the way.

One thing I've been told is to drop my OCD cleaning and sanitising routine for the urn because the boil will take care of any nasties. Anyone got an opinion on this?

With a challenging 18 month old and demanding SWMBO I often find myself starting when everyone is in bed and going to bed at 2am. The boy is up at 5.30... I love brew night but the next day is not so much fun.


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## BDC (29/1/16)

I should have mentioned: I'm in the BIAB no-chill club... Although I recently added a mini-boil with crash chill to my routine (pre-ferment)


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## razz (29/1/16)

OCD cleaning is over the top in this instance BDC, but if that is you then don't fuss about it. I would simply remove any pipe work and tap fitting and inspect it for build up of wort residue. This stuff will go mouldy/stinky if not cleaned out.


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## BDC (29/1/16)

Thanks razz. That should skim a bit of time off my brew night.


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## BDC (29/1/16)

Just realised that there is something I do to avoid getting the dreaded "all you ever do is brew" lecture. It might be of some value to someone.

Once I've decided on my recipe, whenever I've got 10 mins of down time I take a glance and see if there is anything I could measure out and pack away in advance for later use. eg hop additions, grains, any adjuncts or spices, even put a whirlfloc tab aside somewhere handy, although I've learnt to store these in a bag where they're not exposed directly to air - had one disintegrate one me last brew.


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## BDC (29/1/16)

Most experienced brewers would probably have a bunch of subconscious shortcuts they make without even realising.

Got a great idea for a speed-brewing comp. Everyone brews the same recipe and records their brewday and ferment. Make the chilling component not count so no-chillers stand a chance. I bet we'd catch a lot of cool ideas from each other!


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## contrarian (29/1/16)

I think that the trick of brewing around a family is knowing your process well, when the critical moments in a brew day are and how to time them so they don't interfere with too many other things. 

There's different time efficiencies with different systems but really with brewing, even though it takes 5 hours, there's probably only an hour or so where you really need to be hands on and doing something. So I think it's more how you fit the gaps in with the kids than anything else. 

Also depends on their age. When my first kid was a baby it was easy to get up early in the morning and get a brew underway while my wife had a sleep in. Normally she wasn't worried about the rest of the brew after an extra couple of hours sleep! 

It's a bit different now with 2 who are much more interested in being hands on with the process.. Eating grain in particular for some reason!


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## Judanero (29/1/16)

If you're using an urn and have a STC, you can set it on a timer to turn on and have the STC bring and hold the water at mash in temp.

This can be waiting for you when you wake up so all you need is to dough in and insulate the urn, I aim for a 60-90 min mash but will often be dictated by when I know I'll have half an hour free to raise and rinse the bag- sometimes three hours later.

I have been first wort hopping as I lift the bag, and as soon as it has been drained I empty it and give the bag, mash paddle and oven rack the bag sits on a rinse.

I check on the wort after ~15 mins and it is usually at the boil or close to, once the boil starts I set my alarm for 45 mins time and go spend family time, once alarm goes off I go and measure my brew brite and yeast nutrient out and add that to the kettle.

At flameout I wrap my kettle in its insulation jacket (I have a 50sm ss ruler with a mark at 27L so I know I how much needs to be in kettle to fill cube and have 2L left for a starter- I top with boiling water if below this level )whirlpool for ~ 2 mins and but the lid back on.. I let it settle for about 20 mins-half hour (insulation jacket loses ~ 1 degree per 90 mins at mash temps so I know I'll still be in the right temp range) before I add cube additions and fill cube.

Any trub left gets drained into a bucket, my balvalve taken off (tri clover) and the boil ring scrubbed off using a scotch brite pad and water from the hose, quick rinse and kettle left uside down to drain.

This is my method pretty much every time I brew now with a nearly three year old and 13 month old, and there are only really a few times that I'm present during the brew- mash in, draining bag, flameout, cube fill/quick rinse.

I'm usually done in 3.5 hrs (depending on mash length) but only really spend about an hour or so in the garage total.


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## The Judge (26/10/16)

There I was going for my tried and tested method of setup on night 1, mash on night 2, and boil on night 3. Usually night 2 and 3 finish up at 9:30ish. But tonight I've had my first stuck mash ever and it's blown night 2's schedule waaaay out. I've got sore cheeks from trying to suck the mash through, hot sweet sugary water all over my brew area, a sticky brauduino, and a trickle of wort finally happening after 2 hours of pain and watching my strike temp drop from 70 to 55 

Mash starting now at 9:00pm and looks like the clean up is going to take me well into the night!


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## Andy_27 (9/11/16)

Two words... Day Care!!

May not work if you're not a shift worker though....

I have a 2 yr old and 4 yr old twins who are very interested and want to help and watch but lose interest quickly. Now its getting warmer, I just get them outside to play while I brew in the shed keeping half an eye on them and listening out for tears. They do love everything beer though. The twins went to day care last week and told the teacher "My dad only talks about breakfast, lunch and beer!" and I got my hop box out of the fridge a few days ago and the 2 year old said "Are they your hops dad?" Even lunch time isnt immune with the latest being 4 yr old: Dad whats vegemite made out of? Me: Um, yeast. 4 yr old: "Like beer! Beers made out of yeast!" The missus isnt too impressed, especially when its a fight to the death for who gets to go with dad to the beer shop....

Ahhh kids!


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## niftinev (9/11/16)

wait till your kids grow up

then get them to do it


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