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

[Matplat]

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.

 

[CmdrRyekr]

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.

 

[Barge]

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.

 

[Barge]

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.

 

[Hippy]

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.

 

[stux]

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.

 

[indica86]

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.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

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

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

 

[Barge]

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.

 

[SBOB]

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

 

[indica86]

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.

 

[Barge]

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.

 

[Kingy]

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.

 

[Markbeer]

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.

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.

 

[Barge]

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.

 

[Bribie G]

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.

 

[mxd]

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

 

[michaeld16]

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.

 

[MetalDan]

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..

 

[Liam_snorkel]

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