I am all about efficiency but some of these ideas seem extreme. What do you think?
http://brulosophy.com/2014/12/22/18-ideas-to-help-simplify-your-brew-day/
I agree, except for
Pressure canning starter wort
Clean as I go
Measuring hops before I brew
No bags, I go commando
FWH and WP is pretty awesome, but I dont know about using it solely
Big ass chiller with pumped recirculation
No secondary unless im doing a second fermentation
Limited drinking
Minimal worrying
But other than those few, I agree. Unnecessary!
I already do some of those things.
- I weigh out all my hops during the mash
- I get as much ready the night before as possible. Buying water the night before makes getting out of bed easier if I don’t have to go somewhere before I get started.
- I skip secondary, most of the time
- I don’t drink until the flame is out
- I clean as I go to a point. I use the chiller runoff as cleaning and rinsing water. I get most of my cleaning done while chilling and whirlpooling.
I do this stuff, too. Drinking after flameout was big in my QC. 
I do most of those. I generally don’t drink until the boil is settled in. I mill the day before or a few days before. I get as much ready the night before. Rarely secondary. Pump on the immersion chiller. Clean as I go. Measure during mash.
I look at efficiency as getting the most out of your most precious resource. Whether that is money (ingredients, fuel, equipment) space (batch size, type of equipment, storage) or time (prep, less steps, quick chilling)
For me these days with two little ones, time is by far the hardest to come by. I try to minimize the length of my brew day as much as possible. Finding half an hour in the evening a few days before brewdays is much easier than spending an extra half hour on brewday.
pretty much everything for me except 30 minute mash…i just tend to do around 75 minutes.
most my brewing starts at 6am so drinking coffee works just fine :
Yeah, no short mashes for me. And as I said to Drew, I’m too lazy to can wort to make brewing easier.
It’s not like I heat my canner with a Gilligan bicycle powered canner. I actually think canning starter is lazier
What’s the hurry? This is my hobby. I like brewing.
I think this often. Especially when I see folks rushing everything. This is just a therapeutic session for me… Time mostly irrelevant.
Yeah, I agree. I have my process down to be efficient and consistent, but not feel rushed. Brew time is my time.
I’m jealous of you guys. Finding time is the biggest challenge in brewing (or any hobby) for me. Any efficiency that doesn’t come at the expense of my enjoyment of the process simply makes it easier for me to find the time to brew.
Plus, I love the challenge of finding new ways to streamline my workflow. I felt pretty accomplished the time I was able to crank out 8 one-gallon batches of beer in 5 hours.
I only brew once per month. When I do, I don’t mind if it takes 5 hours.
Regarding 8 one-gallon batches of beer in 5 hours., I can definitely respect that kind of efficiency. You must have eliminated all hop additions except FWH and whirlpool additions.
I love playing golf, but not 5 hour rounds!
I’m down to a 3.5 hour brewday for American styles and that’s perfect for me - it’s like watching a football game.
I love to brew. Its like cooking for me, kind of therapeutic. Im still learning as ive only been brewing for 9 months or so. Some of these things i do but the FWH and WP are new to me what are they? I usually throw hops in at 60 and at flame-out.
I have been able to move from brewing 5 gallons once a month to 2.5 gallons once per week biab. I find it easier to find 3 hours or so on a weeknight than 5 hours on a weekend. Also I don’t have a dedicated brew area so biab helps because I can do it in the kitchen with less equipment. I usually crush the night before, measure water in the morning, letting it come to room temperature. I turn the stove on as soon as I get home usually about 5:15. I’m finished by 8:30 if its an average gravity. Usually I have something ready to go in the oven as that heat from that helps hold mash temp. Supper happens during the boil then sanitation. I pitch yeast the following morning. I still do 5 gallon batches outside batch sparging when possible. And yea I’ve learned that drinking while doing other things isn’t as fun as it sounds. If at all I pop one open during the boil after sanitizing. Having a system that is consistent has been the most important part of making brewing more relaxing. And oh yea, it makes for better beer.
FWH Is first wort hopping. Putting the bittering charge in the pot with the first runnings rather than at 60 min.
WP is whirlpool. They go in after the boil and once the wort gets down to a certain temp, then held at that temp for X time while the wirlpool continues.
I use electric bucket heaters on a timer to have strike water ready when I wake up and want to start mashing.