Quickest Possible AG

[ksbrain]

Normally I do dual brew days. Two 5-gallon batches in around 6 hours. Usually I'm pitching on the first batch around the 4 hour mark. Pretty good. But I want to do better.

Since the baby was born three months ago (kid number four) brewing has really slowed down. Once since then. As opposed to every 3-4 weeks before that. My pipeline is really starting to concern me. I might have to keg my lambic or...gasp...buy beer.

So I'm thinking how fast could I really do it?

My normal routine is a 45 minute mash and 60 minute boil. I think I could maybe mash and boil for 30 minutes each and trim a single batch to 3 hours if I found 15 minutes somewhere else (maybe pitch warmer). If I thought I could do it in 2 hours, I might just go down there and try it right now. But I don't want to be up to 2 AM if it ends up taking 4 hours.

What's the fastest anyone has done a five gallon AG batch?

 

[LVBen]

You could try "no chill". I did a 3-hour batch of pale ale with a 45-minute mash and a 60-minute boil, and pitched the yeast the next day.

 

[EternalHoppiness]

Still takes me 5-6 hours for one batch, so you're ahead of me.

In case you didn't see it, there's a recent thread (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/ag-brew-day-less-than-3-hours-possible-257327/) with a lot of good discussion on this topic.

 

[SDCore]

BIAB setup can take 2 hours.. 60 min mash, 60 min boil 30 to cool down wort with a good immersion chiller or cooling system

 

[C-Rider]

BIAB setup can take 2 hours.. 60 min mash, 60 min boil 30 to cool down wort with a good immersion chiller or cooling system

Hmmm looks like 2.5 hours to me. Been sampling the brew again.

 

[SDCore]

Haha yeah I was like 2 hours of brew time then i was to lazy to add in the chilling part WHOOOPS

 

[ksbrain]

In case you didn't see it, there's a recent thread (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/ag-brew-day-less-than-3-hours-possible-257327/) with a lot of good discussion on this topic.

I hadn't seen that. Thanks for the link.

Here's my tentative plan:
20 minutes heatup strike water
45 minutes mash
20 minutes runoff/sparge
20 minutes heat to boil
60 minutes boil
30 minutes cool
15 minutes pitch

That's 3.5 hours, clean as I go, sounds doable.

 

[LVBen]

Why does it take you 15 minutes to pitch yeast?

 

[jimlin]

Why does it take you 15 minutes to pitch yeast?

possibly including aeration?

 

[smokewater]

BIAB setup can take 2 hours.. 60 min mash, 60 min boil 30 to cool down wort with a good immersion chiller or cooling system

You still have to account for the time it takes to heat the water. Get some no chill us plastic barrels and a 15 gallon pot and you could do 10 gallon BIAB batches and ferment in the no chill containers. 2.5 hours is about the lower limit without the chilling time. Probably 3 depending on the burner you are using.

 

[Bezel]

I do a biab at around 3 hours including cleanup, doing a full all grain around 6

 

[Bezel]

Oh... And with a full all grain setup you can double/triple batch pretty easy

 

[ksbrain]

possibly including aeration?

That and straining into bucket then racking into carboy. And also final cleanup.