What's your timeline for a double brew day?

[bigken462]

Figured I would stick this down here in general chat since it's more of a sitting under a shade tree question.

This Tuesday, I'm going to attempt my first double all grain brew day. I'll be doing a Irish Red and a SA Summer Ale. Both have a 60 minute mash schedule and 60 minute boil.

I dread it already because I'm usually spent after doing only one. It's the damn set up and clean up that kicks my keester cause usually I'm already tired from working night shift. Everything has to be carried out to the garage and set up and then when completed carried back into the house to store.

My primary equipment profile is:
1. Turkey frier burner
2. 10 gallon Igloo cooler mash tun
3. 7 gallon turkey frier pot used for a HLT
4. 15 gallon boil kettle
5. Immersion chiller

I also have a spare KAB6 banjo burner and 120quart pot that can be used if needed. I don't typically use these since it's a gas hog and overkill for a 5 gallon batch. I do use the 120 pot as a kitchen sink though. lol

I'm just getting somewhat streamlined and efficient with my time with one batch, but haven't put much thought into how I would do a double batch yet. To make most use of time, several steps would have to overlap with one another and this is where I could use some help with. I would imagine if I don't start the second till the first is finished that it would be a very long day.

Could you guys share your timeline and steps?

Thanks much,

 

[westo2]

Double (or triple or more) brew days are great. It's constant motion, but becomes a very efficient way to get a bunch of beers knocked out at once. The method I describe below is for batch sparging and works quite well. I've gotten 5 batches done in a little over 10 hours in the past. If you can borrow an extra pot and burner, it becomes much more streamlined.

Get the first mash going as you normally would. Once the mash is going - get your sparge water measured out into your brew kettle. If you have a second pot and burner available, also measure out your strike water for the second batch and get both heating, get the grains measured and milled for your second batch. If you are able to source a second pot, but no burner, heat your sparge water first, going above your normal temp (you can always use some cool water to get to the proper temperature) and getting it into your HLT, and then get your strike water for the second batch heating. By the end of the mash, have your sparge water in the HLT as normal and do your regular run-off. To have this work right - you will need an extra kettle or something to hold your strike water for the second batch.

Once you've got your pre-boil volume, get the mash tun cleaned and start your second mash. Do the boil and chill on your first batch as normal, and the timing should just about line up so that you can go right back to the mash tun and run off your second batch. If you are able to get the timing right, you end up saving an hour of time per batch as your mash and boil times overlap.

 

[Evan_L]

^ what he said. Too funny, about this time last year, I did my first AG back to back and it was also with an Irish red and a Sam Summer clone! Since you have 2 pots and 2 burners available this should be no sweat. Use the smaller pot and crappier burner to heat strike and sparge water for the second mash, you want to be mashing in a second time as soon as possible after draining the tun and starting the first boil. If you get the timing right, a second batch only adds 60-75 minutes to brew day, the time of a second boil.

 

[Beernik]

I've only done a double brewday once. My SOP is back to back brewdays.

 

[bigken462]

I worked off this morning and have not been to bed yet. Just got the brewhouse set up and all the water pre-measured. All I have to do in the morning is make a pot of coffee and light the fire.

This time tomorrow night, the bed is going to feel good cause I'm already beat. lol

 

[SeeMont]

Good Luck, Did it once and I'm still tired.

 

[bigken462]

Not a bad day, just wrapped up about 30 minutes ago. Everything cleaned, stored and garage mopped. Supper is in the oven. The recliner is mine the rest of the night.

All in all a good day. One stuck sparge - or so I thought. Dang tubing was kinked in the pot. I'm embarrassed to say what I done before figuring it out, but it added a hour to my session. Broke my hydrometer on the second boil, but aside from that everything went smooth with it.

Glad it's over. Time for supper!!

Ken

 

[cluckk]

I do a double brew in two different ways. The easiest is with a parti-gyle where I mash really large with nothing but pale malt then steep specialty grains to make two different beers from the same mash. For this I use one MLT and two burners and kettles.

I also have a second MLT so I can heat strike water after the first dough-in and mash separately. While it converts I can batch sparge and start the boil on the first one. During the boil I batch sparge the second mash and start it boiling.

My double day only adds another two hours or so, most times. Having double equipment helps. Of course, it may not take much longer but it really wipes me out.