- Pre-wash all equipment! This is one of the most important time-saving tips.
- Always consider sanitation!
- Get take-out for dinner
- Pre-sort bottle caps if they're printed or different colors.
- Plan out the process and set up work stations: Bottling area, brewing area, sanitizing area
- Make sure work areas are clear of unrelated stuff.
- Pre-warm malt extracts, and any liquids added to the wort: it will flow better too.
- If using a wort chiller, make a plan to reclaim the water as best you can; we're in a drought afterall.
- Have a good bottle washing/drying system (think sanitation)
- Suction prime pump (like a brake bleeding system)
- Label the batches: Type, Fermentation 1 (F1), F1 Date, F1 Gravity, Fermentation 2 (F2), F2 Date, F2 Gravity
- Always consider sanitation!
- Use colored crates or some other rigid box to store carbonating bottles (consitancy is key here: 1 batch = 1 color)
- Make a jig to hold the syphoning hose just above the sediment when transfering wort to bottling container
- Use something like a thick book to tilt the bottling bucket when you get near the bottom (watch out for sediment)
- Get a wine thief, or basting bulb for extracting samples for gravity readings
- Get/make something to carry a full carboy
- Keep your supplies in a central area, single container is best
- Reusable plastic 6-pack carriers
- Full-size, "Half barrell" 15.5 US Gal Keg, with the top cut off as a brewing kettle
- Galvanized steel or plastic tub in sanitizing station. Something large enough to sterilize all equipment and < 24 bottles
- Always consider sanitation!
Debriefing: Lessons Learned in Making Beer
Monday, 15 June 2009 14:21
Filed under: Life
I've brewed, or helped brew and bottle about 5 batches of beer so far this year. It's a great activity to do with friends, while drinking the last batch you bottled, or freeing up bottles for your first batch. There are a number of things we've learned so far that could make the process easier while ensuring a good clean batch all the way through the 4-6 week process.
