Timing Your Brew Sessions

This is actually really simple, but it’s something I often run in to.  Beer takes time to brew.  The yeast are going to do their thing at their own pace.  There are ways you can speed them up or slow them down but those methods could have adverse affects on the flavor of your beer.  Planning ahead is necessary.

The obvious answer is to always have plenty of beer on hand and ready to go! 🙂  That may not be an option if storage is an issue, not to mention the strain on your budget.  Many brewers find recipes they really like and keep them on a regular rotation.  When you’re first starting out, your “pipeline” isn’t consistent as you try different beers and feel your way through the matter of how quickly a batch will be consumed versus having another batch ready by time the previous batch is gone.  I’m still working through this process myself.

For upcoming events, I simply work the timeline backwards. If there’s enough advance notice then you can brew just about anything.  Sometimes you have to be flexible.  You won’t be able to make an imperial stout in time for a party in 2 months but you would have time to brew something else.  Most recipes provide an estimated time frame for how long it will take to ferment, etc.  You may have to do a little searching to find a recipe that will meet your deadline and satisfy the style preference for people at the party.  On the other hand, I’ve been told to just show up with whatever I have and if someone doesn’t like free beer it’s their problem!

Along with flexibility….  You might be able to tweak a recipe to speed things along.  Different strains of yeast have “personalities” that include flavor profiles but also fermentation temperature tolerance and fermentation speed.   Within reason, you might be able to substitute a faster fermenting yeast if you’re in a pinch.  Buyer beware on that advice, though, because it will likely alter the flavor of your beer.

I try to remind my family and friends that they need to put in requests early.  The longer you brew the easier it gets, though.  I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of what my social circles enjoy and can be prepared without their input.  It’s the special requests for something different or last minute shindigs that can throw a monkey wrench in things.  Challenge accepted!