Facing up to beer brewing logistics

[jennyss]

I'm facing up to beer brewing logistics........ How much to make, when to make it, where to put the full and empty (PET) bottles. The FV is in the laundry. There is some storage there, and in the dining room and that is it. I'm thinking to start a new brew while I've still got 29 bottles maturing from my third brew, and only 9 bottles left from Brew no. 2. I'd love to hear some of your tips for scheduling making brews and storage. Saving money is my main motive for home brewing. Thanks in advance from jennyss

[ben 10]

It's a genuine problem.
I have 6 taps, one is soda water the others are beer and occasionally a cider.
 

I have one current fermenter for quick beers and two dedicated to sours (which ferment for six months).

So, in essence five batches on rotation.

Questions....
1. Can you cold crash (good for the beer and a great storage method)
2. How much do you drink?

[Classic Brewing Co]

43 minutes ago, jennyss said:

I'm facing up to beer brewing logistics........ How much to make, when to make it, where to put the full and empty (PET) bottles. The FV is in the laundry. There is some storage there, and in the dining room and that is it. I'm thinking to start a new brew while I've still got 29 bottles maturing from my third brew, and only 9 bottles left from Brew no. 2. I'd love to hear some of your tips for scheduling making brews and storage. Saving money is my main motive for home brewing. Thanks in advance from jennyss

I reckon if you keep a brewing diary or at least good notes, label batches etc, & if you keep a few from each brew (labelled) you can store some of each for comparisons to ageing etc.

But as @interceptor says, depends on how much you drink. 

[DavidM]

When I started, I had no idea how many bottles I needed to "Keep Up" with my drinking habits and the Wife's.

I've ended up with over three hundred glass longneck bottles, the PET the kit came with.

I have lot's of room (not everyone does), built a Cupboard in a storage area to keep them all in and control the temperature in winter.

It's now Full and overflowing on to other shelves.

Once you are honest about how much you consume a week, then you know how often you have to brew.

The hard part for me in the begging was getting ahead of the curve, so the beer had time to age four weeks (Some say that is the minimum)

It's fun, time and room help.

[jennyss]

Thanks @interceptorand @Classic Brewing Co, Yes the elephant in the room is how much do we drink! I think I will stick to 1 FV at the moment, because of the space limitations. If I can brew once per fortnight, we would not be buying very much beer. 

One very pleasing thing - I tasted my pale ale alongside a Tooheys New, my husband's usual drop: I poured the Tooheys New down the sink! (He was not drinking that day).

As to cold crashing: I will learn more about that as I progress - early days.

[jennyss]

Thanks @DavidM Yes, space is a big factor in storage possibilities. A small flat would a challenge for a brewer. 

I'm thinking if I buy another box of 15 PETS I will just about keep up. I also don't want to keep moving bottles. 

I was saying I am making beer to save money, but I am enjoying the challenge and the learning curve.

[ben 10]

16 minutes ago, jennyss said:

If I can brew once per fortnight, we would not be buying very much beer. 

2.14 longnecks a night?

[jennyss]

13 minutes ago, interceptor said:

2.14 longnecks a night?

Wellll.......... we'll see whose kidding themselves. Actually I drink white wine too

[DavidM]

42 minutes ago, DavidM said:

When I started, I had no idea how many bottles I needed to "Keep Up" with my drinking habits and the Wife's.

I've ended up with over three hundred glass longneck bottles, the PET the kit came with.

I have lot's of room (not everyone does), built a Cupboard in a storage area to keep them all in and control the temperature in winter.

It's now Full and overflowing on to other shelves.

Once you are honest about how much you consume a week, then you know how often you have to brew.

The hard part for me in the begging was getting ahead of the curve, so the beer had time to age four weeks (Some say that is the minimum)

It's fun, time and room help.

Beginning ^^

Not that silly word I wrote!!

[Classic Brewing Co]

50 minutes ago, jennyss said:

Tooheys New, my husband's usual drop: I poured the Tooheys New down the sink

That is another one that should be poured down the sink. 

[Hilltop hops]

I have 2x19l kegs, 1x20l pressure fermenter keg and an 8l keg plus hundreds of long necks but only 1 fermenter with temp controlled fridge. What I've learnt is lagers tie up your gear for long periods of time. If you like ales Kveik can be good for high temp quick fermentation. I have been really busy with work lately so stock is high! 

[thebeerpig]

Hi Jennyss. Probably not an ideal storage place for everyone but I have found storing beer under my 2 beds works for me. I had to raise the Queen bed in the spare room with 6mm thick bits of wood to get the Coopers boxes to slide under it, but it will now store up to 48 boxes of full or empty bottles. The Queen bed in the main bedroom can store around 480 full stubbies when standing upright in trays. I have also found zip up supermarket cool bags are good for storing bottles if there aren't any boxes to keep them in.

[DavidM]

Great use of space that you have.

[jennyss]

Thanks @thebeerpig- Excellent storage ideas and photos.  I have just worked out a better home for the vacuum cleaner; which will make space for 30 bottles under the bed in the spare room!

[RDT2]

On 4/10/2022 at 9:06 AM, thebeerpig said:

Hi Jennyss. Probably not an ideal storage place for everyone but I have found storing beer under my 2 beds works for me. I had to raise the Queen bed in the spare room with 6mm thick bits of wood to get the Coopers boxes to slide under it, but it will now store up to 48 boxes of full or empty bottles. The Queen bed in the main bedroom can store around 480 full stubbies when standing upright in trays. I have also found zip up supermarket cool bags are good for storing bottles if there aren't any boxes to keep them in.

I know a bloke who stored homebrew under his bed, until they started detonating in the middle of the night. Wife was not impressed, I laughed so hard when I heard the story 

Edited April 23, 2022 by RDT2

[Pints]

1 hour ago, RDT2 said:

I know a bloke who stored homebrew under his bed, until they started detonating in the middle of the night. Wife was not impressed, I laughed so hard when I heard the story 

I'm trying to picture their reactions waking up to that

[Malter White]

@jennyssDo you have any outdoor storage options? A broom closet under the porch perhaps. You could probably pick one up cheap on Marketplace or Gumtree. While it might be more expenditure if it saves you buying $50, $60+ slabs of commercial beer it's money well spent.

[jennyss]

@Muzzy , with new space created under a bed in the spare room, I now have space for 90 bottles of beer; full or empty. 

Right now I have run out of home brew. There are 29 bottles ready for testing on Wednesday after 3 weeks in the bottle; and the Coopers Pale Ale in the FV is ready to bottle - will do it tomorrow. 

So I obviously need to tweek my timing to get another brew in the rotation before I run out. I think I'll have to stick to one FV at the moment.

[Malter White]

10 hours ago, jennyss said:

@Muzzy , with new space created under a bed in the spare room, I now have space for 90 bottles of beer; full or empty. 

Right now I have run out of home brew. There are 29 bottles ready for testing on Wednesday after 3 weeks in the bottle; and the Coopers Pale Ale in the FV is ready to bottle - will do it tomorrow. 

So I obviously need to tweek my timing to get another brew in the rotation before I run out. I think I'll have to stick to one FV at the moment.

Under the bed sounds like a good solution.
Most people would get by with one FV. I'm a bit of a pig so I have more than. I found I was running out beer in the early days of my brewing journey. It was roughly 3 weeks from start to drinking time to make 2 boxes of beer. I was drinking 1 a week roughly, so I was finding myself 1 box short each cycle. The answer was a second FV.

[Tricky Micky]

On 4/24/2022 at 5:13 PM, MUZZY said:

Under the bed sounds like a good solution.
Most people would get by with one FV. I'm a bit of a pig so I have more than. I found I was running out beer in the early days of my brewing journey. It was roughly 3 weeks from start to drinking time to make 2 boxes of beer. I was drinking 1 a week roughly, so I was finding myself 1 box short each cycle. The answer was a second FV.

I did that too Muzzy, got the extra FV because I was continually running out - Dunno what's happened but I'm still running out of beer. 

[Malter White]

1 minute ago, Mickep said:

I did that too Muzzy, got the extra FV because I was continually running out - Dunno what's happened but I'm still running out of beer. 

I'm running out of beer also, Mick, but production is at record levels. My problem is I kegged more beer than I can carbonate at once. I should have bottled about 50% so I have back up stock. It's a learning curve this kegging caper.

[Tricky Micky]

2 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

I'm running out of beer also, Mick, but production is at record levels. My problem is I kegged more beer than I can carbonate at once. I should have bottled about 50% so I have back up stock. It's a learning curve this kegging caper.

My production levels have increased - I'm suspicious though that my consumption levels may have increased as well - either that or Wifey is sneaking a few sips during the day while I'm at work.

[DavidM]

I have the same problem (first world problem).

Production is up but so is consumption..

Hard to keep ahead of the Ageing curve! 

[Classic Brewing Co]

All you blokes using fancy jargon re: consumption, face up to it - you drink too much & Mick blaming the wife  as long as you don't smoke eat healthy you'll be right.

Have another beer 

[jennyss]

Not as clever as I thought I was! I ran out of home brew two weeks ago. My Coopers Real Ale will be ready on Monday 4th July, and the Woolworths Lager we just put in the FV will be ready to try on Saturday 16th.  For the moment I'm reduced to expensive Tooheys New.

My storage is sorted out with enough room under beds and in cupboards for 120 full or empty bottles.