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[Groove1911]

Hi All, I just started last weekend with a beginner kit. I have always liked cooking and a friend recommended this hobby to me. I enjoyed it! However, I am challenged by the lengthy process time. I love beer and getting started, but the 6 week process is a bit of a challenge to me. Is there equipment (for beginners) that may speed up the process?

 

[Sunfire96]

If you want to spend a lot of money on a unitank fermenter that will condition, carbonate, chill, and serve your beer, that would save a few days to a week. Kegging is faster than bottling, and much less expensive than a unitank fermenter. You can also brew a particular style that's better adapted to a quick fermentation time. I would avoid lagers, dark ales, and sours. Different yeast strains also affect fermentation time. Kveik strains are known for their quickness. Hope that helps!

 

[Nosybear]

Hi All, I just started last weekend with a beginner kit. I have always liked cooking and a friend recommended this hobby to me. I enjoyed it! However, I am challenged by the lengthy process time. I love beer and getting started, but the 6 week process is a bit of a challenge to me. Is there equipment (for beginners) that may speed up the process?

Not that I'd recommend for beginners. But just think of the anticipation: In six weeks you get to enjoy beer you made!

 

[J A]

The carbonation process is the buzz-kill. If you stay with it and start to routinely brew 5 gallon batches, you'll benefit from kegging. It doesn't have to be too onerous or expensive to set up the basics - cheap fridge off craigslist, 2-3 used corny kegs, couple of picnic taps and hoses, simple CO2 rig. I got by for a couple of years before I ever set up a proper kegerator with a dedicated CO2 system.
Being able to fill a keg with finished beer and drink it with a day or two is worth the extra equipment. There are many beers that can go from grain to glass in a little over a week.

 

[Steve Ruch]

There's no reason a normal strength beer needs 6 weeks.

 

[BOB357]

Welcome Groove.

I agree with @Steve Ruch, but would recommend that you stick with the kit instructions until you become comfortable with the process and have made a few decent beers. Once you've done that, you'll find plenty of good information here to help speed your process up and help solve any problems you might run into along the way.

 

[Zambi]

Welcome...
Kveik is quick.
6 weeks is long. I count on 10-14 days for fermenting and the same for bottle conditioning.
But basically it is only the first one that's an issue. While you wait for the second one to get ready, you drink your first batch
That can't be too hard, is it?

 

[Craigerrr]

You have more to learn about brewing than you can even imagine right now. I would recommend that you get a half dozen or more batches under your belt before you start investing in equipment. For your first several batches I would say that the most important things to good results are:

If you are using municipal tap water treat it with 1/2 of a Campden tablet to get rid of the Chlorine in the water.

Try to manage the temperature of fermentation, yeast produces heat, so the beer will be warmer than your room temperature, find a cool place to keep it.

Kveik yeast likes to ferment warm (hot even), and works quick at higher temperatures, the trade off is that it typically takes longer to bottle condition. You won't really save any time with Kveik, but you won't need to stress about keeping control of temperature during fermentation. You could even put it in a room with a little space heater to keep the temperature up.

Then there is the advice that no one follows which is to brew the same recipe again, and again, until it is the same every time (you have learned to brew)...

 

[Craigerrr]

Oh and welcome to Brewer's Friend, we have a good group of experienced, helpful people here. Just make sure that you stay off @BOB357 's lawn

 

[Ward Chillington]

Keep in mind you are creating a living thing, just like 9 women can't make a baby in 1 month, 4 brewers can't make a bottle of beer in a week! Yeah to what they said, stick to a simple ale and use dry Kveik. Even if you bottle you can be drinking your brew inside a month and you'll find the rewards certainly worth the time and the effort.

 

[Zambi]

If

You have more to learn about brewing than you can even imagine right now. I would recommend that you get a half dozen or more batches under your belt before you start investing in equipment. For your first several batches I would say that the most important things to good results are:

If you are using municipal tap water treat it with 1/2 of a Campden tablet to get rid of the Chlorine in the water.

Try to manage the temperature of fermentation, yeast produces heat, so the beer will be warmer than your room temperature, find a cool place to keep it.

Kveik yeast likes to ferment warm (hot even), and works quick at higher temperatures, the trade off is that it typically takes longer to bottle condition. You won't really save any time with Kvoeik, but you won't need to stress about keeping control of temperature during fermentation. You could even put it in a room with a little space heater to keep the temperature up.

Then there is the advice that no one follows which is to brew the same recipe again, and again, until it is the same every time (you have learned to brew)...

Interesting Craig,
I've only used Kveik on cider sofar, but didn't notice that it carbed slower at alll!

 

[Craigerrr]

Not necessarily the case always. My only experience bottle conditioning with Kveik was with a Coffee Porter, it took longer than usual to be ready.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Welcome. When I started looking at the 6 week standard time but I learned that less and less brewers are doing 2 week secondary fermentation. But follow the instructions of your 1st kit. Honing in on the process is but one facet of brewing. Hang in there.

 

[Donoroto]

Just as a data point: You CAN have a decent ale in under 10 days, start to finish. But this uses temperature-controlled fermentation and forced carbonation in a keg. Don't start there, but know it's possible. (Indeed, with a Kviek yeast and some care, you can be drinking in under 5 days. But hold off on that for a little while, as it gets tricky.)

 

[Hawkbox]

6 weeks seems like a long time to me, even with bottle conditioning I would say you could drink most in 3 but they wouldn't be as good.

However I used plastic bottles when I started, I'd want to be more careful using glass.