Early morning brewing

chessking

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I was just wondering, as I rolled out of bed this morning and put the heat to my strike water at 4:30 am, if anyone else was a morning brewer. I used to stay up late after the kids were asleep to brew, and found that as the night rolled into morning, and if nothing went wrong I would not get to bed until about 3 or 4. I would start out clear headed, but as the brew session progressed, my ability to think clearly would diminish. Consuming some adult beverages from my fine and extensive cellar didn't help either.
Now on brew day, I rise well before the sun, and I am usually completed and cleaned up by 10am. This would include transfer to a keg, All grain brew session, washing of the previous yeast for the next batch, and clean up. I start out groggy, but as the day goes on my mind becomes sharper. Drinking coffee this time. The house is quiet, and I am finishing up, and for the most part out of the way, by the time the rest of the household gets to moving around. I just enjoy brewing this way much more.
Any one else?
 
Sounds almost zen-like, but I tend to go for "afternoon delight" myself....
 
I like to get started early, but not before sunrise. The mash is a good time to get other stuff done, like eat breakfast.

+1 for staying clear headed on brew day. The original brewing checklist was invented because I forgot steps when I was drinking home brew while making home brew.
 
My normal day starts at 5 am but I start brewing around 11 am, eat my lunch while mashing, thats gives me plenty of time to drink coffee in the early morning as I need more and more as I get older lol
 
Close to finished with a brew day - wife's watching "Glee" so it's good to have something to do meanwhile.... Brew is inspired by Dogfish Head's Theobroma - 4 Oz cocoa in the mash, 1.5 oz Annatto in the boil, 2.2# honey added to primary after a couple days fermentation, 12 oz ancho peppers for dry hopping (I might accidentally leave a seed or two in for a little added kick). Beer's cooling and aerating now (I throw the airstone in when the beer reaches 80° and let it go for a half-hour - no bottled oxygen needed!). So soon, all that's left is the cleanup! And by that time, it should be time to watch a Cheers rerun on Netflix and hit the bed, refreshed and ready to start another work week....
 
I often enjoy the morning brews when I do them. There is a zen-like quality to it. It's usually a lot quieter in the neighborhood and I like the warmth of the burner on a chilly morning. With a cup of great coffee in my hand while heating the strike water is almost surreal. Then the smell of the grains and the hustle of steps is nice. It sets a nice tone for the rest of the day.

I think I know what I'm doing this weekend...
 
I know this is an old thread, but it hit me, that the early morning brew (I mean the 4 am stuff), is exactly my routine. I dig being done with most of the day left. Also, I have found that brewing, and consuming, work better if practiced separately. I seem to be able to enjoy both more. Brewing clear headed, and drinking without trying to keep up on a process.
 

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