Breaking up the brew day, advice needed

Mashing
1

There’s a ball game on tomorrow at noon that I want to watch (Go Cats!) and I want to break up the brew day. I’m thinking of starting the mash within an hour of the game, running off/sparge at half time, then start the boil after the game.

Or, I could do the whole mash/sparge/runoff before the game, then boil afterwards.

Which would you prefer?

What should I expect with a long (2-3 hour) mash?

If I mash before the game, is it OK to leave the full pre-boil volume at garage temps (mid-40’s) in a covered kettle for 2-3 hours before I start the boil?

Any advice would be appreciate as I’ve never done this before.

2

my 2 cents

  1. watch the first half of the game with your buds, enjoy a few pints.
  2. begin mash at half time…do a 90 mash…stop drinking
  3. after the game, your sober so you won’t f-up your brew
  4. kick your buds to the street as they didn’t stop drinking and will only get in your way from this point on…make sure the DDs do their part so you don’t get sued by next-o-kin.
  5. start the runnoff and proceed as normal.

cheers.

3

I think I would mash and fill the kettle, then bring to a boil, turn off the flame, and wrap the kettle with a sleeping bag or some other insulation. Then enjoy the game. Come back to ~180-190F wort and start heating again.

4

I like Shadetree’s answer, but I would just listen to the game on the radio while I brew. Nice to have something to listen to.

5

If it was baseball, I’d listen for sure. But this is University of Kentucky basketball I’ll be watching. It demands my undivided attention.

I think I’m just gonna brew after the game, but I do appreciate the suggestions. I’m not sure I can get the mash water heated during halftime. And since that longer mash may yield a more fermentable wort, and there’s already corn sugar in the recipe (The Innkeeper), I’m kinda nervous about the end result. Don’t want to risk getting a super dry beer.

6

[quote=“Chinaski1217”]Don’t want to risk getting a super dry beer.[/quote]If you use my suggestion, it’ll turn out just as planned.

7

I had to break up a brew day this past weekend. I did my whole mash and then left the preboil wort in the keggle with a lid on it. Came back 3 hours later and did my boil. No big deal.