The first question people often ask when exploring the idea of brewing beer at home is “How long does it take to brew beer?” In a small brewery, the process of getting from raw materials to a pint of craft beer is complex. The reason the process varies so much depends on the style of brewing, the type of yeast used to ferment the beer, and the process used to condition and carbonate the beer.
Table Of Contents
How long does it take to brew beer?
The beer brewing process is divided into 4 parts. Here’s the average time spent on each section:
- Brewing – 4 hours
- Fermentation – 1-2 weeks
- Packaging – 2 hours
- Carbonation – 1-2 weeks
Why does it take so long to brew beer?
Each stage of the brewing process and determine how long it takes and why it takes so long. Because these points vary depending on the beer style.
beer style
Beer styles with very low alcohol content (ABV) and very high ABV beer styles require different fermentation times, all depending on how much sugar the yeast needs to consume and convert into alcohol. High-alcohol styles take longer to make.
brewing method
The actual brewing process (converting starch to sugar, boiling and adding hops, etc.) varies the length of time it takes to brew beer. It usually takes an hour to prepare, grind the grains and heat the water, an hour to mash, an hour to boil, and an hour to cool, add yeast and aerate. Staged mashing and prolonged boiling may take longer. If the brewing process doubles as a social event and completing the process on time is not a concern, it may also take longer.
fermentation
There are two types of yeast used to ferment beer; ale yeast and brewer’s yeast. put, ale yeast brews beer faster than brewer’s yeast. Ale yeast ferments at much higher temperatures than ale yeast. Ale yeast is more active and ferments faster because the enzymes it uses to break down sugar and convert it into energy work better at higher temperatures. Ale yeast takes 7-10 days to ferment 5 gallons (19 liters) of beer at a fermentation temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). Yet, if the fermentation temperature is lowered, the time required for fermentation increases.
Conditioning (1-4 weeks)
Some beers undergo conditioning after fermentation, which is a time when flavors mature and stabilize. This process, also called maturation, can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, or even longer for some types of beer, such as lager.
Package
It takes several hours to put the finished beer into bottles or “bottling” it. It always feels like it takes longer than any other part of the process. See below for tips on carbonation.
carbonation
The carbonation process can take as little as 5 minutes or as long as 2 weeks. The time required depends on the type of beer packaging and method of carbonation.
- Bottling: takes longer to package and carbonate
- Barrel: Easier to pack and takes less time to carbonate
How to brew beer ?
Speed up brewing
Start heating the mash water immediately and use the automatic controller to adjust the temperature. It stops when the water is ready, so no need to notice. While the water is heating, prepare it for the rest of the brewing day. Use a plate chiller rather than a counterflow chiller. In our experience, plate chillers work faster. If the groundwater in your area is warm, pre-freeze large amounts of ice and recirculate the ice water through a cooler to cool things faster.
Use fast fermentation yeast
Ale yeast works 2-3 times faster than beer yeast. But, not all ale yeasts are created equal. If you want the clean, crisp flavor profile of beer yeast, but speed is also a priority, there are two shortcuts you can take to achieve both goals. The first is to use high-temperature beer yeast. The second method of rapid beer fermentation is to use a pressure fermenter. This allows any type of brewer’s yeast to be fermented at room temperature with good results.
Packing barrels before bottling
If speed is a priority but the beer must be bottled rather than kegged, the carbs can be put into the keg and then transferred to the bottle without the need for more sugar and natural carbonation.
Fermentation in kegs
The fastest way to brew a beer is to choose a medium bitter ale style (simple pale ale) and ferment it in a keg using yeast. Once fermented it can be refrigerated and removed from the same container, and the entire process only takes 3-4 days.
Summarize
In a small brewery, the entire brewing process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on a variety of factors. Each step is crucial to creating a well-crafted beer with unique flavor and character.
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