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Writer's pictureAZ Brews

Are you using a shorter, modified brewing schedule?

Brulosophy.com is a fantastic resource for home brewing. Their podcast is well produced and highly entertaining. They are known for conducting experiments with brewing methods and running a blind taste test to see if the variable they tested can be detected reliably by the end drinker. While they don't claim their results are necessarily the final word on the topic, they do tend to give general trends and give readers something to think about, perhaps even changing the way we look at traditional time-tested brewing methods.


One example of this is their "short & shoddy" project, which essentially cuts corners on brew day then discovers if the end result beer is still a good example of whatever style they were trying to make. The full lineup of recipes can be found here


After listening to their podcasts and reviewing the short and shoddy experiments, I decided to give it a try. Initially I added the 30 minute boil to my standard boil method. I saw absolutely no downside after doing a few batches. In fact, the positives were worth noting. I used less water for my batch and the electric system heated up quicker than before since the volumes were slightly reduced.


One other part of short and shoddy is a 25-30 minute mash time. I have not adopted this method yet but I intend to give it a try. I have frequently used an overnight mash, so the kettle is ready to pull the grains as soon as I wake up and have my first coffee..... Basically you heat up the water later in the evening before the brew day, then add the grain basket just before bed, set at the appropriate mash temp. I do not hookup the recirculation pump but I set my temp on the system, close up the lid and go to sleep. It's really nice to breakup the brew day this way.



Martin Keen showcased this method on his excellent YouTube channel, The HomeBrew Challenge


Do you do a 30 minute mash?

  • Yes, always

  • Sometimes

  • Rarely

  • Never



Do you use a 30 minute boil?

  • 0%Yes, always

  • 0%Sometimes

  • 0%Rarely

  • 0%Never


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1 Comment


John M
Jul 30, 2022

I've pretty much switched to always using this shortened mash and boil schedule (30 min each) per Brulosophy with great results. You take a hit in efficiency (and I do brew in a bag so probably take a hit there too), but that is not a big deal for me since I typically brew small batches of 1 - 2 gal.

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