Once I've collected 4 litres, I fire up the burner, and add the first wort hops. These hops supposedly add an intense flavour and some aroma. Don't ask me why. Once the boil starts, I start the sparge again, and the boiling ceases.
I usually stop collecting wort at 40 litres, and top up with another 4 litres of water.
11:45. The boil is underway. Yahoo! Now we can pour a homebrew (today it's a spiced porter).
I check the SG of the wort. I'm right on target with this beer - 1.052, which will be 1.055 by the end of the boil.
Puting the wort sample and hydrometer into some ice water helps chill it down to 60F quickly.
One advantage of brewing outside in the winter - you always know how much propane you have left. The tank will frost up indicating the gas level. I get 5 or six brews from a 20 lb tank.
12:00. My brewing buddy Allan has arrived, and I give him the crappy jobs. He's cleaning the carboys we'll use for the primary with iodophor.
Always brew with a buddy - it makes for cheap slave labour, and you have someone to sip homebrew with.
1:00. Time to chill out, and chill the beer. I use a simple immersion chiller (copper coil with flare fittings to fit garden hose).
Allan keeps the wort circulating, which increases the efficiency of the chiller. It would take twice as long if we didn't stir once in a while. It takes about 25 minutes to chill the wort down to 70F.
I'm outside using the hot water coming off the chiller to clean out the mashtun. Spent grain goes on the compost heap, which is kept out of Finnigan's reach. He has a thing for spent grain.