chilling in a freezer

First post by mickspangle, 1 year ago

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no...not climbing inside a refrigeration unit for the purposes of relaxation, but I'm about to build/assemble a fermentation fridge using a chest freezer and it got me wondering. Has anyone tried using them for cooling wort prior to fermentation?

on the one hand if I put 20L of cooling wort into a -20C freezer it should cool it a lot quicker (I don't chill at the moment) but I wondered if there's any gotchas with condensation or the freezer struggling to cool it down?

edited to add: i'm...

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yep, fair enough - it wasn't worded terribly well.

current scenario is that post boil I tend to let the wort cool down a bit (say to 70-80C) and then transfer to a FV and put the lid, then leave it overnight to cool before pitching yeast the next day.

I've just been given a larder fridge (although I did try and originally use an existing chest freezer but it was too narrow for my FV, hence the original question) and have converted this to a fermentation fridge with a controller and a heater...

Feedback on No-Chill

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First post by BobBrews, 8 years ago

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I use No Chill and have not had any trouble. Has anyone had trouble that was not Self induced with poor sanitation?

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I'll continue to push my luck and see how many cycles I can get from each cube.
I did end up with an infection in one which was holding what I thought might be a beautiful chocolate stout. It swelled right up and out like a balloon and just seeped out. I carefully took it outside and eased off the lid slightly, the pressure must have been immense because it hissed for almost a full minute.
I'll keep looking for replacement seals, but I suspect that the wear of the plastic thread over time may...

Headspace in no-chill cube

First post by SubjectB, 2 years ago

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It turns out the 5 gallon HDPE cube I bought from US Plastics actually holds 6 gallons topped off. I'd rather not brew 6 gal. batches because I keg and a corny keg only holds 5 gal. So that means my no-chill cube will have a gallon of headspace. How bad is that much headspace?

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SubjectB, I must get a no-chill cube in spite of added equipment and storage factors. Until then, I move my still hot kettle from the burner to a safe place and cover it with a sanitized cloth (overnight) until pitching temperature is reached, then transfer to a fermenter/aerate and pitch. I see headspace concern in your cube as different only if you plan to keep it there for some time longer than a day before pitching. Remember that more transfers come with costs. Will the trapped hot air be...

Alternatives to Copper

First post by Streamer, 2 years ago

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I'm curious as to whether others have explored alternatives to copper tubing to use as a wort chiller. Just wondering if something like this would work or if there are reasons not to use it, or better alternatives?

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You definitely want to avoid plastic tubing as a chiller, not only because it is a poor conductor but also because it will impart off-flavours to your wort.

I can't think of a single plastic that won't taint your wort at boiling point although there are probably some. Most will taint your wort even at mash temperatures. (Use only silicone or metal hoses for hot transfers).

For chilling, copper or stainless is the go and I'm thinking stainless would be better as it might be easier to keep...

no chill

First post by Two_dogs, 3 years ago

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Hi everyone,
With the drought here in California, I'm looking to try the no chill method, but I have a question. How do you handle the air that will want in as the wort cools? I'm thinking leaving the cap loose (I'm going to get a fermenter like this: ) would be best rather than cap it tightly then having air rush in when uncapped. Would like to know what others do

Thanks
Mark

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Thanks for the thoughts guys. I might rethink the Winpacks because of the cleaning issue. I just saw somewhere where someone used them because they are heat resistant. Might just chill in the kettle

Mark

Copper pipe for chiller

First post by Braailus, 3 years ago

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Hi guys, just a simple question.
Is there a specific type of copper pipe to ask for when building a chiller? I hear that air conditioning piping is often used. Surely these pipes are not made for the food industry and some may contain harmfull substances used in the manufacturing process?

Thx
Braailus

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

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Heat exchanger complete and used in our 2nd brew today. Rolling boil to 21 deg in 15 mins using tap water. Very happy with the end result.

Thanks for your advice guys.

Braailus

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

Ever "No Chill" a German / Czech Pilsner?

First post by Scott, 3 years ago

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No Chill Guys - has anyone made a good German / Czech Pilsner with this method? I'm concerned hops will stay hot too long and flavor/ aroma hops will provide bitterness but much less flavor and aroma. So with some brew styles, maybe not too big a deal, but a nice Pilsner - not so good... Anyway that is my concern. Figured I'd reach out and see what experience folks had with this.

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thanks for the link. looks like a good read

15 min hop additions and no-chill?

First post by rsandilands, 3 years ago

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I know this topic gets discussed widely on all brewing forums but I just wanted to get a second opinion on hop additions for a no-chill clone I'm doing of Fullers 1845 Ale.

The recipe aims for 50IBU roughly, of which 40 IBU come from the 60 minute addition and 10 from a 15 minute addition.

In translating this to a no-chill scenario, I'm thinking of leaving the 60 minute addition as it is, but changing the 15 minute addition to flame-out and leaving to stand for 20 minutes before pulling the...

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Does this sound a reasonable approach to dealing with a 15 minute addition? The short answer is, No.

We know the well-known chart and unfortunately this is one of those things that lead people away from being educated into asking the right questions. When copying a recipe, one of the most critical things is knowing the chilling methods and timings used by the original brewer. No software, apart from the BIABacus, allows fields for the management of later hop additions and it is the management...

Chilling in the fermenter

First post by jube, 3 years ago

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Just brewed a biab Schwartz beer 2 days ago and I was talking with my friend who also homebrews.

After flameout he leaves it for a bit then swirls to get the trub in the centre then siphons the still hot wort into the fermenter and only then uses a spiral cooler to get the temperature down to pitching temperature.

Sounds like a good idea to me as the near boiling wort should sterilise the syphon tube and the fermenter reducing the risk of infection.

I'd be pleased to hear your opinions....

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Despite my positive expierience with filling the wort into the fermenter after boil is finished, i´m going to try this cube no-chill method. The storage factor seems very interesting to me.

When the wort is coold in the cube, is it an accuarte aerating to let it splash into the fermenterbucket?

Until now i was stirring the wort with a whisker for some minutes. My old (aquarium-) pump with a sterilfilter is pretty much cleaning work, so this thing is getting dusty.

Small batch no chill recommendations..

First post by ford, 3 years ago

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Hola everyone.

I brew 2-2.5 gallon batches on my stove. BIAB of course.

I'm looking to get into no chill. I love the idea of the US Plastics WInpak cubes.... but would there be a problem using a five gallon to chill such a small amount?

I looked and couldn't find something around the 3 gallon mark that was the same type of product.

Just looking for any suggestions. I use the 12L Speidel containers to ferment in. Would they be ok to no chill overnight?

Bryan

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I own 5 of the Reliance containers (7 gallons), which are pretty awesome. Just don't let them sit dirty for very long, they are a bitch to clean.

Well, they aren't too bad for no-chill ... but if you ever use it as a fermenter the krausen ring is hard to reach. I just had to throw one away this week, because I failed to clean one of them properly the last time I brewed.

Transfering wort to cube...How?

First post by bionut, 4 years ago

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Hello world!

I am a begginer BIABer, with a kettle made out of a 50 litres beer keg, with no ball valve installed. Regularly, i chill the wort with a 15 meters ribcage chiller, but i want to save some time and try no-chill-ing. I already found some HDPE containers to use, but the problem is that i don't have a valve on the keggle, nor a silicon tube, or any other high temp tubing. The silicon tubing that i found is either too expensive, either sold in a minimum lenght (>15m), so i need to...

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Hello guys, came here just for a short update. I was able to find a cheap brass tee from ebay and i used it for a couple of no chill brews. It went good, but the beer seemed a bit astringent, on the grassy side. I transfer 20 liter of wort in about 7-8 minutes.
I also have bought a weldless ball valve with all the fittings needed, stainless steel, and waiting for the time to install it.

I'm loving No-Chill.

First post by hathro, 4 years ago

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MODNOTE: The post below and several after were copied/moved from this thread as they have lead to a separate discussion. I trust my new topic title is okay but feel free to change it hathro.

No-chilling has saved me a ton of time as it decouples the brewing and fermenting. You'll save time not having to chill the wort, clean the chiller, sanitise your fermentation vessel, pitch yeast etc. You can also store your wort for months and ferment when you have a spare 30 mins.

Also, you can...

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Yes, because So Many can't wait for the Chiller to cool the wort, Either.

new to no chill

First post by baikinman, 3 years ago

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I'm yet to try biab but am just trying to get everything sorted in my head first. No-chilling is something i will be doing just to save me waiting around for wort to cool.

I wandered why i cant just leave my finished hopped wort in the kettle wrapped in cling film (to stop any thing getting inside) overnight ? Everything inside will be clean as its just been boiling hops for an hour, or does something develop inside in the time being ? it'll only ever be left for 15-24 hours. Then just syphon...

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Thanks guys,

I no chill without the tap attached, using a bung instead as the tap gets in the way. On the day I need to transfer from the cube to bottles/keg, I sanitise the bung area and the tap and install it.

Afterwards I hose out the cube then clean with a sodium precarbonate solution before storing dry (read that on AHB and it seems to work well), then on brew day I wash and sanitise then transfer very hot wort to the cube and pitch yeast as soon as it's cool enough, I'm not storing...

Chilling, hops and hot break

First post by blancasterb, 3 years ago

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I currently use a converted keg as my boil kettle. I have a dip tube set to pull off the side.
I only use pellet hops and use a paint strainer bag for them. I squeeze the heck out of it at the end.
I never whirlpool and chill through a plate chiller.

I want to buy this kettle
It has a nifty pickup type and attached trub dam. (This is very similar to a local brewing companies professional setup.)

I want to get away from using a hop bag as I feel the more free floating they are, the more I...

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I will pass that hat tip on to Bundy who posted the link originally! :salute:

Also, If you are concerned with the hops not having enough contact with the wort, its been suggested here to use your BIAB bag, as this should allow full contact. I always plan on doing it but never seem to get the grist cleaned out of it in time for the boil... :sneak:

Unfermented wort storage. Basic Brewing Radio NHC 2014

First post by BobBrews, 4 years ago

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Here it is a show to download and listen to on the way to work!

July 31, 2014 - No Chill Aging Experiment

Home brewer Bob Stempski shares his experiment comparing beers brewed with no-chill wort's aged for eight and four months with a fresh batch.

Bot-ul-ism.jpg
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mally,

I do have a pH problem at home. I have to play it it a lot. I have found that I can semi-control it with various methods. I use a 2.5 gallon (store bought) container of spring water. The rest of the water comes from my water softened home supply. I use a pH stabilizer that is suppose to hold your water to 5.4. With all of that I still play with adding calcium chloride or gypsum?

For the podcast recorded at the NHC and the subsequent broadcast in July;

July 31, 2014 - No Chill Aging...

Chilling and whirlpooling

First post by onkeltuka, 4 years ago

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I've now brewed three times, and one thing's that has started to puzzle me is how to combine a whirlpool and a coil chiller? Using a coil chiller in an unmoving liquid results in the cold part settling down, the hot part rising up, and the whole process of chilling getting quite slow and inefficient. Mostly due to us brewing outside I've been hesitant to keep the kettle without the lid to stir the wort while chilling. So a whirlpool of some kind would sound very good, maybe with a pump? But how...

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A plumber friend promised to source me some copper tubing, so I hope I'll have a new one soon,so I'll just keep this small one in case I end up doing some stove-top mini-biabs or the like in the future.

Chilling Myths - Asking the right questions

First post by PistolPatch, 6 years ago

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A few months ago, in various other threads here, we were exploring chilling and no-chilling. I want to try and bring those scattered threads and thoughts together.

History

The main questions being asked were...

1. If I want a quality beer, is no-chill or chilling better?
A. Both methods seem to produce beers of equal quality.

2. If I no-chill, what time adjustments should I make to the recipe?
A. See below.

Adjusting Hop Addition Times

After today, I am now more sure than ever, that...

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For a Bump, I have Miss-read 2 oz of Millennium hops....
Alpha Acids 14.5 - 16.5%
Beta Acids 4.3 - 5.3%

And programmed the Beta hops for bitterness in 3 Gallon Batch(2 oz)....

It grabbed My Friend and I around Our Throats, and Choked Us.

Great Flavor though.

storing no-chill cubes

First post by shibolet, 7 years ago

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question to all you no-chillers:
how do you store your fermented wort?
I mean, what temperature is acceptable for storing wort in a no chill cube?
as summer is approaching the temps around here are moving toward the 30's and even in my celler i'm expecting at least 28-29C in July.

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I couldn't find the thread where we were discussing the colour difference in the pic above but I just pitched a Kolsch that I brewed exactly a year ago and it is dark as well. In fact, the colour difference would be about the same as in Bob's pic. I've never noticed it before even with lagers but this kolsch colour really stood out. I'll see if it is as noticeable after fermenting. A few guys here had the other half of this kolsch which was pitched straight away and they will remember that the...

What type of cubes for no-chill?

First post by Tsar, 4 years ago

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Hi guys,

I'm trying to find some cubes for no-chill in Portugal. Are all HDPE food grade cubes usable? Some say that only support 80ºC.

Thanks :)

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That is a pretty definitive answer :)

My wort chiller design - Jockey box chiller

First post by tenfingers, 4 years ago

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Hey there, I brew in an apartment and an immersion chiller seemed a bit difficult. The no chill method was a bit time consuming for me so I've built (maybe fairly naively) a jockey box style chiller that I fill with ice and connect to my urn to spit out chilled wort straight into my fermenter (the funnel in the picture is just for pouring sanitiser through it). It chills wort great, I can get a 20-22C wort in about 10-15 minutes using 3 bags of ice for 19 litres into the fermenter. I adjust the...

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Cheers PistolPatch...your a champ :)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When to use IC

First post by timfuller, 4 years ago

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Have been doing some poking around trying to answer the following without much luck..

Using the copper coil immersion chiller at the end of the boil in the pot or draining the pot to the FV and chilling in the FV.

Using the IC in the pot no only disturbs the trub cone after whirlpool but I have also read that cooling the wort in the boil kettle allows the proteins in the hot break to dissolve back into the wort... Should I drain into the FV and chill there ?

Cheers

:think:

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timfuller,

I have also read that cooling the wort in the boil kettle allows the proteins in the hot break to dissolve back into the wort..

I have never read that. I bet it's just a I wonder if supposition? I have IC'ed in the past and now only no-chill. My beer (if in style) is as clear or clearer and anyone's. So, since my beer slowly cools than the proteins should be back into my wort? Not a chance! Cold break forms at about 140F. The Irish moss (or whatever) and the 140F cold break...

Some more No Chill Questions..

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First post by ford, 4 years ago

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Hello fellow brewers!

I'm new here. Searching for No Chill answers is what led me to this site and I'm glad I found it. Let me quickly explain my setup and why I have a few questions about how the No Chill method might work for me, or mayhap need to be modified.

I use the BIAB method on my stovetop. I make 2-2.5 gallon batches. My kettle is 16 quarts. No valve. My main fermenter is this
Speidel. I also have an HDPE three gallon bucket on the way as an extra fermenter. It is the 5 rating and...

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Lylo sez: ... I have hopped into my cube many times.... ???? How in the world do you fit into it? Does it get easier each time? :lol: :lol: Sorry, couldn't resist..

Re tightening the cap.. US Plastics strongly suggests tightening and sell a wrench for the purpose. YMMV. I'd assume using an incorrect wrench would be a problem.

My question is.. after buying two 5g/19L cubes.. do I have to be concerned if I only put 2.5-3 gallons into that large a cube? I searched the USPlastics site and they...

Another Cube Question

First post by HbgBill, 4 years ago

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After chatting on line with BigBobby..and watching viewing some of the links he sent.. I started thinking (yah, I know :) ) When hot wort is transferred into the cube/pail and squeezed to remove air and securing the lid.. the question comes up..

Is there a way to keep the pail from collapsing as it cools and possibly resulting in a permanent 'dent' in the pail??? The pail Bob recommended, the US Plastics Winpac, has a cap that has a pipe thread under a plug.

So, I was wondering if there was a...

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This is why I really think it is safest practice to keep vegetative matter and/or trub out of the cube and fermentor.

PP, I'll keep this in mind. I've always thought that the wort coming out of the cube tasted a little weird. I could describe it as vegetal. But I wasn't tasting it in my final beer. Maybe the flavor was getting scrubbed out by the fermentation?

Most of my no-chill beers are german beers hopped with hallertau at 60 minutes. I've given up on doing no chill beers that have any...

No Chill - And Hop Schedule

First post by IowaCarver, 4 years ago

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Hi all, I have been brewing just a short time. My last 3 brews have been BIAB brews and have been my best to date. I still plan to do some simple extact brews when time is a factor but for the most part, I will be doing all grain. I am also going to be trying No-Chill as I have just received my US Plastics container and a length of silicone hose for transfering wort. My main intention really is to pitch the yeast the following day, certainly no longer than 2 days, I just don't have any need to...

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NO such thing as too much hops or too bitter of a beer! You have to kill that malty taste somehow don't you??? :think: I regularly chew hop pellets (like chewing tobacco) :o while smoking crushed rolled hop pellets (like a joint) :smoke: while drinking a double IPA! :drink: That normally kills the malt taste in the beer! :lol:

Just wanted to share my wort chiller with everyone http://ww

First post by DrummoRC, 5 years ago

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This past weekend I decided to try a new wort chiller. I have had it for sometime now but had not trusted it :pray: . I had been using the copper tubing with a garden hose connected to it but that wasted so much water.

This chiller you fill once and leave it. The new chiller does require about 25 thousand gallons of water to start with (my cement pond). :smoke: :drink: :cool:

The red enamel pot is my second running I do off my primary batch - 21 litter and a 4 liter batch off the same grain....

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That is a GREAT idea Lylo!!
Thank you for the tip!