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no chill

Post #1 made 8 years ago
by Two_dogs
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: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... nformation) would be best rather than cap it tightly then having air rush in when uncapped. Would like to know what others do

Thanks
Mark
Last edited by Two_dogs on 23 Aug 2015, 08:48, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #2 made 8 years ago
by thughes
Cap it tightly so it creates a vacuum as it cools. Allowing air to enter is a sure way to get an infection! The no chill container will collapse as the wort cools and stay collapsed until you crack the lid, if it starts to swell, you know you have an infection (BTDT...it's ugly). Don't worry about "air rushing in" when you do finally open the container to transfer to the fermenter, I simply take a Starsan soaked rag and hold it over the cap as I crack it open.....thin k about it though, the air rushing in is the same room air that it will be exposed to as you transfer to the fermenter anyway. Make sense?

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #3 made 8 years ago
by Mad_Scientist
I just bought 2 of those 6 gallon Winpaks !!

They will hold my 5 gallon of wort and the one gallon of trub.

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Post #4 made 8 years ago
by joshua
TwoDogs, I Slo-Chill in the Kettle overnight, I cover the kettle with a sanitized towel/cloth(old bed sheet).

After 85 batches, I have never had a bad batch, that was caused by this type of Chilling.

Example: Fruit flies getting into the Secondary thru a dry S-type bubbler vent.
Image
Last edited by joshua on 23 Aug 2015, 22:30, edited 1 time in total.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #5 made 8 years ago
by Scott
Does anyone actually ferment in these Winpacks (that TwoDogs noted above) or just no chill? They would seem more difficult to clean.

Actually their under Reviews, BobBrews says he uses them as an extra fermenter. In one place in able to fit a second vessel in my new fermentation chamber I wouldn't be able to put on an air lock or blow off tube. Could probably leave the cap loose, maybe with a sanitized handkerchief under the loose lid (???). Maybe keep the 6 gal container with max 5, and maybe 4.5 gallons of wort...
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Post #6 made 8 years ago
by thughes
I have fermented in the winpacks but they are a b_tch to clean. The other consideration is the fact that I just drain the entire contents of the boil kettle into the cube at flameout without doing any trub management. After the wort cools for several days/weeks/months and I get around to fermenting it, I siphon off the clear wort into my fermenter, leaving almost a gallon of crap in the cube (I account for this as "brew kettle" loss when planning my recipe). This lets me start my fermentation with nice clean/clear wort.

If I'm feeling really ambitious I will take that residual stuff left in the cube and filter it through some cheese cloth and then freeze it to use as a yeast starter for a future batch.

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #8 made 8 years ago
by Scott
I stopped using a strainer with BIAB, but remember what a pain it was... Hoping for most to settle at bottom of the fermenter vs straining it out.

I think I will elect to just stay with one fermenter in the temp controlled fermentation chest. I could see me fighting with trying to get that Winpack(s) clean. And when wanting to do experiments to use multiple strains of yeast or whatever, will just have to do it in the time of year when a garbage can with water (to put the fermenter in) can be used for temperature control. Thought about that before buying a chest freezer...went with a small new one at BestBuy...just didn't want to take more floor space in the garage, so suppose it all is just a choice.

Thanks for the input, Gents! Scott
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Post #9 made 8 years ago
by Scott
YES! I've got a solution, and already own the things to make it work. Have my old 5 gal glass carboy, and also a 5 gal plastic fermenter (never used for anything but storing brewing components and tools). If I use them, and keep the VIF to 4 1/2 gallons or less on each (why waste beer with blow-off?), both fermenters will fit - barely but good enough - in this little chest freezer I bought for the purpose. Will have to put the plastic one on the shelf and fashion a support on the side so the container doesn't tip over. But very happy to see a solution is at hand!
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Post #10 made 8 years ago
by thughes
joshua wrote:Todd, a good size Strainer will catch more than 80% of the Trub, and is easy to sanitize.

Example: http://www.eckraus.com/10-inch-strainer.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will allow a little Trub thru, that many people Believe it will help the fermentation.

JMHO.
Thanks Joshua, got one of those and played with it a bit but in the end decided it was just something else to clean. KISS, and all that. ;)

---Todd
Last edited by thughes on 24 Aug 2015, 05:08, edited 1 time in total.
WWBBD?
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Post #11 made 8 years ago
by joshua
I line the Strainer with an old BIAB Bag, cut open, or 3 layers of Cheese Cloth.

I tried using the Cheese cloth in my Funnel, but, the area of Drainage was small and took a Looooog time to drain.

The Strainer makes a great filter support.

If you have a few hours and want Crystal Clear wort, a good size coffee filter/Paper towel in the Strainer will work Great.

BTDT.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #12 made 8 years ago
by Two_dogs
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
It's a fine line between stupid and clever
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