# No Chill Cube



## ArcLight

Based on my reading here, some of you drain the hot wort directly into some kind of plastic container (cube shaped) and let it cool for a day before pitching the yeast. 
I live in the USA.

What containers would be appropriate for a 20 liter batch?
What should I avoid?
Where might I get a cube in the USA?

What problems might I encounter when using a Cube?

Some when mentioned even fermenting in the Cube?
Any problems with that?


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## Yob

ArcLight said:


> Based on my reading here, some of you drain the hot wort directly into some kind of plastic container (cube shaped) and let it cool for a day before pitching the yeast.
> I live in the USA.
> 
> What containers would be appropriate for a 20 liter batch?
> What should I avoid?
> Where might I get a cube in the USA?
> 
> What problems might I encounter when using a Cube?
> 
> Some when mentioned even fermenting in the Cube?
> Any problems with that?



Here's a link to the fermenting in a cube Article

Most camping type shops should have water drums that will be suitable HDPE type conatiners are the go.

Make sure the tap is well sealed prior to putting the wort in.. a leak at those temps is not what you want.

Add 20 mins to your hop addition calculations to compensate for the extended time at high temps.

Try to expel as much air as possible.. while the cubes in the image below are 20lt I manage to get between 23 and 25lt into them with little to no air left.





the drum on the right is starsan not wort


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## manticle

Hi,

This link is to a very long thread on a US based forum which will probably give you some ideas. Winpaks seem to get mentioned a lot once you get past all the doubters:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/exploring-...brewing-117111/


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## ArcLight

Great article, thank you.

I found this on Amazon, does it look OK for a 20 liter batch?
(is there some extra space, so the 20 liter can has maybe 21+ liters of space?)

http://www.amazon.com/Liter-Heavy-Duty-Wat...id=L0M1J3H2TCY5


Do you siphon out of a cube into your bottling bucket?
Or just pour in the beer? (Probably a risk of Oxygenating it if you do.)


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## bcp

ArcLight said:


> Great article, thank you.
> 
> I found this on Amazon, does it look OK for a 20 liter batch?
> (is there some extra space, so the 20 liter can has maybe 21+ liters of space?)
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Liter-Heavy-Duty-Wat...id=L0M1J3H2TCY5
> 
> 
> Do you siphon out of a cube into your bottling bucket?
> Or just pour in the beer? (Probably a risk of Oxygenating it if you do.)



Most of us don't ferment in the cube, so i pour the thing through a strainer into my fermenter. A few people like Manticle ferment in the cube as well.


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## hsb

You'd want to be siphoning, or using a cube with a tap attached, for exactly the reason you propose (O2)

I No Chill into one of these cubes, then tip it all into a 30L plastic pail to ferment.
One issue with fermenting direct in the cube you used is oxygenating the wort, but the other thread has discussion on all that.

No Chill is great for stockpiling brews, and for avoiding the whole chilling/pitching stage rolled into brewday.
Fermenting in cubes is great purely as a space saving option - can fit more of them in a fridge.

Can't tell from your Amazon link what that jerry can is made of, ideally you want HDPE, the first dozen or so hits here for example:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=20l+no+c...9S-Gc24iAeQrdFZ

Other plastics mightn't be so good with the near-boiling wort.
(ie; LDPE)


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## black_labb

HSB, what's wrong with pouring from the cube into the fermentor? I've siphoned a fair bit but have decided that it's no better unless you have drained all the trub into the cube as well. I think most people pour from the cube as it is simpler and has enough separation to keep a bit of trub behind.


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## hsb

Crossed wires there, the OP was asking about pouring from a _fermented _cube, rather than a wort cube.
I'm 100% with you on pouring straight out of the No Chill _wort _cube into the fermenter.


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## manticle

ArcLight said:


> Do you siphon out of a cube into your bottling bucket?
> Or just pour in the beer? (Probably a risk of Oxygenating it if you do.)



My cubes are tapped so I use silicon hose to transfer. Otherwise siphon.


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## Bats

I have been using the No Chill method for a while now with great success.

I have a couple of different types of cubes. Some can be squeezed and contorted more than others. Some can hardly be squeezed at all.

I prefer to no chill in the narrower 'Coleman' camping style (or similar) HDPE water cans. As they are narrower in shape, I can fit more side by side in my fermentation fridge. They are a lot tougher though and can not be squeezed to easily.

Any tips on how to squeeze the air out? Sometimes I don't have the luxury of filling the cube to the top.

I have heard that some purge the empty space with co2.


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## manticle

Wall on one side, knee squeezing the cube on the other.

I just use my knees and make sure I am wearing pants but I use willow cubes and have incredible thigh muscles.


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## lukiferj

manticle said:


> I just use my knees and make sure I am wearing pants


This was the first mistake I made. Lack of suitable pants.


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## manticle

Pants are a must.


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## lukiferj

Learnt the hard way h34r:


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## manticle

Once I tried to give my cat a worming pill first thing in the morning while I was wearing nothing but a dressing gown.
With me crouched down and balls visible, the young tiger decided he didn't want the tablet and indicated so with one movement of a claw fronted paw.
Cop a cat claw in the boiled potato bag once and you soon learn to wear pants on every occasion.


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## lukiferj

Ouch. Also a lesson learnt the hard way!


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## Spiesy

Pants, or just use a towel/cloth to make sure the heat from the cube doesn't burn - if you like to brew naked (or in shorts).


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## jyo

manticle said:


> Pants are a must.


After heeding some advice from Cocko, I now brew naked, or in the winter months, in my jocks.

I find a good quality Egyptian cotton towel draped across the knees as the hot cube is drawn betwixt suits me just fine.


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## manticle

You obviously don't have a cat

What sort of a sick, perverted, deviant, gutter bound waste of human life accepts advice from Cocko anyway?


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## jyo

manticle said:


> You obviously don't have a cat
> 
> What sort of a sick, perverted, deviant, gutter bound waste of human life accepts advice from Cocko anyway?


The 'How to Cube Naked' guide with annotated iphone pics he sent me was very persausive.


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## Yob

Gumboots do a pretty hooting job as well as a heat barrier.

Not sure about potato protection


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## Black Devil Dog

Someone posted recently that they use two strips of timber, one each side of the cube, connected with a bolt each end and then by tightening the nuts, (wingnuts?) this squeezes the air out and then put the cap on the cube. No burnt legs.


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## bum

Looked slow and cumbersome too.


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## Matt Browne

Hi guys,
Can you store partial mashed brews that have not had the concentrate tin boiled unrefridgerated for future fermenting?
If so for how long could you keep them?
Cheers Matt


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## jyo

If you intend to boil the partial first and then transfer to a small 'cube' using the same method as for no-chill, then it should be fine.

Is this what you mean, mate?


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## Matt Browne

Sorry what I meant was, if you dissolve a concentrated tin eg Coopers Pale Ale green tin with a boiled partial mix, is this ok to store the total mix unrefridgerated for some time until you want to ferment it given that the concentrate tin has not been actually boiled, only dissolved.


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## jyo

As long as the goop has been at pasteurisation temps for long enough once disolved into the partial, you would think it would be ok. They are pasteurised anyway during the canning process.
I'd be more inclined to leave the tin out of the partial boil and add it to the fermenter when you are ready to open your cube. Boiling cans of hopped extract will also increase your bitterness.


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## real_beer

I don't know if this has been covered already on another thread, but on this edition of BBR (starts around 23 minute mark): http://traffic.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr05-01-14chriswhite.mp3 Colby from 'Brew Your Own Magazine' raises alarm bells about cubed wort having the potential to be a serious, .................................... *even DEADLY*, health risk from dangerous botulism. 

As I've recently just started to try this method, I'm now very interested in what other think of his claims? Apparently canned wort & other food products are heated to very high temperatures home brewers don't reach to combat this threat. The show also raised concerns about Cubed beers being a possible health risk to judges and others in Beer Competitions, as well as running the risk of flighty politicians and Senators calling for the hobby to be banned. Only in America  . It seems everyone wants a guarantee that everything they do in life from picking one's nose to having a root is going to be 100% safe or someone's going to cop a lawsuit! Oh well.
I know there is the possibility of things like this cropping up from time to time, but I sometimes wonder if the initial resistance to some of these new ideas coming out of Australia such as BIAB, & No Chill Cubing, is because they don't originate in the good old US of A.


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## JDW81

real_beer said:


> I don't know if this has been covered already on another thread, but on this edition of BBR Colby from 'Brew Your Own Magazine' raises alarm bells about cubed wort having the potential to be a serious, .................................... *even DEADLY*, health risk from dangerous botulism.


Darren, is that you?

Yes it has been extensively and hysterically covered in another thread.

Do you think the risk of cubing wort is more dangerous than the risk alcohol poses over a lifetime of consumption? I'd wager it isn't. 

How long have people been using the no chill method? Have there been any reports of deaths from drinking HB made from cubed wort? 

I'll stick to no chill and leave the theoretical risk for the naysayers to debate.

If I die, you can say I told you so. 

JD


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## manticle

real_beer said:


> I don't know if this has been covered already on another thread, but on this edition of BBR (starts around 23 minute mark): http://traffic.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr05-01-14chriswhite.mp3 Colby from 'Brew Your Own Magazine' raises alarm bells about cubed wort having the potential to be a serious, .................................... *even DEADLY*, health risk from dangerous botulism.
> 
> As I've recently just started to try this method, I'm now very interested in what other think of his claims? Apparently canned wort & other food products are heated to very high temperatures home brewers don't reach to combat this threat. The show also raised concerns about Cubed beers being a possible health risk to judges and others in Beer Competitions, as well as running the risk of flighty politicians and Senators calling for the hobby to be banned. Only in America  . It seems everyone wants a guarantee that everything they do in life from picking one's nose to having a root is going to be 100% safe or someone's going to cop a lawsuit! Oh well.
> I know there is the possibility of things like this cropping up from time to time, but I sometimes wonder if the initial resistance to some of these new ideas coming out of Australia such as BIAB, & No Chill Cubing, is because they don't originate in the good old US of A.


There was much banter about this a long time ago. I have not heard of one single incidence of botulism poisoning, whether in comps or at home.

Hysterical hypotheising as far as I can see.


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## real_beer

I think because Chris Colby is outputting so much information these days he's searching for new topics to come up with and he's latched on to this one. The sad part is that the damage has probably now been done and lots of brewers will steer away from trying the cube because of it. I like the idea myself because one weekend can be set aside every x weeks to brew multiple batches for building up stocks that can later be fermented at leisure when required. I've only done two cubes so far, the first one was about 6 months ago, and the second last weekend, and even though I know they'll be okay the show still makes an impact at the back of the mind, and that's why I think many other newer brewers won't now try it.

If I was Darren I would now be saying 'Chris Colby .................. Shame ........ shame .............shame!'


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## Yob

Needless to say, any cube that swells prior to being opened should be discarded...


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## manticle

If it puts your mind at ease realbeer, all commercially available Fresh wort kits are made this way.
Just make sure the cube is clean and well sanitised and the wort is run into it hot (takes a while to cool - even after 20 minute stand and 20 minute whirlpool, mine goes in at 80 deg. C).

Hops, heat and pH all combine to make no chill a very safe method of storing wort until pitching time.


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## manticle

Yob said:


> Needless to say, any cube that swells prior to being opened should be discarded...


Agreed - any swollen cubes I've experienced (whether mine or someone else's) have smelled so bad, I have no idea why anyone would want to ferment one out and see what might happen.

My partner found 2 eggs that floated today. They'd been stinking the fridge out. I didn't cook them up in my omelette to see if some fluke might make them taste amazing, I threw them in the bin and cooked some fresh ones.


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## stux

In the end, weren't some papers found that posited that hops+alcohol was an effective anti botulism protocol, and thus as long as you ferment the wort before consuming it, you're okay?


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## real_beer

Stux said:


> In the end, weren't some papers found that posited that hops+alcohol was an effective anti botulism protocol, and thus as long as you ferment the wort before consuming it, you're okay?


In the BBR Show Chris Colby stated that:
a). Botulism can be present at minute levels that wont make a cube swell, and being anaerobic it doesn't need air to breed. 
b). If you don't ferment the wort straight away, by the next day at least, and botulism gets a hold alcohol wont destroy it when you ferment it later. 
c). The only way to then destroy the botulism is by boiling your wort at 250 Celsius, or 240 Celsius for 20 minutes. 

I was surprised hops weren't even mentioned during the whole discussion. I'm still going to No Chill Cube but I bet a lot of people who listened to the show won't. 

I don't think it's worth wasting anymore time on this show so I wont mention it again :lol:, I promise!


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## manticle

I would just be interested for someone to cite one single confirmed case of botulism poisoning from no-chill cubing or even detect some spores present in properly no-chilled wort. If it was a possibility worth considering, I would have an assumption that it would have occurred at least once, considering the number of no chills that have happened.

Otherwise it's irresponsible scaremongering (not on your part - people like Colby).


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## Dunkelbrau

real_beer said:


> In the BBR Show Chris Colby stated that:
> a). Botulism can be present at minute levels that wont make a cube swell, and being anaerobic it doesn't need air to breed.
> b). If you don't ferment the wort straight away, by the next day at least, and botulism gets a hold alcohol wont destroy it when you ferment it later.
> c). The only way to then destroy the botulism is by boiling your wort at 250 Celsius, or 240 Celsius for 20 minutes.
> 
> I was surprised hops weren't even mentioned during the whole discussion. I'm still going to No Chill Cube but I bet a lot of people who listened to the show won't.
> 
> I don't think it's worth wasting anymore time on this show so I wont mention it again :lol:, I promise!


I don't know where that temp info came from but the general consensus in scientific documentation is 85 degrees for 20 minutes is going to remove the threat - that's why cooking cured meats is able to make them safe, otherwise food would be burnt to a crisp.

It's good to see that people making claims on these shows still don't do any research and pull numbers from their ass.


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## Dunkelbrau

Stux said:


> In the end, weren't some papers found that posited that hops+alcohol was an effective anti botulism protocol, and thus as long as you ferment the wort before consuming it, you're okay?


Mar 15, 2001 - S.S. Steiner, Inc. 
The present invention relates to the discovery that hop extract is useful as an antibacterial agent against the dangerous pathogens Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, and Helicobacter pylori at levels below that at which a flavor from the acids contained therein is objectionable. More specifically, a process and associated product is described herein, comprising applying a solution of hop extract to a food, beverage or other medium so that the final concentration of hop ingredients is about 1 ppm or higher in order to inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, and/or Helicobacter pylori.

Found this with a quick search


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## JDW81

real_beer said:


> In the BBR Show Chris Colby stated that:
> a). Botulism can be present at minute levels that wont make a cube swell, and being anaerobic it doesn't need air to breed.
> B). If you don't ferment the wort straight away, by the next day at least, and botulism gets a hold alcohol wont destroy it when you ferment it later.
> c). The only way to then destroy the botulism is by boiling your wort at 250 Celsius, or 240 Celsius for 20 minutes.


And tony abbot stated there would be no new taxes, cuts to the ABC, SBS, health or education…… 

I'm with manticle, unless someone can present actual evidence that this is a problem (sited from a reputable, scientific source or from a documented case of botulism from no chill) then to me it is just ill informed fear mongering.

Goes in the same basket as those who say no chill won't work due to the DMS risk.


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## pist

Im pretty sure ive eaten much much worse probably even bird shit for all i know as a toddler playing in the dirt than a cube of pasteurised wort. This article is nothing but a witch hunting campaign by a writer who is short of stories. Take meat for example. The recommended internal temperature of a lump of roasted meat is somewhere in the vicinity of 70 to 80 degrees depending on how cooked it is. Hot wort in a cube is usually above these temperatures. That guy does not know what hes talking about in my opinion. Botulism is not an issue if the temo


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## Cavemanbrew

Read like this bloke is trying to knock out a few competitors, as to increase his chance of winning 

Will agree with the meat temps and luwak coffee comes from an animal bum, and we still drink it, a clean cube (not one diesel oil was stored in) with boiling wort in it Would make for a unfriendly environment for nasties.


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## Adr_0

Ok so on tap sealing,seems like my plastic Icon jerry can is a touch big/flexible in the thread. 

Do people plaster them up with thread tape?


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## barls

i don't have taps on my cubes just bungs.
had one tap pop out when bumped and spilled hot wort every where.


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## manticle

Adr_0 said:


> Ok so on tap sealing,seems like my plastic Icon jerry can is a touch big/flexible in the thread.
> Do people plaster them up with thread tape?


Have done. Efficacy isn't amazing. I do have taps on my cubes because I also ferment in them. Careful not to knock or overtighten and apples be her.


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## fdsaasdf

I use bungs without tape. No leaks.


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## DUANNE

i ferment in the cube so a tap is necessary. just be careful till it cools down and youll be right.


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## Chris79

Didn't want to start a new thread. So asking here.

For those who ferment in a cube, do you just leave the screw top cap on? Or do you change it for something else that allows Co2 out?

Cheers
Chris


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## Rocker1986

I'd imagine just loosening the lid a bit would suffice. That's what I do with my FV; I used to use the airlock and tighten the lid but the grommet perished so I just put tape over the hole and left the lid a bit loose. Has worked perfectly fine.


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## Chris79

ok, cool - cheers Rocker.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I

How do you stop air getting back in? 

I've always gone no=chill in the fermenter and then rack off he fermented beer from the break when done.

I want to properly cube, and be a man.

I've done the knees to the wall, wort to the ball thing but it always expands back to 'normal' size with the air in the top. I just then ferment in the cube. 

But I would rather be able to store some cubes.


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## nosco

Haven't got around to fermenting in the cube but i rigged up one of these from Grain and Grape with some nylon hose to use as a blow off tube.


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## damoninja

nosco said:


> Haven't got around to fermenting in the cube but i rigged up one of these from Grain and Grape with some nylon hose to use as a blow off tube.


I can see this being left in the wrong position and being a 'blow up cube' opposed to a blow off tube


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## Rocker1986

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> How do you stop air getting back in?
> 
> I've always gone no=chill in the fermenter and then rack off he fermented beer from the break when done.
> 
> I want to properly cube, and be a man.
> 
> I've done the knees to the wall, wort to the ball thing but it always expands back to 'normal' size with the air in the top. I just then ferment in the cube.
> 
> But I would rather be able to store some cubes.


Easy, squeeze the air out with the knee in the side of the cube then screw the lid on tight at the same time, while the wort is at the brim of the cube opening.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I

Rocker1986 said:


> Easy, squeeze the air out with the knee in the side of the cube then screw the lid on tight at the same time, while the wort is at the brim of the cube opening.


I've done that and screwed on tight but always seen the cube suck in a little air later as it expands back to square shape.


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## Stouter

A guy on the Coopers forum, King Ruddagar has the Youtube channel called Fastbrew. I'm pretty sure I watched him get a good air squeeze on using a ratchet style tie down strap to great effect though it might have been there for keeping the doona on during mashing, can't remember.
I keep meaning to pick one up but keep forgetting until brewday comes around again and I find myself doing the foot to cube to wall shuffle/squeeze. And I still end up with air in the handle.
You could probably even add some leverage to the ratchet arm for some distance from the hot liquid, and to make it easier too. Prior to squeeze it might even extra as an incremental raiser of the BIAB bag.


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## bradsbrew

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I've done that and screwed on tight but always seen the cube suck in a little air later as it expands back to square shape.


That shouldn't happen. You should be able to store a cube for months, then when you open the lid that is when it expands back out.


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## Stouter

Looks like air is getting back in somewhere. Aside from a cube infection (which I recently encountered), there should be no reason for your cube to gain air.
Check the bung and the lid seal, the only two points of entry.
After the cube expands and bloats with the hot wort you'd then expect it to expel any remaining air while cooling to accommodate the contraction of the cube. Or do I have this the wrong way around?


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## Mr B

Cube lid seals can be problematic after first use. Not all, but defo some.

To get all air out, you want to fill the cube until the wort is pretty much to the top of the entrance.

Then get a towel or something so it doesnt burn you, stand over it, put lid on almost tight, tip it back so the lid is highest, squeeze with 'ze knees' to get all air out, and tighten. Dont need to tighten too hard, as it can result in poor seal from that point on.

Youl get almost all air out, just a tiny bit remaining. This will get absorbed back into the wort as it cools. I find they dont noticable contract, although I dont doubt the 4% off contraction calc.


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## Chris79

Thanks for all the details around using a cube/keeping air out etc.

But, what if I'm adding the wort to the cube, once it's cooled, is there any issue with there being some air in the cube? Up until now I have added my wort (ambient temp/cooled) to my 30 litre ferment and have only usually filled it 22-22 ltrs. And I've had all that head space/dead space.


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## Rocker1986

The whole point of no-chilling is to transfer the wort to the cube while it's still hot (above 80C), which effectively pasteurises it and sanitises it to a degree. You don't add wort to a cube once it's cooled unless you're planning to ferment it in the cube, otherwise it will become infected; it's not a matter of if, but when. Simple as that. The head space in a fermenter is a non issue because you're pitching yeast straight away and fermenting it, plus you need some head space to accommodate the krausen, unless you've got a blow off tube set up, or enjoy cleaning up sludgy messes  .


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## manticle

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> How do you stop air getting back in?
> 
> I've always gone no=chill in the fermenter and then rack off he fermented beer from the break when done.
> 
> I want to properly cube, and be a man.
> 
> I've done the knees to the wall, wort to the ball thing but it always expands back to 'normal' size with the air in the top. I just then ferment in the cube.
> 
> But I would rather be able to store some cubes.


Squeeze air out, tighten lid. Mine contract. If air gets in, you have a bad seal and cannot/should not store.


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## manticle

Chris79 said:


> Didn't want to start a new thread. So asking here.
> 
> For those who ferment in a cube, do you just leave the screw top cap on? Or do you change it for something else that allows Co2 out?
> 
> Cheers
> Chris


Yes lid on, backed off a turn or two. Krausen may leak, depending on headspace and yeast strain/health/vigour.

Easy to clean, just don't place on expensive carpet or sound system.


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## Barge

I've cubed plenty of beers and have only just experienced this suck back the other day. The cube had been used once only by craftbrewer as a FWK.

I did my normal routine but when I tightened the lid and released my knee it sucked in some air. Took me a couple of go's and a bit of fiddling but eventually got a good seal.


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## jyo

Be sure to not over tighten.


Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I've done that and screwed on tight but always seen the cube suck in a little air later as it expands back to square shape.


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## Batz

nosco said:


> Haven't got around to fermenting in the cube but i rigged up one of these from Grain and Grape with some nylon hose to use as a blow off tube.


Before an O2 set up I used one of there to drop my wort from NC cube to ferementer. I believe that I was getting good O2 into the wort.

The whole thing about no chill cubes is sanitation, you better get it right or you loose. Once I had an infection in a cube (one in 9 years) and I blame myself for hurrying. Cube was then ditched, I now change out my cubes at lest every 18months.


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## manticle

Chris79 said:


> Thanks for all the details around using a cube/keeping air out etc.
> 
> But, what if I'm adding the wort to the cube, once it's cooled, is there any issue with there being some air in the cube? Up until now I have added my wort (ambient temp/cooled) to my 30 litre ferment and have only usually filled it 22-22 ltrs. And I've had all that head space/dead space.


Why would you add once cooled?

Unless the cube is a fermenter and you are adding yeast immediately, you are totally negating the point of no chill.


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## Chris79

I should have started a seperate thread.

I am talking about simply using the cube as a fermenter, and the practicalities of how people do that.

My setup, is rather simply at the moment a 19ltr pot from Big W, I haven't added a tap to it, so I would trust myself even with a funnel getting the hot wort into the cube.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I

When I (up until recently) used 2 big w pots, I would use a funnel into the cube.

Alternatively, I'd just bung straight into a fermenter (wide mouth) and then transfer or ferment "in the cube" so to speak. Given I don't brew to store, this has worked for a number of years for me.


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## Bribie G

Four pages about a cube.

When do we get onto airlocks?


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## manticle

Chris79 said:


> I should have started a seperate thread.
> 
> I am talking about simply using the cube as a fermenter, and the practicalities of how people do that.
> 
> My setup, is rather simply at the moment a 19ltr pot from Big W, I haven't added a tap to it, so I would trust myself even with a funnel getting the hot wort into the cube.



It's a plastic (HDPE) vessel, same as a stock standard fermenter. You can drill out the lid and fit an airlock or simply back the lid off a couple of notches. Easy.


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## Chris79

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> When I (up until recently) used 2 big w pots, I would use a funnel into the cube.
> 
> Alternatively, I'd just bung straight into a fermenter (wide mouth) and then transfer or ferment "in the cube" so to speak. Given I don't brew to store, this has worked for a number of years for me.


Cheers Raja, I properly should just get a wider funnel and pour straight into the cube.

I did the alternative way you mention here, today.


manticle said:



> It's a plastic (HDPE) vessel, same as a stock standard fermenter. You can drill out the lid and fit an airlock or simply back the lid off a couple of notches. Easy.


Cheers again, manticle. I took on your earlier suggestion, and backed off the lid a few notches.

What I'm happier about is now being about to ferment in my bar fridge. To keep my ale's down at a better temp in this weather, and ferment lagers when I want.


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## Matplat

Bribie G said:


> Four pages about a cube.
> 
> When do we get onto airlocks?


Wait for it, yeast rehydration coming up...


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## Barge

Matplat said:


> Wait for it, yeast rehydration coming up...


Do you mean when it rehydrates after you sprinkle it straight into wort?


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## peteru

Who's bringing the kittens?


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## S.E

Chris79 said:


> Cheers again, manticle. I took on your earlier suggestion, and backed off the lid a few notches.
> 
> What I'm happier about is now being about to ferment in my bar fridge. To keep my ale's down at a better temp in this weather, and ferment lagers when I want.


Backing off the lid or a bit of gladwrap and elastic band will work fine but as manticle mentioned it can get a bit messy and krausen may leak depending on headspace. 

A simple way to contain this and keep your bar fridge clean is to seal the cap and ferment in the cube with the tap uppermost and a blow off tube attached to it.

When the blow off stops bubbling, close the tap remove the blow off and stand the cube upright. You could stand the cube upright after a day or so and loosen the lid if it’s not overflowing through the blow off.

I posted pictures of this method post #52 in this thread if your interested.


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## Doctormcbrewdle

Hey guys, I've just bought a 25l cube and am syphoning as we speak. Is it ok to leave sone air in the headspace, or does it all have to come out?


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## GalBrew

Get out as much as you can. A little air isn’t the end of the world, but you want to keep it to a minimum.


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## wide eyed and legless

Firstly how you gonna get it out? If you intend to start fermentation within the next couple of days it should be OK just make sure the hot wort touches all surfaces.


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## Doctormcbrewdle

Well I figure the natural force of gravity might come in handy as I lift it up and pour it out into a fermenter, you know? Hopefully nothing changes too drastically to the ancient laws of physics between now and the coming days

I Star Sanned aswell so should be ok. Only something in the air could cause contamination


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## Doctormcbrewdle

Here she is, all pretty n' new


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## wide eyed and legless

Well I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget,its the first time you have done this, don't let me forget. There is something in the air tonight.


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## Yuz

wide eyed and legless said:


> Well I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget,its the first time you have done this, don't let me forget. There is something in the air tonight.


Uncle Phil, hey


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## Doctormcbrewdle

Well, looking at commercial freh AG wort cubes they all have air in the headspace too so there's my answer


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## GalBrew

The easiest way to minimise headspace it to fill the cube to the brim. Sure the bit where the handle is won’t fill up, but the rest will be full.


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## Mr B

Don’t be scared to squeeze the cube between your legs whilst tilting it to have the cap uppermost to get out all the air.

Unless you don’t have a towel or something, in which case be a little careful but foremost quick...


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## stanko

Well I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget,its the first time you have done this, don't let me forget. There is something in the air tonight.


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## Doctormcbrewdle

Sounds like someone's been hittin' the IPA's


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## GalBrew

Cube filling all the way to the top. Only the handle part isn’t filled.


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