Ahb Wiki: The No-chiller Method / Using A Cube

[Bribie G]

I take the point, for the extra half minute of effort.....

 

[randb]

This is the discussion topic for article: The No-Chiller Method / Using A Cube

I wrote this article up yesterday for the wiki about no-chilling. There always seems to be interest in the topic amongst new brewers and there didn't appear to be any article in the wiki covering it. Nor is there a succinct thread about the method.

Also for some reason a discussion topic was not automatically created. Mods please move this into the Wiki forum - I can't start a thread there myself.

Cheers

Thanks for an awesome article.

Just need one piece of advice. What would you recommend to be the best way to get the wort from the pot/kettle to the cube.

1. Should I use a funnel and pour or will this cause to much splashing??

2. Should I syphon with a hose, but worried about mouth germs ( could use listerine just prior).

3 Any other suggestion would be appreciated. I had thought about putting a tap on the boiler.

Cheers

 

[jonocarroll]

I'm certainly not the expert on this (haven't even done it myself yet!) but I'm fairly sure that if you want to avoid aeration (I said IF - take that everyone who's going to complain) while the wort is [very] hot then you'll need to use a hose. I would strongly recommend against mouth-priming with boiling wort. 'nuff said I think. A tap would be very advisable, since the wort will be ~100C and you don't want to be lifting that if you don't need to.

Anyone know better?

 

[BusinessTime]

R.E. option 2.

Fill the hose with sanatised liquid then use that to start the siphon.

 

[Fents]

a tap on your pot/kettle is your only friend, trust me when i say you dont want to be sucking hot 90+c wort through a syphon, listerine or no listerine. you could get a pump auto syphon but i hear they collapse under heat....

no funnel, you need to reduce splashing.

 

[clean brewer]

Thanks for an awesome article.

Just need one piece of advice. What would you recommend to be the best way to get the wort from the pot/kettle to the cube.

1. Should I use a funnel and pour or will this cause to much splashing??

2. Should I syphon with a hose, but worried about mouth germs ( could use listerine just prior).

3 Any other suggestion would be appreciated. I had thought about putting a tap on the boiler.

Cheers

Put a tap on it mate.. Get some brass all-thread, drill a hole the same size, use a black rubber washer and a red fibre washer for the inside and out, couple backnuts, a ball valve, hose tail(to attach your hose(silicone) to drain your wort, piece of copper tubing(pickup tube) and a compression fitting to attach pickup tube to all thread...

I think thats it, probably the cheapest way to do it aswell, all up with 1 metre of silicone hose, should cost about 50 bucks and will save you some dramas, also with the pickup tube you can direct it away from the trub so you dont get that in your no-chill container...

Cheers

 

[Fents]

R.E. option 2.

Fill the hose with sanatised liquid then use that to start the siphon.

option! didnt even think of that...nice.

 

[matti]

tap on kettle-hose that stand hot wort @ length to reach bottom of cube.

Matti

 

[rude]

Sorry to barge in on the thread as I havent read it all just the tail end but I use a 3 piece ball valve,with bunnings clear tubing on the end to get my wort to the no chill cube.
I have done my only 2 AGs like this & have soaked the tube in nappysan & it still smell like burnt plastic not good.
I will definately bar it . So Silicon plastic is the go is that correct?
It takes heat , so where do you buy it from, I live in Perth WA.

 

[clean brewer]

Dont buy that clear vinyl tubing :blink: .. Silicone hose comes from one of the sponsors at the top of the screen, about $15 p/m but well worth it...

 

[rude]

Cheers CB fast reply, $ 15 a meter whistle me off , thats deer. Any other options on buying it cheaper or using something just as good.
If not might have to stop brewing for a while to buy some tubing

 

[PostModern]

You can use the braided "clear" pressure tube from Bunnings. I do. Less expensive than silicone and holds its shape even when hot and no plastic aromas.

 

[NickB]

+1 the braided stuff is great

Cheers

 

[Doogiechap]

Cheers CB fast reply, $ 15 a meter whistle me off , thats deer. Any other options on buying it cheaper or using something just as good.
If not might have to stop brewing for a while to buy some tubing

Hey mate
Couplers in O'Connor sells reinforced food grade hose (Alfagamma) which is rated to 90 IIRC I use the 3/4" stuff but they also sell 1/2" as well. I think it's in the vicinity of $3 a metre. Mine has only done about 20 brews but is holding up just fine
They also sell the spiral reinforced hose that Dom (Beerbelly) uses for his Brewboy rigs but I'm unsure on prices.

Cheers
Doug

 

[randb]

Put a tap on it mate.. Get some brass all-thread, drill a hole the same size, use a black rubber washer and a red fibre washer for the inside and out, couple backnuts, a ball valve, hose tail(to attach tyour hose(silicone) to drain your wort, piece of copper tubing(pickup tube) and a compression fitting to attach pickup tube to all thread...

I think thats it, probably the cheapest way to do it aswell, all up with 1 metre of silicone hose, should cost about 50 bucks and will save you some dramas, also with the pickup tube you can direct it away from the trub so you dont get that in your no-chill container...


Cheers

Thanks for all the replies, I am now about to do my first partial with the setup you describe. Thanks again will let you know how it goes. Would have done a longer reply but am using the iPod touch and it is a bit tedious.

Cheers once again

 

[Damian44]

I havnt had a cube suck in after cooling? What do you use to tighten the bung?

 

[PostModern]

I havnt had a cube suck in after cooling? What do you use to tighten the bung?

Same here. Maybe the shape of the cube, expelling all air, the material of the cube not deforming as it heats or something??? None of mine have ever had concave sides except one I made with a low volume and pressed the sides in in an effort to reduce air in the headspace.

 

[dr K]

seems like a lot of work, a lot of worry and in some cases a lot of expense to avoid using a simple and inexpensive immersion chiller just because you think (contary to most modern brewing practice) that chilling is a wank.
as was once said, doctors bury their mistakes, brewers drink em.

K

 

[Tim F]

Ive been thinking, whats to stop putting a tap on the cube and an airlock in the lid, and using it as a fermenter as well? Or would this not work?

I now ferment exclusively in cubes, the same ones that I fill straight from the kettle and no-chill. You can get extra lids for a few bucks so you just swap off the lid and put one on that you have drilled a hole in to take the airlock. I reckon cubes are much better than fermenters because they have better handles and they are a much more efficient shape in terms of getting a large batch into a brew fridge. I can only get a 15L round fermenter in my fridge but I can fit a 25L cube.

You just have to be a little bit on the ball with your cleaning as if gunk dries on it is harder to get it out. I use napisan to clean my cubes as I find it removes a lot more crap than bleach does. I just rinse after fermenting, then soak with napisan for 1 - several days, then rinse again. No problems so far.

 

[PostModern]

seems like a lot of work, a lot of worry and in some cases a lot of expense to avoid using a simple and inexpensive immersion chiller just because you think (contary to most modern brewing practice) that chilling is a wank.
as was once said, doctors bury their mistakes, brewers drink em.

K

There's not much work, no worry and no expense if you get your shit right to start with. No wasted water, brew when you can, pitch whenever you like. As per any brew method there are pluses and minuses. eg, I like the time-shifting it enables. I can brew more batches than I have fermenters (eg two double batches in one day and only three fermenters) when I have time to brew, then pitch yeast as my kegs empty. Chilling is not a wank it's just not necessary