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

[Bribie G]

Bit of air doesn't do any harm at this stage, after all when you gloop it into the fermenter then pitch the yeast you are exposing it to the air, which is a good thing because you need some oxygenation. Then the surface of the beer will be exposed to air until the yeast takes hold.
I know what you mean about addictive, I was listening to a podcast on the train on the way home last night (I subscribe to all sorts of interesting stuff like the science show etc) and sorting out my brew day mentally at the same time. Eventually I turned off the MP3 player "shut up, I'm trying to think here" :lol:

 

[Damian44]

Hey. I have two cubes, one square and one rectangle. Neither of them suck in after the wort cools :angry: .
Im in the market to buy two more cubes but not sure which ones to get. Could anyone recommend a certain type of cube and where to purchase them?

TYVM Damian

 

[clean brewer]

Hey. I have two cubes, one square and one rectangle. Neither of them suck in after the wort cools :angry: .
Im in the market to buy two more cubes but not sure which ones to get. Could anyone recommend a certain type of cube and where to purchase them?

TYVM Damian

They should just stay sucked in once you push the air out after putting hot wort in and sealing up tight.... Unless the lid isnt sealing to well but shouldnt matter to much... I make sure I use a damp chux to get the lid really tight when sealing up...

:icon_cheers: CB

 

[Gavo]

CB, how does the damp chux help? I just usually tighten it up till I reckon I've just about peeled the thread off.


Cheers
Gavo.

 

[clean brewer]

CB, how does the damp chux help? I just usually tighten it up till I reckon I've just about peeled the thread off.


Cheers
Gavo.

Just helps to get a good grip on it and ultra tight without ripping my hand apart.... Need a good grip mate!!!

 

[Gavo]

Just helps to get a good grip on it and ultra tight without ripping my hand apart.... Need a good grip mate!!!

I was thinking that, Just thought the there may be some other reason of much more scientific interest. Will give the method a go though and compare the difference.


Cheers
Gavo.

 

[clean brewer]

I was thinking that, Just thought the there may be some other reason of much more scientific interest. Will give the method a go though and compare the difference.


Cheers
Gavo.

Nothing Scientific Gavo.... Just gets it a bit tighter than using your bare hand....

 

[smollocks]

You can practice with an empty cube. Squeeze it in to push the air out, and close the lid tightly. If it is airtight it will remain squashed in, and will suck in air when you open the lid.

 

[malbur]

Hey. I have two cubes, one square and one rectangle. Neither of them suck in after the wort cools :angry: .
Im in the market to buy two more cubes but not sure which ones to get. Could anyone recommend a certain type of cube and where to purchase them?

TYVM Damian

Damian,

If you decide to go the square cube, have a look on ebay.
there is a bloke at Gosford on the central coast who is selling 25litre cubes for $4.00 ea.
I think he said he had fifty or sixty of these. they have had vinegar in them, i have four of them and no problems with taste.
Might be worth the drive,i think i still have his phone number, if your interested PM me, and i will have a look for it.

 

[Damian44]

I dropped into a big hardware store and paid $50 for two 20L rectangle cubes. Ripped off. There Willow and dont have the hole at the bottom drilled.

Im now thinking i should of put that towards a chiller. Do Bunnings do refunds?

Someone was saying you shouldnt tighten the lids too much. Not sure why.

Thanks Damain

 

[pdilley]

hmm they ar $13 or was it $14 each for the proper no chill cubes at Brew Your Own At Home, in Kambah. $50 is pretty far out amount to pay for plastic. I could almost get a big glass imported Demijohn when you start getting that high in price for plastic. I'd return them. Tell em they dont fit in your camper and you need to get smaller ones that will fit if you need an excuse. Then casually not be able to find any that will fit in the store.

 

[Damian44]

Ill give that a try tomorrow morning Brewer Pete. So plate chillers are all the go now?

 

[pdilley]

Not in Canberra, its called open the back door and sit outside and it will be ultra chilly by morning. Works for me as i finish brewing at night and im awake before the suns up and i have shaded backyard deck area so no sunlight hits the brew. Im a boil, chill, pitch into fermenter with starter the following day brewer to date.

 

[Damian44]

Canberra is cold, only 2 months out of the year the Mean Minimum Temp is above 12C. :beerbang: That little fellow is shivering.
I hope you like lagers.

 

[pdilley]

Remind me of that this summer as it pushes near 45!
Extremes is more like it, no wonder the front gardens in canberra are dirt and bark

 

[chucke]

So work was slow today, the weather was relatively cool and the fermentation fridge was full- so- I finally got a chance to try the no chill thingy.

Mega-cool. Thanks and hats off to the originator of this technique.

 

[Bribie G]

With the recent coolish snap here in SEQ with 8 degree nights, I've been getting an evening brew and a morning pitch same as Brewer Pete. Golden brewing months.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I dropped into a big hardware store and paid $50 for two 20L rectangle cubes. Ripped off. There Willow and dont have the hole at the bottom drilled.

Im now thinking i should of put that towards a chiller. Do Bunnings do refunds?

Someone was saying you shouldnt tighten the lids too much. Not sure why.

Thanks Damain

Damian -

I think that most people leave the hole undrilled in their no chill cubes. Taps are prone to being knocked out or even just popping out when teh cube is full of boiling hot wort and quite soft. Some people use taps.. but most dont.

If you tighten the lid too much - it will jump the thread and maybe wreck it. Once again, things are soft and soggy at the high temperatures.

Cost for chillers/ cubes is probably the weakest argument in favour of no-chill. Water savings, time savings, flexibility and convenience are the better reasons to consider no-chill. Cost wise -- its usually just that more often people can afford $20 for a cube now ... which means they can start brewing. But $100 for a chiller might mean they have to wait a while longer.

Although I am not a fan - people also no-chill in their fermentors or (even less of a fan) in the kettle. That comes for free.

TB

 

[Damian44]

I got a plate chiller, so im very happy. And the Willow cubes will come in handy for beers that dont have much late hops additions that i want to nochill. I could even give them a dip in the pool, as the hole is not cut out.

Great work TB on your experiment on cube bitterness. It should probably have a link to this thread.... http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry488265

 

[extra-cheese]

Howdy all,
Just a quick question, when you are ready to ferment your wort how do you bring the no-chill wort back up to pitching temp? (I am assuming that your ambient temperature is lower than the required pitching temp, as mine is)

cheers,
brad