Chill vs No Chill - can of worms

[aamcle]

I know that this has been argued in over again and again and I have read lots of posts but I still don't know what's best.

I've been happy " no chilling", the beer is coming out fine, no haze or other apparent issues but every so often I wonder if I'm missing out.

Would beer with a lot of late hops be better if I chilled?

Is it worth the trouble of building and using a chiller or am I just suffering from peer pressures?

I brew in a garage, I would have to drag a hose across the back of the house to feed the chiller and a doubt I could save the water.

What do you think gents?

Atb. Aamcle

 

[manticle]

Just try it. Only you can answer that question. NC works. Chilling works.

 

[danestead]

Ive never no chilled but according to the theory, the only thing you are missing out on with no chill is your additions from say flameout through to say 10 or 20 minutes. You can still get your bittering, flavour and dry hop additions like a chilled beer so I guess if you are really craving that flameout - 20ish minute addition for aroma etc then give it a shot. I dont see any advantage in me trying no chill however thats my specific situation. Your situation may not warrant buying or trying a chiller however if you do, you should brew 2 of the same brew with both methods and report back on your findings.

 

[Mardoo]

I've been pleasantly surprised by no-chill. I love the absolute control over pitching temperature. Just put the cube in the ferment fridge for a couple days and pitch it right where you want it.

 

[mje1980]

This is one of the things I love about it too. Especially lagers. Put cube in fridge with yeast starter, once both are at the right temp. Pitch into fermenter.

 

[Eagleburger]

It is easier for me to get what I want by chilling. So that is what I do. I did make some nice beers NC, but I found it difficult to get the balance of hop flavour/bitterness.

 

[QldKev]

It depends on the beer style. I no-chilled for years, and swore to never chill. I loved being able to brew when I wanted too, and ferment when I wanted. I was doing all the standard hops in the nochill cube, and plenty in the ferment. More recently (almost a year) I have started chilling beers that I want more fresh hop aroma. There is a definite difference by my taste buds.

 

[mje1980]

I went the other way, chilled for years. Then no chill popped and I tried it. Loved it. As mentioned it can depend on what type of beers you brew. I don't brew many hop bombs so don't feel I miss anything.

 

[sp0rk]

I've been pleasantly surprised by no-chill. I love the absolute control over pitching temperature. Just put the cube in the ferment fridge for a couple days and pitch it right where you want it.

This is exactly what I do
I chuck my NC cube in the fridge and set it to 18, do my starter and pop that in the fridge as well, a day later it's all ready to throw in a fermenter

 

[Camo6]

This is exactly what I do
I chuck my NC cube in the fridge and set it to 18, do my starter and pop that in the fridge as well, a day later it's all ready to throw in a fermenter

+1 to that as well.

I started AG as a chiller and did so until last year when a couple of NC stalwarts showed me the light.
I haven't noticed a huge drop in hop aroma and I love the fact I'm not using hundreds of litres of water per batch for chilling.
It also knocks probably an hour off my brewday and with cube hopping I'm not hovering around the kettle.
Yesterday I knocked out four cubes (2 styles) in 6 hours and each cube uses a different hop combo.
I also don't have to coordinate my starters to coincide with brewdays and therefore believe I take more care in getting healthy numbers of yeast.
The downside for me is adapting to the new method when designing recipes or adapting old ones.

Both methods have their pluses and at least having a chiller gives you the option to chill as well as another piece of bling you can show off on brewery tours.

 

[Yob]

If it wasn't for NC it'd almost be impossible to run the swaps the way we do, pumping out +500l of wort in a day..

One of the swaps was even a pliny clone.. Yum

 

[Camo6]

If it wasn't for NC it'd almost be impossible to run the swaps the way we do, pumping out +500l of wort in a day..

One of the swaps was even a pliny clone.. Yum

Almost being the operative word, yeah?

 

[Tex083]

I just chilled my 1st brew, I have been NC for 2 years.
I didnt expect to buy the chiller when I was at the LHBS but I did and dindt have a starter ready, pitched 1 pack of wyeast into a 1.070 dark ale and it went ok.

I have a plate chiller and was suprised how fast you can chill the wort. it did use around 90L of water for 25L of wort but in the futurre I will whirlpool more and let some temp come out of the boiler.

I was cube hopping and found the chiller gives a different bitterness. Less harsh? (maybe thats not the word for it)

 

[mosto]

I always chill my can of worms

 

[marksy]

I have been NC for my last 20 batches, and I reckon I got the hops amounts and times down now s0 my beers aren't too bitter and the hops leave a nice flavor on the palate.

I used to use my own chiller and it was great and my beers where good too but that was when I was living at home and I used the rain water tank and pump to chill, but NC gives me flexibility to brew when I want, and I mean not cooking the batch, but pitch it around my schedule. Sometimes my yeasts aren't ready or I was lazy to start them, other times I might have a busy month a head so I'll make some and wait till I am ready.

 

[coopsomulous]

I was a chiller and now exclusively no chill, including lagers. I can now get the hop profile I want using no chill and it now makes brew day so much easier.

The only criticism I get from others is my beers are now more bitter, but that's how I like them anyhow,

 

[indica86]

I have started chilling beers that I want more fresh hop aroma. There is a definite difference by my taste buds.

Hmmmm

 

[aamcle]

I've just run into my first "no chill" issue, 130g of Hops 70g of which were supposed to be at flame out.
I expect the flavour profile to be well mangled, what I did was 60min hops as normal, 20min hops at flame out and flame out hops into the cube to cool over night.

I've strained the lot ( removed the hops) in to a FV this morning and inoculated this morning so now its wait and see.

Atb. AaMcle

 

[indica86]

I no chill.
Bittering addition + flameout - set as 20 minute steep. Very nice beers.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

I've read just about the entirety of every Aussiehomebrewer thread on no chill, the summary that I can give:

* You will need to modify the late hop additions by x minutes (climate, system, process dependant).
* On hop forward beers the late hops will not be the same, it may be close, it may still be very good, but not the same.