Chilling The No-chill?

[MetalRooster]

I am planning to make a 50-60 litre batch but can only get 20 litres out of the kettle. My intention was to do 3 separate batches and combine them in the fermenter.

I was thinking if I no-chilled the first two batches (as I only have 2 cubes) however I would stick the cubes in the fridge at 2 degrees for 24 hours, then the 3rd batch goes straight into the fermenter sitting in an ice bath to get it down to around 70 degrees before adding the chilled cubes. This should get me into the low 20 degrees.

Any dangers associated with dropping the wort down to 2 degrees after the boil, and then adding back into hot wort?

Have searched/googled but can't seem to hit the right search terms - keeps just giving me threads on no-chill!

 

[black_labb]

Should be fine, just make sure the temp is where you want it before pitching the yeast

 

[bignath]

sounds complicated to me.

why not just go buy three standard fermenters and ferment them individually?

Have no idea whether your proposal is a good idea or not, but it seems like a lot of hard work with an obvious solution though.

 

[argon]

Assuming you're doing a 60L batch and splitting it evenly into 3, you'll have 40L of cool wort + 20L of hot wort.

To achieve pitching temp of 18C you'll need the cool wort to be at 2C and the hot wort to be at 50C.

40L @ 2C + 20L @ 70C will get you 24.6C.

Just buy another cube and ferment each in there concurrently.

 

[loikar]

Yeah I'm with Big Nath.

Go to SuperCheapAuto and get a couple of water Jerry cans.

Too much ******* about.
Keep it simple.

 

[MetalRooster]

I did think about separate fermenters... long story short this batch is for a 50 litre keg so my preference was for a single 60 litre fermenter. I don't like the idea of combining the finished product.

 

[jbowers]

I don't like the idea of combining the finished product.

Why?

 

[MetalRooster]

Why?

good question. can't really say why. my feeling is though that with one fermenter I have one lot of yeast at work, with 3 there is the possibility for variance amongst the finished beer... depending on how the yeast performs.

 

[argon]

You'll have a hell of a time providing enough beer for 60L though. 60L of 1.048 requires 7.7L of simple starter or 3 packs of dry yeast.

Personally i would ferment 1 then pitch the yeast at the end of primary from that to the next 2. Then blend all the batches at packaging.

 

[datou]

Have you tried chilling no-chill containers in a fridge before? In my experience the fridge just acts as an insulated box and traps the heat in without really doing much to cool it down. I've found they cool faster sitting on the concrete in the shed than inside a fridge. Mind you, I only tried the fridge thing once.

 

[datou]

Have you tried chilling no-chill containers in a fridge before? In my experience the fridge just acts as an insulated box and traps the heat in without really doing much to cool it down. I've found they cool faster sitting on the concrete in the shed than inside a fridge. Mind you, I only tried the fridge thing once.

 

[jbowers]

I would say that blending the different beers at the end will create more consistency from batch to batch. I really doubt someone will taste the difference between 3 beers from the same wort, fermented in the same conditions just at different times though....

 

[MetalRooster]

You'll have a hell of a time providing enough beer for 60L though. 60L of 1.048 requires 7.7L of simple starter or 3 packs of dry yeast.

Personally i would ferment 1 then pitch the yeast at the end of primary from that to the next 2. Then blend all the batches at packaging.

Damn that's a big starter.... having not done a batch this large before is that normal?

using slurry from batch one into 2 and 3.... interesting concept - had not thought of that one!

 

[MetalRooster]

Have you tried chilling no-chill containers in a fridge before? In my experience the fridge just acts as an insulated box and traps the heat in without really doing much to cool it down. I've found they cool faster sitting on the concrete in the shed than inside a fridge. Mind you, I only tried the fridge thing once.

nope... but I do see where you are coming from. What about overnight in the shed and then into the fridge?

 

[sim]

What about overnight in the shed and then into the fridge?

yep, nothing wrong with that. I'd be doing Argon's suggestion though. Making enough yeast for a 60L batch is painfull, when you could just reuse.

Of course you'd probably want to fill the 50L keg in one sitting though, which might make for some timing issues.

 

[MetalRooster]

yep, nothing wrong with that. I'd be doing Argon's suggestion though. Making enough yeast for a 60L batch is painfull, when you could just reuse.

Of course you'd probably want to fill the 50L keg in one sitting though, which might make for some timing issues.

The 1st batch would have to spend an extra week in secondary.

 

[argon]

Top cropping should help with timing (if it's top fermenting of course) After about 4-5 days there should be a nice creamy krausen to crop from. Pitch this nice active healthy yeast to the next batches. Ferment them for another 10 days or so. Then crash chill the lot for another 5 days cold.

Ferment 1 14 days ferment + 5 days cold
Ferment 2 10 days ferment + 5 days cold
Ferment 1 10 days ferment + 5 days cold
Day 19 package and blend the lot

60L in 19 days is not too shabby.

Or you could rack after 7 days and use the yeast slurry for the other 2. May add another few days, but packaging should be achievable in about 3 weeks.

 

[MetalRooster]

So it's looking like I'm going to have to front up for an extra cube/jerry then... and the purchase of a 60l fermenter was not necessary :unsure:

Top cropping should help with timing (if it's top fermenting of course)

...

Or you could rack after 7 days and use the yeast slurry for the other 2. May add another few days, but packaging should be achievable in about 3 weeks.

Yep it's wyeast 1272... thinking I prefer the racking option though as i'm more familiar with that and top cropping whilst fermenting in a jerry sounds like it requires the skills of keyhole surgery

 

[sim]

... and the purchase of a 60l fermenter was not necessary :unsure:

you could toggle between 30L and 60L fermentors reusing yeast.

brew a 30L, then use the yeast for your big 60L, then top crop a small amount for back into the 30L.

 

[MetalRooster]

you could toggle between 30L and 60L fermentors reusing yeast.

brew a 30L, then use the yeast for your big 60L, then top crop a small amount for back into the 30L.

not sure I follow that logic?, why top crop back to the 30L?

Just had a thought.. along the lines of using yeast cake.... what about brewing a 23L batch in the 60L fermenter then rack this to secondary (and later into a corny) and dump 3 x 20L batches on the yeast cake from the 23L batch?

I have a 23L batch of the same brew that I am putting down tonight or tomorrow....