Chilling vs No Chill

[soundawake]

I pool chill. FIll a cube, tie a rope around it and let it bob in my pool. Currently two hours is how long it takes to get it to pitching temp. So I guess I'm kinda inbetween.

 

[Logman]

I don't think so. Assuming your cold water is 4 degrees and your hot wort is 90, it's not going to bring the temperature much under 50.

Ok thanks - I was hoping to get it chilling fast to prevent bitterness, so down to 50 or so would be great. I can use the hose once the cubes are done and use the hose water to make some PBW.

Just want to get something going for APA's - tired of bitter beers. (might as well inflame another no-chill riot while I'm at it ) .

:icon_cheers:

 

[Midnight Brew]

So many options and more.

No chill
Chill
Pool chill
No chill then mini boil
Cube hop
Chill to 80C then cube
Dump the kettle in ice to chill
No chill cube hop, french press, dry hop

 

[Yob]

Forgot Kettle no chill..

 

[Silver]

Ok thanks - I was hoping to get it chilling fast to prevent bitterness, so down to 50 or so would be great. I can use the hose once the cubes are done and use the hose water to make some PBW.

Just want to get something going for APA's - tired of bitter beers. (might as well inflame another no-chill riot while I'm at it ) .

:icon_cheers:

I recall doing a graph when i was a chiller and the temp drop by hose alone was quite dramatic to a point. I was considering at that stage to run the hose water through a copper tube in an ice bath to encourage another steep drop to pitching temp. Sadly all data lost and forgotten when i went NC but i think your goal would be within your reach.

 

[micblair]

Wouldn't mind seeing more options to really break up the demographics:

• Used to no chill, now upgraded.
• Mix of both based on circumstance.
• Would never, ever, no way no-chill.

I've been fortunate enough to try all 3 of the common techniques, cube, immersion and more recently using a plate chiller; all of which are highly capable in making excellent beers. That said, using a plate chiller is by far the superior method for chilling wort, and allows me to have the yeast in within minutes of transferring into the fermenter. Seeing it in action, made it more obvious why commercial breweries use this method exclusively.

 

[Cosh]

I chill with a copper immersion chiller that a friend and I made.

My brewery is set up next to a rainwater tank and pump, I just recirculate the hot water back into the top of the tank

I previously had a plate chiller with my BIAB rig, but I didn't find it to be as effective as the immersion chiller; maybe I wasn't using it correctly, running the wort through to quickly or something.

If I didn't have the rainwater tank i'd probably no-chill and adjust the late hop additions accordingly.

 

[sponge]

Once we (myself and my partner) move on from our apartment, I shall be investing in a rain water tank which is conveniently placed next to the brew dungeon for the prime reason of being able to chill without the water wastage.

Until I have a water tank in which I can recycle my water (I realise there are other ways to recycle water, but this is by far the most convenient and practical) I shall remain a NC'er.

 

[WarmBeer]

I'm a fence-sitter, and with the recent build of a whirlpool immersion chiller my last two beers have been chilled. These were, respectively, an IPA and a lager that I wanted to get down to pitching temps quickly.

I plan on brewing next week, and as I've planned a stout, I will simply cube it and pitch the following day.

I have a full toolbox at my disposal. Use the most appropriate tool for the job.

 

[Yob]

Just bought 6 x 220l sorbitol drums to set up rain water collection for garden/chilling $15 a pop :beerbang:

 

[Parks]

Ok thanks - I was hoping to get it chilling fast to prevent bitterness, so down to 50 or so would be great. I can use the hose once the cubes are done and use the hose water to make some PBW.

Just want to get something going for APA's - tired of bitter beers. (might as well inflame another no-chill riot while I'm at it ) .

:icon_cheers:

Mate that's the wrong way round!

You have equal water to wort in your cube cooling scenario, so, say you want to brew an ale. Get your wort down to 32 degrees and then recirculate your 4 degree water. Equilibrium should be at 18.

For a lager you'll either need colder water or more water as you'd need your hose to get you down to 20 max.

 

[Florian]

I do a bit of everything really depending on what, when and how I brew.

The majority I no chill, but often those cubes contain wort that's only been bittered. When I no chill hoppy beers I generally do an Argonaise boil afterwards.

When I chill I immersion chill, recirculating tank water like so many others. Once I'm down to 35ish it's hard to get the water any colder, so I dump a bag of ice into a 19L pot and get the trusty brown pump out to circulate ice water through the chiller. Depending on the number of ice bags I use I can get down to 6 degrees for a lager.

In the past I've also done kettle in sink chill, kettle no chill, pool chill and probably some others I can't think of now. When pool chilling I make sure though that the cube lid sits above water level, I usually place a few tiles under the cube to achieve the correct height.

I've also pool fermented, which I reckon is the best temp control one can get (if the pool water is the right temperature, of course). If you no chill in a jerry can, just open the lid while in the pool, jerry cans usually expand quite a bit once opened to give some head space, pitch your yeast and put some glad wrap over the lid. Can't get much easier than that with precise temp control.

 

[WarmBeer]

When I chill I immersion chill, recirculating tank water like so many others. Once I'm down to 35ish it's hard to get the water any colder, so I dump a bag of ice into a 19L pot and get the trusty brown pump out to circulate ice water through the chiller. Depending on the number of ice bags I use I can get down to 6 degrees for a lager.

Tank water was 8 degrees last time I used my chiller.

There is some advantage to living in Melbourne.

 

[Logman]

Mate that's the wrong way round!

You have equal water to wort in your cube cooling scenario, so, say you want to brew an ale. Get your wort down to 32 degrees and then recirculate your 4 degree water. Equilibrium should be at 18.

For a lager you'll either need colder water or more water as you'd need your hose to get you down to 20 max.

Thank you sir, was wondering if I had it arse about face.

:icon_cheers:

 

[Clutch]

This thread reminds me, I really should try and use the $800 Chill Wizard I have at home.

 

[Bizier]

This poll needs an option for "both" or "either according to circumstance/recipe"

Chilling is better, unless you are lazy, grossly incompetent regarding sanitation, have no yeast on hand, or require a large hot water bottle in bed.

Just bought 6 x 220l sorbitol drums

You a bit blocked up there Yob?

 

[Dengue]

This thread reminds me, I really should try and use the $800 Chill Wizard I have at home.

why havent you used it yet ? heard these are awesome.....

 

[Ross]

I'm happy chilling or no chilling - all our FWK's are obviously no chilled, but all our brewery beers are crash chilled.

I find it ironic that there are guys posting in this thread that no chill is fine, when they lambasted brewers in the Dry v hydrate yeast thread, when every scientific paper I've read says "no chilling" is bad & for best results you must chill

cheers Ross

 

[slash22000]

Has anybody ever done a subjective side-by-side test of the same wort, half chilled, half not chilled?

 

[MartinOC]

Has anybody ever done a subjective side-by-side test of the same wort, half chilled, half not chilled?

+1 on that....?