Chilling vs No Chill

[bradsbrew]

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

Problem with that is, that you are going to get different results based on the recipe.

 

[slash22000]

I imagine that would be true, Bradsbrew.

Ross says he has read scientific papers concluding chilling is superior to no-chilling, so the tests must exist somewhere, but I can't imagine how you could test it objectively given the final product is pretty much 100% based on your own sense of smell/taste.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Problem with that is, that you are going to get different results based on the recipe.

and based on your own subjective tastes which may be influenced by, among other things, prejudice toward your preferred method.

 

[piraterum]

Check out this Beersmith article on hop oils. It provides arguements to perform chilling to preserve hop oils and thus flavour and aroma.


http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/01/21/late-hop-additions-and-hop-oils-in-beer-brewing/

 

[Dengue]

I fail to see why, if you have the facility/ability to chill, that you would opt for no-chill instead..... ?

 

[treefiddy]

Plenty of reasons already mentioned.

For example, my last brew day I made a mild and chilled it. While it was chilling, my bitter was in the mash tun doing its thing. That one got cubed so that I could pitch it when the mild was done. An effective use of my time.

I did that because I was going to have little time to brew in the next few weeks, and there wasn't enough space in the fridge. The single batch mild is also making enough yeast for my double batch of bitter (cubed).

 

[Florian]

I fail to see why, if you have the facility/ability to chill, that you would opt for no-chill instead..... ?

Seems like you also failed to read... this very thread.

 

[Clutch]

Seems like you also failed to read... this very thread.

You mean I'm supposed to read the threads before commenting? THE HELL YOU SAY!?

 

[soundawake]

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.

Holy **** I've got a temp controlled pool, why have I never thought of this??

 

[manticle]

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

Yes.

I was interested in tasting the results in a beer I was familiar with, mainly for my own understanding so not expecting the results to be conclusive nor the experimental design foolproof.

I basically took a highly hopped APA recipe of mine and brewed a double batch. 1/2 chilled through a plate chiller, half straight into a cube. Fermented with the same yeast strain, similar conditions, both dry hopped.

Then got several people to taste and pick which was NC and which was chilled as well as describe characteristics. The NC beer was definitely more bitter (higher IBU contribution has been measured in lab conditions with other NC beers before - I believe ??? and Thirsty Boy have looked at it).

However strangely enough and I don't expect this to be the result in every case, most people picked the NC beer has having more hop aroma and flavour.

They were definitely different and I preferred the NC brew because I had designed it based around my practices (NC) and tweaked the recipe to my palate. If I was going to chill that kind of beer, I would cut back on crystal and munich as I found it a touch sweet/not bitter enough. I also felt the hop profile was perhaps more delicate in the chilled version.

 

[slash22000]

I imagine the extra bitterness from no chilling is very similar if not identical to the effect of a hop stand. Effectively, you're adding ~15 minutes boil worth of IBU's.

The "no chill" option in Brewmate accounts in the same way, by adding ~15 minutes worth of IBU's.

 

[manticle]

You mean the extra bitterness comes from hops continuing to isomerise while in lengthier contact time with wort over 80 deg C?

 

[Dengue]

Seems like you also failed to read... this very thread.

sorry florian , I fail to see what you are taking about.

the only people that "no chill" use this method because they fail to be able to chill.

 

[brad81]

I fail to see why, if you have the facility/ability to chill, that you would opt for no-chill instead..... ?

Saves time and water mate.

Gives me an extra hour or so (instead of chilling and then oxygenation) to spend with the kids, after investing about 4 hours in a brew day. I chill/nochill dependant on time. I don't adjust the hops, just end up with a more bitter brew.

 

[slash22000]

You mean the extra bitterness comes from hops continuing to isomerise while in lengthier contact time with wort over 80 deg C?

Right. The oils will continue to isomerise despite the wort being drained into a cube away from any physical hop matter, as long as it's >80ºC.

 

[Clutch]

sorry florian , I fail to see what you are taking about.

the only people that "no chill" use this method because they fail to be able to chill.

Yeah, that's why I don't use my Chill Wizard.
You're spot on.

 

[manticle]

Right. The oils will continue to isomerise despite the wort being drained into a cube away from any physical hop matter, as long as it's >80ºC.

I know. I was being stupid.

That fact is quite well known and, as I mentioned at least 2 users on this forum have used laboratory equipment to measure the actual IBU contribution from late/flameout hops.

The whole point of my home experiment was to see what difference it made to one of my recipes and where my references lay. I know and understand the science - that final palate calibration/measurement/personal experience thing is what I was chasing.

 

[GalBrew]

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

Fully aware of the limitations and benefits of no-chill. Difference is I don't find the need to repeatedly start a thread stating that chilling is a waste of time and not necessary at all.

 

[Silver]

sorry florian , I fail to see what you are taking about.

the only people that "no chill" use this method because they fail to be able to chill.

Not so in my case. I made myself a great little chiller, did a few brews with it and decided to give NC a go. Kept chiller for quite a long time before i sold it. There are many reasons why i moved to NC and they have all been covered.

 

[Dengue]

Yeah, that's why I don't use my Chill Wizard.
You're spot on.

then,why did you buy it ? sounds like an expensive option

well, let me know if u want to let it go please