How Long Will No Chill Last?

[Macdoc]

I'm going away in almost a month for 2 months. I've got cracked grain for a Kolsch ready to go, so I'm going to brew tomorrow or else it isn't going to get done.

I've got some 1007 Lager Ale yeast I intend on making a starter for. I presume this will take about 2-4 days before it is ready to pitch.

So if I brew tomorrow and make a starter tonight/ tomorrow, will my no chilled wort be ok sitting inside my bucket fermenter chilling in a fermentation fridge for the duration of time it takes for my starter to be ready?

Thanks.

 

[Nick JD]

No.

You need to seal the no chill vessel air tight unless you pitch as soon as it hits room temp.

 

[Macdoc]

Would having a lid on the fermenter and some glad wrap over the grommet hole be air-tight enough?

 

[bum]

For two months?

Buy a cube for $15 first thing in the morning, problem solved.

 

[Macdoc]

For two months?

Buy a cube for $15 first thing in the morning, problem solved.

No, what I mean is, I'm brewing tomorrow, but I haven't started my starter yet. Will the wort be fine sitting in a fermenter (with lid on and glad wrap over the grommet hole) for the 2-4 days it takes for my starter to be ready to pitch. So effectively brewing tuesday, pitching thursday/friday.

 

[kelbygreen]

you are asking how long no chill will last but you are making a starter? is it just me or is that odd?''

No chill in a well cleaned well sanitised cube with no air in it will last a year if it doesnt get infected (you will know as the cube will be swollen or burst if you didnt see it swell) no chill in a bucket isnt the best idea it can be done but the risk is multiplied alot and you may get away with it but you may not.

Even with no chill in a cube you are pushing the risk limit but if your careful it should be fine 99% the time.

 

[dmac80]

This.
Then when the starter is ready, stick it in the fridge with the cube at fermentation temp till temps equalise, then pitch.
Happy yeast, happy beer.
Cheers

Buy a cube for $15 first thing in the morning, problem solved.

 

[Verbyla]

It should be fine as long as you really make sure the fermenter has been sanitised and keep the wort as cold as possible for the 3-4 days while your waiting on the starter. Just remember to pitch yeast at the correct temperature

That being said you can never be 100% sure so you'd be best to correctly no chill into a cube

 

[bum]

No, what I mean is, I'm brewing tomorrow, but I haven't started my starter yet. Will the wort be fine sitting in a fermenter (with lid on and glad wrap over the grommet hole) for the 2-4 days it takes for my starter to be ready to pitch. So effectively brewing tuesday, pitching thursday/friday.

Sorry, Macdoc. I totally missed that. I'd still lean towards Nick's advice though. If you're leaving it at not-hot temps for any length of time then you're courting danger. Lots of blokes will probably tell you they do it and it is fine. I certainly wouldn't do it but that's me.

[EDIT: typo]

 

[Florian]

I wouldn't recommend it either, but the least thing you could do, if you're going down that route at your own risk, is flushing the head space of your vessel with Co2. That still doesn't give you a guarantee, though.

As mentioned, your best option is to get a cube, you can get them at Bunnings, super cheap auto and many other places, so no excuses really unless you live hundreds of kms away from any shops.

 

[Macdoc]

Thanks people.

All my AG brews have been n/c so far, and they've all been done in the method i described earlier but only for 24hours or for how ever long it takes to get down to 18 degrees in a fridge, then I pitch.

I take it that the advantage of n/c in the cube over the plastic fermenter is that they have little head space and the ease in which they can be well sealed?

 

[kelbygreen]

if it was me I would leave it in the pot and boil it 10 mins longer and put alfoil over the top of the pot put the lid on boil it 10 mins with the alfoil and the lid on so its sealed and it steams everything inside the pot. Then when it cools slightly wrap gladwrap around the outside of the lid.

All the stuff in contact inside the pot should be sterile if you do this then you can run it off later into a fermenter