No Chill Storage

[thesunsettree]

hi all,

a quick question re no chill cubes. can u store ur wort for the short term say a few months before fermenting? similar to fwk's at the home brew shop?

thanks in advance
matt

 

[Goofinder]

I haven't done it, although I hear that it has been done. Just make sure you are really up to scratch with your sanitation and no chill procedure. My cubes don't seal well enough so the longest i have left anything is about 4 days.

 

[MarkBastard]

Yes, that's one of the main reasons people do it.

Obviously the wort needs to still be very hot, and you need to minimise air space in the cube by squeezing it before putting the lit on (don't burn yourself with overflowing wort though.

Then kick it on the side so the hot liquid sanitises the inside of the lid etc and it should keep.

 

[thesunsettree]

cheers,

it would be great to set aside a weekend here and there and have a big cook up, then ferment as required. if for some reason ur wort volume fell short and there was more headspace than could squeezed out would a squirt of co2 from the bottle be advantageous or a wasto f time?

cheers
matt

 

[bum]

You'd probably be better served by getting her closed up quicker and let the heat do its thing.

 

[MarkBastard]

Not sure mate, probably a waste of time. I racked into mine and then got the lid on as quick as possible. That's probably the most important thing rather than farting around leaving it exposed.

If it's a jerry can style cube you should be able to squeeze it pretty good with your knee up against a wall, with a big towel in between your knee and the cube so that you don't get burnt.

I think I saw someone else use a big G clamp to squeeze theirs once.

 

[raven19]

Keep a few smaller sized cubes on hand just in case the batch ends up smaller than planned.

 

[Boots]

My only experience with the No-Chill is a few years old now but am getting back into it. I always worked - and will continue to until someone corrects me - on the assumption that if you put the lid on loosely (i.e. not airtight) and allowed it to steam for a bit the steam vapour would purge most of the air out of the headspace. Then you seal it and you have a vacuum. When I used to do it as soon as the temp started dropping the cube would then crumple in someand all the headspace would disappear. Also should let you know if you ever get an air leak or infection as you'll see the headspace return over time.

(Mind you - this is based on my favourite science lesson in primary school where the teacher took a 5L tin with some water in - boiled it so the steam would drive the air out sealed it creating a vacuum and then doused it with cold water. Because thee'res a vacuum inside at this point the atmospheric pressure kills the can as the temp drops)

 

[datou]

After my first batch, I make a point of having a couple of litres of boiling water ready for if I miss my volume, just to fill up the air space if needed. You'll lose a few points of gravity, but better safe than sorry.

 

[crozdog]

At the end of last year I fermented a no chill cube that was about 18 months old. Served that keg at an ISB brew day to rave reviews from some experienced judges!. So yes it can be done.

I seal it up as soon as possible using the patented "crozdog method". lean the cube against a step at an angle with the cap away from the step with the lid partially done up. Put your knee into the side of the cube (protected by a towel / rag) & use your weight to squeeze out the extra air. Close the lid as soon as wort starts to escape. tighten cap then lay on side so hot wort gets into handle. Store in a darkish place.

Deformed cubes come back into shape when I soak em in sodium percarbonate & hot water after emptying into a fermenter.

Too easy.

 

[KHB]

I brew to 23 litres so i end up with sweet bugger all headspace to squeeze out.