oldest cube

[Yob]

:blink: Not at all,

I only get a brew day once every few months, due to other commitments I now have, child, HDA, wanting to have a life as well... its good planning that allows me to plan what I want in advance and ferment it at will... Its why I still dont chill, *cubing suits my lifestyle and processes so well.

It's different strokes for different folks mate, to call it bad planning is just out and out wrong.. it's exceptional planning for those *the process suits..

*ed: clarity

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I also no chill, I have children and a life, I don't work though I may when my youngest goes to school this year, but a bit of forethought into planning a brewing schedule should be considered, I am lucky I have a cool room to ferment my beers and I am not against some one having a cube laying around for a month or two but we are talking about years here.

 

[S.E]

out of completeness..

1.jpg

2.jpg

See barls my first post was right to warn you of the danger of storing fresh wort in a sealed cube. h34r:

Seriously though how could it crack the concrete floor when the rest of the fridge and everything around it is still intact?

It looks like the cube only split down the side and pushed the door off the fridge. Admittedly I’m surprised it even did that though. I’d be interested to know how far the door was found from the fridge or if the hinges had been loose or damaged.

 

[S.E]

Whoa! Also still slightly OT but I had my first ever cube explode/split in multiple places last night/yesterday. No pics but was brewed on sunday. I checked it yesterday morning as I was planning on pitching yeast into it this morning. Doesn't appear to be infected but now my garage smells like old wort. What's left in the cube still tastes fine. Was pretty hot in Brisbane yesterday but we have had way hotter in the last few weeks with no issues.

So your cube only split and spilt some wort or was there any other damage ? Did you hear it go off?

 

[lukiferj]

So your cube only split and spilt some wort or was there any other damage ? Did you hear it go off?

Heard nothing. Just smelt it this morning when I woke up. Assume it happened at some point yesterday. Multiple splits on 2 sides of the cube though. It could be a coincidence but my kids were playing in the garage yesterday and they like jumping off stuff. They're not admitting to anything yet but not out of the question to have been jumping on it.

 

[mxd]

I also no chill, I have children and a life, I don't work though I may when my youngest goes to school this year, but a bit of forethought into planning a brewing schedule should be considered, I am lucky I have a cool room to ferment my beers and I am not against some one having a cube laying around for a month or two but we are talking about years here.

I do 60 ltr batches and brew when I can be bothered (see sig for amount in garage), the fresh wort is best before for 2 years(still fine after), the longest/oldest I have fermented was 20 months old, and it was fine (2nd vic brew 2013)

 

[malt and barley blues]

Maybe if it was a fresher wort you could have got a first.

 

[S.E]

Heard nothing. Just smelt it this morning when I woke up. Assume it happened at some point yesterday. Multiple splits on 2 sides of the cube though. It could be a coincidence but my kids were playing in the garage yesterday and they like jumping off stuff. They're not admitting to anything yet but not out of the question to have been jumping on it.

The cube I saw close to bursting was splitting down one side like the one in yobs pic. Had your wort exploded around the garage or just a big puddle on the floor?

 

[lukiferj]

The cube I saw close to bursting was splitting down one side like the one in yobs pic. Had your wort exploded around the garage or just a big puddle on the floor?

Just a puddle on the floor.Splits on 2 sides of the cube though. Will post some pictures up tomorrow when I get home.

 

[black_labb]

Well this thread has been interesting.

I have a cube like the one that was exploded in the fridge in the photo above. I used it once and the theads on the lid deformed and it didn't seal correctly after repeated attempts. I had the same thing happen with a pair of 10L cubes. The only thing they have in common is the red tops. The blue and black on my other cubes have never had the issue. Could the additive for red colour make plastic soften more at temperature?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Looking at the picture Yob posted my theory would be that what I will call invert pressure, the vacuum within the jerry can being placed in the fridge the wort could expand especially if the fridge was playing up.
The cooling of the wort causes it to expand and already being in a vacuum will split the container.
As for the colour of the cap I don't think that makes any difference People in Plastic sell the containers with red black and blue.

 

[Josh]

Another thing to consider is, when preserving (bottling) fruit for example, shelf life is generally one year before the contents start to deteriorate, keeping wort in a cube would be comparable, what is the point of keeping the wort so long in a cube, I consider a week to be a reasonable length of time.

Based on speaking for myself, surely when keeping a cube for months or years is just bad planning.

The only reply necessary is: Because I can.

To expand though. I like to brew on a whim. I don't always plan out my brew days a week in advance. Often my brew days come about because I unexpectedly get the house to myself for a few hours. And instead of watch porn on this particular day, I'd rather head outside and be slightly less productive. So I will make 20-23L of wort.

But the fermenting fridge isn't always ready to accept a new batch of beer straight away. Some weeks I'll have multiple days where I can brew. So I will store more than one cube ready for fermentation. As I like to brew lagers, the fridge can be tied up for a few weeks at a time. So cubes will move to the back of the queue for a while. Then another style will take my fancy and I wind up brewing that and fermenting it before I get the the lager I brewed a couple of months ago.

In the case of my 2yo Pilsner, something very similar to the above story happened. And then we had to move house at short notice. So the cube wound up in transit for 6 months while we were between houses. Since moving into my own home, I haven't gotten around to fermenting it as I've been busy doing other things.

Go shove your bad planning.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

These are only debatable topics Josh, like to organise my life, you don't, each to his own.

 

[lukiferj]

I would say that having a number of different cubed worts is possibly even better organisation. That way you can ferment different types of beer if you need to without having to try and squeeze in a brew day. Each one of my cubes has a very different wort.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Not saying it isn't lukiferj, just don't understand of wanting a cube of wort lying around for years on end.

 

[lukiferj]

Fair call. I have found that the stout I left for 9 months was very smooth to drink. Much smoother than any of my other stouts that have been no chilled and fermented in a week. Each to their own though.

Carry on all.

 

[QldKev]

Not saying it isn't lukiferj, just don't understand of wanting a cube of wort lying around for years on end.

It's not wanting, it's just what happens. Maybe you too after brewing for long enough won't be "mr I want to brew all the time". The benefit of no chill is brew when you can, and have beer when you want. My 3V can pump out 4 cubes at a time, and I have up to 3-4months or cubes on hand at a time. That way if I can't brew for a month or 2 due to other life interests it does not matter. Many brewers with their ideas come and go, a few enjoy this hobby for many years to come and realize it's not all about perfect planning.

 

[manticle]

Based on speaking for myself

Fair enough. I like to pitch within a couple of days myself. I thought you meant a week was how long they would keep - fresh wort kits can keep for 2 years as far as I'm aware and a properly no-chilled wort should be no different.

I wouldn't compare it to preserved fruit.

People have different lives and might brew well into the future when they have time. Additionally, even if it is to do with planning - sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men, etc.

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

I have a cube of a boh pils which has been waiting 12 months, waiting for some yeast lovin.

 

[timgkelly]

probably a dumb question...

is there any separation of the wort when left in a cube for a long period of time? should it be shaken before being placed into your fermenter?

I just bought a 20L cube at anacondas this weekend, before I was no-chilling in the fermenter then pitching the next day. I sounds mighty convenient being able to leave in the cube and pitching when one has enough bottles/spare fermenter. (I'm thinking of buying a bunch and having a massive brew week sometime soon).

Also, quick question.

I don't keep very good notes, but I'm near positive I was about 50 grams short on DME when I bulk primed my last batch. I opened a bottle late last week (after two week condition) and it was seriously under carbed. Tasted god damned delicious though. I was thinking if I put them in the fridge and cooled them down to 2-3 degrees, I could open them and put a carb drop in each bottle. What do you folks think?

edit: spelling