Quick No Chill Question Re-imperial Ipa

[Kieren]

Dude tbh if you usually chill but you just cant for this batch I would NOT brew a double IPA with the NC method...

When I started out I was a notorious no chiller, did it with every brew, and it was great, saved alot of time and water, but the one thing i noticed when i started using the chiller was within a few minutes of the chiller running the smell from the kettle almost vanished, where as whenever I no chilled I could smell malt and hops for ages after!

Now my thinking is, if you cant smell all the aromas when the chiller starts running, then this aroma must be being trapped in the beer, and for me at least the finished products show this - much cleaner more prominent hop aroma in the chilled beers, and no IMO dry hopping does not make up for a 0 min addition, the characters are completely different...

I think in terms of bitterness being able to tell the difference between 30 and 40 IBU would be quite hard, because the perceived bitterness is allways going to be different between recipes.. Ive had two beers side by side that are both the same OG, FG and IBU but one can seem more bitter than the other - I did an experiment once with a NC beer, small starting gravity, no hops in the boil and a big addition at 0 mins, no chilled, fermented, and what do ya know - the beer was bitter, so there was definately utilisation happening!

Hope that helps, sorry for the rant lol :icon_cheers:

Maltier beer styles definitely come out better than hoppier styles.

But if you really want to do an IIPA and have to no-chill then just go for it. You will still brew a damn nice beer. Just up the late hopping and dry hop (yes, dry hopping is different to kettle aroma additions). You could also try making a hop tea as well.

 

[raven19]

For me, a IIPA is not really for aging. Drink it pretty fresh before you lose all that hoppy goodness. Not saying it can't still be good with some age, but then it becomes more like a US barleywine IMO.

Cheerfully withdrawn!

I was probably subconciously thinking of a RIS, as the 'Imperial' stuck in my mind!

Edit: Tax return time will hopefully result in a plate chiller, then I will be able to judge for myself. B)

 

[reviled]

Edit: Tax return time will hopefully result in a plate chiller, then I will be able to judge for myself. B)

Hey mate just a bit of caution with the plate chiller - do you brew very hoppy beers?

Only reason im saying anything is I have a mate who couldnt brew anything without a hop sock when he was using a plate chiller, just allways blocked up on him - In the end he got so frustrated he went back to an immersion chiller... So something to think about, plate chillers aint cheap!

 

[MattC]

Hey mate just a bit of caution with the plate chiller - do you brew very hoppy beers?

Only reason im saying anything is I have a mate who couldnt brew anything without a hop sock when he was using a plate chiller, just allways blocked up on him - In the end he got so frustrated he went back to an immersion chiller... So something to think about, plate chillers aint cheap!

:icon_offtopic:
Was he using whole hops or did this still happen from using pellets as well? I was thinking of buying a plate chiller soon. What disdv are there in hop sock use btw.. lower utilisation????

 

[raven19]

Hey mate just a bit of caution with the plate chiller - do you brew very hoppy beers?

Only reason im saying anything is I have a mate who couldnt brew anything without a hop sock when he was using a plate chiller, just allways blocked up on him - In the end he got so frustrated he went back to an immersion chiller... So something to think about, plate chillers aint cheap!

:icon_offtopic: Cheers for the warning. Current Setup is whirlpool then dump in NC cube.

May have to break out the old stocking again for the hops.

I have held back on brewing late hopped beers for the NC reason.

 

[MattC]

Well after considering all things and being my first Imperial IPA, i think i would be better leaving it until I have a ready fermenter. So I have decided to brew and cube an oatmeal stout instead. Thanks to all for their helpful advice.

:beer:

Cheers

 

[KHB]

Hey mate just a bit of caution with the plate chiller - do you brew very hoppy beers?

Only reason im saying anything is I have a mate who couldnt brew anything without a hop sock when he was using a plate chiller, just allways blocked up on him - In the end he got so frustrated he went back to an immersion chiller... So something to think about, plate chillers aint cheap!

I have a plate chiller, i use a beerbelly hopscreen and never had problems with the plate chiller blocking, even when tipping the kettle

 

[reviled]

:icon_offtopic:
Was he using whole hops or did this still happen from using pellets as well? I was thinking of buying a plate chiller soon. What disdv are there in hop sock use btw.. lower utilisation????

He was using pellets, and yeah he found when using a hop sock the beer just didnt have the hop aroma or flavour he expected from the amount of hops he was using, ive tried many hop socked brewed beers and have found the same thing..

Hopscreen would probably sort it tho as per KHB's comments, id be interested to know if theres still a limit to how much hop you can use, like would 500gms in 20 litres still be fine with a hopscreen and plate chiller?