So I got some cubes

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MastersBrewery

Journeyman, the learning never stops
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Yesterday went out to this guys place and picked up some used cubes, the smaller one had concentrated lemon essence, and the larger had caramel colouring, they look like 25 and 30L I got 10 of each. I'm cleaning them out as we speak and they look to clean up ok, just waiting to see if the lemon flavour/ smell will go. Thing is I think 20 cubes might just be a lil over kill.

I have always chilled I have immersion and CFC, so the whole no-chill thing is new, I can see the advantages and not having to run around sanitising fermenters and having starters ready just at the right time, at the end of a 4 hour brew day is a big one. I'm also hoping to build a bit of stock so I can pick and choose what to ferment next.

So for the first time no-chiller any great tips?


MB
 
When i switched from immersion chiller to no chill, I read a few completely different ways to calc bitterness ( still do ). I normally go middle of the road for bitterness, so the first few batches I didn't change the calcs at all. I noticed no discernible difference in bitterness, so that's what I still do now. Just calc hops as normal. If you like really bitter beers, it may need adjustment, but it's no big deal really. Try a few and adjust from there.
 
Big tip from my experience of mucking about with mini boils and adjusting additions is to make your flavour and aroma additions to the cube. Reduces kettle losses, increases aroma and tastes flat out amazing. In software I find it to be the bitterness of a 20min Steep/Whirlpool addition. For UK styles no more then 1g p/L in the cube and for US styles 2g p/L is a good starting point.
 
I was a cube-hopping sceptic but have cube hopped my last three brews and they turned out just fine.
If you can get hold of some pure sodium percarbonate, put a quarter of a cup in each cube, fill with hot water and leave for a day or two then rinse, should get rid of most off flavours.

Otherwise half a cup of unscented napisan etc. Not a cheap exercise including the hot water but it should hopefully be just a oncer.
 
My tip would be to buy new cubes. Cheap and worth avoiding unwanted lemon tang. Beyond that - as per mje. Brew as normal and tweak bitterness and flavour additions to taste. Most of my late additions are between 10 and whirlpool.
 
Midnight Brew said:
Big tip from my experience of mucking about with mini boils and adjusting additions is to make your flavour and aroma additions to the cube. Reduces kettle losses, increases aroma and tastes flat out amazing. In software I find it to be the bitterness of a 20min Steep/Whirlpool addition. For UK styles no more then 1g p/L in the cube and for US styles 2g p/L is a good starting point.
Pretty much the same here. Quite often add some at flameout (15 min boil in software) too. whirlpool and let it settle for a bit until temp is around 85C then transfer to sanitised cube with cube hops already added (20 steep/whirlpool in software). Seems to work pretty well.
 
Thanks for the replies fellas going to run with something mid next week just going to get the garage sorted and these stacked and clean over the weekend. At this stage an APA/IPA just see how the method works for me.

manticle said:
My tip would be to buy new cubes. Cheap and worth avoiding unwanted lemon tang. Beyond that - as per mje. Brew as normal and tweak bitterness and flavour additions to taste. Most of my late additions are between 10 and whirlpool.
Yep certainly not a simple rinse out for the lemon have a couple soaking, will do the boiling water aroma test before declaring brew ready, if they don't work out they'll make some nice nesting boxes for the birds.
 
Yeah boiling water/cool/taste test should work out. Worth trying and I hope it's enough but any doubt, chuck it out.
 
Run a cheap kit thru the cube first. I have found that this can strip out residual flavours.
 
I do some 100% cube hop brews. My house pale ale is done this way.

I calculate all of my cube hops as 20min additions.

I use starsan inside the cubes just to be safe.

And after having a couple of cube not seal up so greatly I use glad wrap around the thread on the lid, use it like plumbers tape.

I don't know about leaving till 85c, bit of a brewers debate there though.
 
Thanks for the link, will certainly have me putting more thought into my late additions
 
30/70 vinegar/water solution is good to get rid of unwanted scents. Soak overnight & rinse.

I knock 20 mins off additions. So bittering hops go in at 40 mins. Occasionally, I might add some at flameout, but have been more than happy with cube additions for flavour/aroma recently as per others above.

They can be a bitch to seal sometimes and thread tape is your friend. Failing a perfect seal, I normally pitch next day anyway, so not a big deal for mine.
 
Tahoose said:
Dont think its a can or worms, just a good experiment. Even though I no chill I certainly get different results adding hops at flameout (i.e. close to 100C) and adding to the cube post whirlpool and rest (transfer at around 85C so likely to be closer to 80C as it hits the hops in the cube) and tend to do both for hop forward beers

Not sure the experiment is that relvant to no chill as my wort cools from 100C to 85C and then from 80C(ish) to pitching temp, over a lot longer period than his which he seems to be actively chilling.
 
lobedogg said:
30/70 vinegar/water solution is good to get rid of unwanted scents. Soak overnight & rinse.

I knock 20 mins off additions. So bittering hops go in at 40 mins. Occasionally, I might add some at flameout, but have been more than happy with cube additions for flavour/aroma recently as per others above.

They can be a bitch to seal sometimes and thread tape is your friend. Failing a perfect seal, I normally pitch next day anyway, so not a big deal for mine.
will try this in the morning, that lemon zing just don't wanna give up. I need some of these for 'honey do' bits any ways, we'll see how we go.
 
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