Users Of The "no Chiller Method"

[Ross]

Hi Andrew,

2 years is the "best before" stated by the manufacturers we purchase from, which is what I'm basing my info on..
The Weyermann Extracts we sell state the same time as well.
Obviously the fresher the better, but the official line is 2 years...

cheers Ross

 

[AndrewQLD]

Hi Andrew,

2 years is the "best before" stated by the manufacturers we purchase from, which is what I'm basing my info on..
The Weyermann Extracts we sell state the same time as well.
Obviously the fresher the better, but the official line is 2 years...

cheers Ross

Thanks Ross, wasn't doubting you as such, just didn't seem to be what I had experienced.

Just shows how old some of those kits and extracts were back in the old days before I started AGing.
Thanks for the info.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[clean brewer]

Hi Andrew,

2 years is the "best before" stated by the manufacturers we purchase from, which is what I'm basing my info on..
The Weyermann Extracts we sell state the same time as well.
Obviously the fresher the better, but the official line is 2 years...

cheers Ross

So, that's best before, I wonder if they have a Use By? Surely there would have to be as Best Before is only a reccomendation, not an actual "Use By" so they could be used well after that??

Would you still use it at the 2 year mark or beyond?

 

[bottaboom]

Gentlemen,

This is my first post here so "Hello".

I recently heard about "the brew in a bag" method and was going to try it this weekend. While reading up on that I came across the "no chill method". I don't have a cube but I do have a few extra primary fermentors. Would it be OK to use one of those? Will the hot wort melt it?

Thanks,

Warren

 

[geoffi]

I believe quite a few blokes use fermenters for no-chill. Seems the plastic can take it.

For longer storage of course it's not a goer.

 

[RetsamHsam]

Gentlemen,

This is my first post here so "Hello".

I recently heard about "the brew in a bag" method and was going to try it this weekend. While reading up on that I came across the "no chill method". I don't have a cube but I do have a few extra primary fermentors. Would it be OK to use one of those? Will the hot wort melt it?

Thanks,

Warren

G'day Mate,

You will be able to syphon your hot wort straight into the fermenter without a problem, you would want to pitch your yeast as soon as it hits the correct temp though.

 

[QldKev]

Gentlemen,

This is my first post here so "Hello".

I recently heard about "the brew in a bag" method and was going to try it this weekend. While reading up on that I came across the "no chill method". I don't have a cube but I do have a few extra primary fermentors. Would it be OK to use one of those? Will the hot wort melt it?

Thanks,

Warren

Hi and Welcome

You could use a fermentor to no chill, I would recommend getting a jerry can. The main difference is a fermentor will suck air in as the beer cools risking infection. The jerry can you can squeeze to get all the air out and lock the lid up tight. The cost of a jerry can (cube) is less than one batch of beer.

Hope this helps.

QldKev

 

[geoffi]

As for cubes, one thing I just discovered: the O-ring inside the lid has a flat side and a side with ridges. It needs the flat side making contact with the cube to make the seal. So if as I do you take out the O-ring for cleaning (or as sometimes happens it just drops out) make sure you put it on properly. Otherwise your cube will not be sealed and nasty things can happen to your hard-earned wort. (Sorry about that Mark!)

 

[bottaboom]

Thank you all for the VERY QUICK replies. I'll look into buying a jerry can. I guess for my first BIAG batch I'll use the 50 foot wort chiller I just made. I want to try it out anyway.

Thanks again!

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I no chill - I like to no-chill - I think no-chilling is great....

BUT

If you have a chiller already, and using water is no issue where you are located -- I'd chill. Sure, spend the $10 on a HDPE (food grade) jerry and try out no-chill. But the chances are your life will be a little easier with getting support from local brewers, replicating recipes and stuff like that if you chill traditionally.

No chill as I said is great - but IMHO you either use it because you need to (water shortages, cant afford a chiller etc etc) OR you use it because you have experience as an AG brewer and can compare your chilled brews with no-chilled brews and compensate in a reasonably educated way for teh differences.

If you are a new AG brewer, in an environment where chilling is the norm and you have no particularly pressing reason to no-chill... I would stick with the status quo and chill. Like I said - I do not think that chilling is better than no-chilling, its just that the experienced brewers in your area are far more likely to be able to give you useful advice about chilling.... and as a new brewer, you really want to be able to use the advice of the experienced brewers in your area.

Bit of experience under your belt - toss that chiller into the recycling and join us in proud and jaunty corps of No-Chillers.

TB

 

[raven19]

Bit of experience under your belt - toss that chiller into the recycling and join us in proud and jaunty corps of No-Chillers.

+1 :icon_cheers:

Love the no chill simplicity, reduction in water use, and less time required on brew day.

 

[geoffi]

Thank you all for the VERY QUICK replies. I'll look into buying a jerry can. I guess for my first BIAG batch I'll use the 50 foot wort chiller I just made. I want to try it out anyway.

Thanks again!

How's this for an idea: if you have the capacity, do a double batch, run off half into a cube for future use, then chill the rest for immediate use. Best of both worlds.

 

[Scruffy]

How's this for an idea: if you have the capacity, do a double batch, run off half into a cube for future use, then chill the rest for immediate use. Best of both worlds.

Ahh, and there's me thinking I'm a clever twot... I'm also making the wort slightly more concentrated filling two cubes and diluting when needed.

Leave the cube(s)/jerry/bucket to equibri-ise :blink: naturally overnight - I heard a rumour that immediately bunging it into your pool for a quick slow-chill can be bad, the hot wort to some extent sterilises the cube...

From the couple or so I've slow chilled (compared to chilling in England) so far I've noticed;
More haziness? Polyclar.
Loss of hop aroma? Throw your aroma hops into the fermentor/secondary/barrel/keg
Increased bitterness? Compensate the hop additions

Should we worry about DMS?

 

[PostModern]

Ahh, and there's me thinking I'm a clever twot... I'm also making the wort slightly more concentrated filling two cubes and diluting when needed.

I do exactly this. I end up with 2x20L in the fermenter by cubing 2x17L slightly-higher-than-desired OG wort. 35L post-boil volume is all I can manage in my 50L kettle. I like the system. Works really well for me. Fills my kegs, little or no waste.

Leave the cube(s)/jerry/bucket to equibri-ise :blink: naturally overnight - I heard a rumour that immediately bunging it into your pool for a quick slow-chill can be bad, the hot wort to some extent sterilises the cube...

Yeah, this is the anecdotal experience. Sanitising solutions sanitise the cube, the long heat contact sterilises/pasteurises the inside.

Should we worry about DMS?

Probably not. DMS is blown off in the early part of the boil. I doubt many pre-cursors will survive evaporation in a full hour or more of boiling.