Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer > General Beer Discussion > Wort Chilling Disaster




Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-09-2010, 08:13 AM   #1
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 20
Default Wort Chilling Disaster

Recently I brewed my first all grain batch starting late on a Thursday night and all was going well until I remembered that I forgot to buy ice to chill the wort once the boil was done.

So in my warm NYC apartment I grabbed things out of the freezer to attempt to chill the wort down as fast as possible. To make a long story short it took a little more than 2.5 hrs to get the wort to 85 degrees so I could pitch my rehydrated yeast and put the beer in the fermenter with the blow off tube (couldnt find my air lock).

What should I expect?

I brewed an IPA and hit my goal OG. I hope all goes ok with the fermentation and that the slow cooling didn't create DMS in my wort.


Bitzybrew is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 11:19 AM   #2
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Owasso, Oklahoma
Posts: 120
Default

Just the longer it takes to cool the higher the chance for infection. If you dropped it below 150 fairly quick I doubt color will be an issue. If you had a good starter going when pitched all should be fine. I would say RDWHAHB!


Kerberbb is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 11:22 AM   #3
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
rico567's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central IL
Posts: 2,883
Liked 51 Times on 51 Posts
Likes Given: 13

Default

In your kind of situation, I would simply resort to no-chill. I'd seal the boil pot with duct tape, and ærate and pitch yeast the next day, or whenever it got below 80F.
__________________
“Malt does more than Milton can / To justify God’s ways to man”

-A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad , 1896.
rico567 is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 12:23 PM   #4
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 20
Default

My main issue I think is that my rehydrated yeast was sitting out (covered of course) during my whole struggle to get the wort chilled. Also, I pitched the yeast at a tad over 90 because i felt the temp. of the room was skewing the thermometer readings.

Only time will tell I guess.
Bitzybrew is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 12:26 PM   #5
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 20
Default

Too late for that. I hope my start didn't spoil while I was struggling to chill the wort. I read online that some people have pitched their yeast at 80-90 degrees so when the wort reached 91ish I pitched the yeast, sealed the fermenter, put in my blow off tube, and went to bed (started the brew later and the cooling took forever).
Bitzybrew is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 01:05 PM   #6
Beer Drinker
Feedback Score: 1 reviews
 
Hang Glider's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: North Augusta, SC
Posts: 2,897
Liked 81 Times on 64 Posts
Likes Given: 48

Default

Wow. that sounds WARM! I try to get my wort to 65F and keep it there...
cooler starting temps and cooler fermenting make for better beer, IMO. Nix that - in my personal experience!

I use a checklist before I start - but that's just me...

good luck. It will still be beer, next batch will be better -
Hang Glider is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 01:08 PM   #7
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,072
Liked 26 Times on 23 Posts
Likes Given: 25

Default

My first batch I left uncovered in a kitchen sink full of ice water overnight and pitched the next morning. Turned out great. I wouldn't worry.
HokieBrewer is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 01:13 PM   #8
I'm no atheist scientist, but...
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Thiensville, Wisconsin
Posts: 6,007
Liked 152 Times on 137 Posts
Likes Given: 281

Default

it'll be just fine.

rdw
motobrewer is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 01:22 PM   #9
← Moster Truck Force →
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
passedpawn's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: ☼ Clearwater, FL ☼
Posts: 13,880
Liked 1267 Times on 891 Posts
Likes Given: 799

Default

Hold on... incoming message from my car, Infinibrew...

__________________
Now there's some take delight in the carriages a rolling
and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling
but I take delight in the juice of the barley
and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early
passedpawn is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 07-09-2010, 01:28 PM   #10
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 20
Default

That seems promising, but I pitched the yeast when the worst was probably a tad too warm. So the only thingI can do is hope that fermentation starts in the next 24-72 hrs. If not the wort is sealed in my fermenter with the airlock on it in my cool bedroom and I can go to the homebrew store on sunday and buy a new packet of yeast and pitch it when I get home.


Bitzybrew is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Reply

Quick Reply
Message:
Options
Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Chilling Wort Years Ago ctkevin General Beer Discussion 7 11-29-2010 10:08 PM
My Wort Chilling Method agroff383 General Beer Discussion 4 09-09-2009 05:58 AM
Disaster!!! claphamsa General Beer Discussion 22 05-23-2009 04:33 PM
rapidly chilling wort samples baldbrew General Beer Discussion 8 01-25-2009 01:49 AM
Worried about bursting Pipe in cold weather from chilling wort ndhowlett General Beer Discussion 14 10-13-2008 09:35 PM



FOLLOW US ON