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brucepepper

brucepepper

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I am planning on making my first PM brew this weekend. I have used the ice bath method of chilling about half a dozen times, but the last two batches I've just let my wort cool overnight and pitched the yeast in the morning. To my surprise they turned out the same as the other batches and I didn't have to wait around for my wort to cool.

Now I know that this is technichally incorrect but, other than risk of infection, what taste comprimises do I face? I'm only interested in advice from people who have first hand experience with both overnight cooling and quick cooling. I just built my mash tun and if I have to spend more to build a chiller my wife will be pissed.(eventually I'll get one but this was supposed to be a money saving hobby)
 
Step one. Admit to yourself that this is NOT a money saving hobby, especially if you factor in paying yourself half of the minimum wage.

Rapid cooling provides three benefits off the top of my head. One, pitch sooner, your intended yeast takes hold before anything else can. Two, locks in aroma hops. Three, stops DMS production (more important in PM and AG).
 
Reducing DMS and lowering the risk of infection are good enough reasons for anyone to get a wort chiller. Remember bacteria like warm wort, they will go crazy for the stuff. You have not experienced any infections, but is it worth the risk?
 
Dimethyl sulfide. It's a byproduct and off-flavor. Tastes like cooked corn or cabbage. Pilsner malt is known for making a lot of it, so that requires a longer boil time to drive it out of the wort via evaporation.

It is also incidentally one of the most common chemical compounds on earth.
 
BigJay13 said:
What is DMS production?
Click to expand...

DMS is produced continually in the wort as long as it is above 140*. Getting the wort below 140 as quick as you can will reduce the amount of DMS in your final beer.
 
I'd also like to add - rapidly cooling your wort will cause a hard cold break. Among other things, this can really help the clarity of your beer and can reduce/eliminate chill haze. I have no idea if there's any difference between extract and AG in this regard.
 
I used my brand new wort chiller today on my second AG batch. I was AMAZED at how fast it cooled that large volume of boiling liquid down. It was like 15 minutes and I had it going into the fermentor, and pitching the yeast. I should have gotten one of these LONG ago.

Greg
 
This really is only about a 20 minute exercise and will cost less than $40.00.

Wort_Chiller.JPG
 
it can be a "money saving" hobby after you purchase all your equipment... well i think you would have to write all that off to a loss, (thats what i did lol) and you would have to NEVER upgrade (impossible!) BUT! if you go all grain and break it down, i think i spend around 30$ for 2 cases of beer........ still would be cheaper to buy it at the store !! how about calling it a time/money consuming hobby!!:mug: the results in the end are well worth it though!
 
blefferd said:
it can be a "money saving" hobby after you purchase all your equipment... well i think you would have to write all that off to a loss, (thats what i did lol) and you would have to NEVER upgrade (impossible!) BUT! if you go all grain and break it down, i think i spend around 30$ for 2 cases of beer........ still would be cheaper to buy it at the store !! how about calling it a time/money consuming hobby!!:mug: the results in the end are well worth it though!
Click to expand...
$30 for a 5 gallon AG batch??? I just bought ingredients for my first AG and it was $15.
 
on yea I didnt think about the cost of propane... I just got my outdoor burner. I'm sure I will be taking it into consideration now :)
 
and the cost of water if you buy it. they run anywhere from 23-28$ a batch and i purchase water from the store so that is another 5-6$ i dont add in propane.

i dont buy bulk because i dont brew enough to use it, then i would have to buy a grain crusher which is more $$$$$
 
My reason for brewing all grain was quality and price. I looked for quite a while to find a reliable malt grain dealer with the best prices and buy $100.00 to $150.00 each time. He can sell it to me for $25.00 a bag for 2 row and slightly higher for roasted etc. Yes I have hundreds invested in equipment and use electricity to cool it but I get a lot of enjoyment from the hobby.

I make this amber very cheap and it is loved by everyone.

18 LB 2 row - $25.00/50 = 50 cents/LB = $9.00
2 LB Crystal 60 L - $25.00/50 = 50 cents/LB = $1.00
4 oz Cascade - $4.00
2 oz Amarillo - $2.00

Yeast - WLP001 - Propigated from saved yeast $1.50

Total = $17.50 @12 gal or 18.2 cents a pint.

Labor = Love of brewing quality beer. :D
 
I was just setting the guy straight on the economics of brewing. There's no question that any money or time spent on homebrewing is damn worth it but saving money is not a good reason to do it.
 
WBC said:
I make this amber very cheap and it is loved by everyone.

18 LB 2 row - $25.00/50 = 50 cents/LB = $9.00
2 LB Crystal 60 L - $25.00/50 = 50 cents/LB = $1.00
4 oz Cascade - $4.00
2 oz Amarillo - $2.00

Yeast - WLP001 - Propigated from saved yeast $1.50

Total = $17.50 @12 gal or 18.2 cents a pint.

Labor = Love of brewing quality beer. :D
Click to expand...

I love that recipe, and slight variations on it! I just bottled a batch this week - same hops slightly different grain bill. Definately one of my favorites, and yes, it's "cheap" to make.
 
Bobby_M said:
I was just setting the guy straight on the economics of brewing. There's no question that any money or time spent on homebrewing is damn worth it but saving money is not a good reason to do it.
Click to expand...
True. I've saved about as much $$ brewing as SWMBO has saved $$ shopping for clothes. :D


I take that back, I have a lot of saving to do to catch up with that woman!
 
Bobby_M said:
Step one. Admit to yourself that this is NOT a money saving hobby, especially if you factor in paying yourself half of the minimum wage./QUOTE]

Only factor in wage if you consider homebrewing a job
Click to expand...
 
i pay my self way more than minimum wage! i mean i am the boss!!!

i usually pay my employee in beer from previous batches lol ;)
 
I don't do this hobby just to save money, but I do think that it is a cheaper way to drink good beer. I have to pay $4 a bottle(650ml) for Anchor Liberty Ale and I drink a pint or two most nights. At $30-$40/week there's no way I could afford to drink only "good" beer. I enjoy the process of homebrewing, but I do like to think that I'm saving a bit of cash too.
 

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