Cooling wort outside without water?

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BrewclearAssault

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It's a nice chilly day outside (November in Wisconsin) like high 40's/low 50's- and I'm gonna take advantage and make a nice stout today. So the question I have is can anyone give me an educated guess as to how long I'd have to wait for my wort to cool to pitching temp if I just let it sit outside after I'm done with the boil?

I've read Australians do this to conserve water, and they'll actually take a sample of their wort and use that for a yeast starter and get that going while the wort is chilling, then add the starter once it's ready (After a day or so if I remember correctly. Since I'm a little further from the equator than these folks, I'm assuming it'll take less time, but I'd like to know how much less :D
 
I once tried this with 6 inches of snow on the ground and constantly moving the pot to different spots, wasn't very effective, and wasn't my best beer either. The two probably are not the cause and effect but I will be sticking with my wort chiller.
 
Ahh I see, thanks folks- I wasn't terribly hopeful about it, but I thought it was worth it to ask. I definitely don't want to get it contaminated. What if I pull out the boom box and blast some Norwegian black metal at my brew pot? I feel like "Battles in the North" would be good for a few degrees.
 
It will take almost as long as if it were just sitting at room temp - maybe 8 hours? Most of the no-chill folks seem to just leave it overnight and pitch in the morning.
 
I did it in the middle of a sub-freezing December day in Wisconsin and it didn't work at all.
 
tried it w/ my cream ale I did in oct on a colder oct evening (mi) and was not terribly successful. As stated earlier it's basically like putting it in the fridge. I need to invest in a chiller myself.
 
Yeah, sounds like that'll be the next logical choice for gadgets. Sick of the stupid ice bath! This'll be my first time brewing outdoors with a propane burner, so all sorts of possibilities are begging to be pondered over in the yard :)
 
I'm planning to build my wort chiller. there's lots of info online/youtube on how to do it. I like the idea of being able to customize it a bit to how I want, and it *should* be cheaper than buying a ready-made one.
 
I usually cool to around 100 toss in my bucket and do what you mentioned about stealing about a liter to make a starter with...

Siphon to the flask and throw in the fridge should talk less than an hour to get down to 60*, then pitch and let the starter go overnight.
After 24 hours or at high krausen pitch entire flask into your now cooled wort.
With sound sanitation youll have no problem with this "no chill' method
 
Any reason that I couldn't just transfer wort to fermenter at a reasonable non-glass-breaking temp and then pitch when it has come down to room temp? Will this affect the quality of the product if it is sealed?
 
I take my ice bath outside on my deck (~10 degrees) to stir my wort. Not sure if it helps any, but I can get down to 70 in 15 minutes.
 
Some of the homebrewers in Germany are doing it from what I hear, and with success. If I'd do it, I'd use put the wart vessel into the rain barrel, I'd think that that would make things quicker.
 
Any reason that I couldn't just transfer wort to fermenter at a reasonable non-glass-breaking temp and then pitch when it has come down to room temp? Will this affect the quality of the product if it is sealed?

Nope, that's fine, that's what most of the "no chill" guys do. You won't get the cold break like you do with a chiller, so maybe be prepared for a little chill haze.

But as far as chilling in the air, or even in a pile of snow for that matter, be prepared to wait overnight got it to cool to pitching temps. (snow will even insulate it and make it take longer). A fan blowing on it will help a lot, and so will wrapping it in wet towels and changing them when they freeze or dry (you might be able to get the chill time down to 4 hours)

Whenever a "no chill" thread comes up, i always tend to remind people about the thousands of years of brewing that took place before the invention of modern refrigeration.
 
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