Ahhhh, success - how sweet it is!!!

Early this June I did my first brew session in 100 degree plus at my new house with a garage facing the east. I have always enjoyed my brew sessions but this was an exception. Not fun at all. I got very overheated by the time cleanup was done and swore I would not brew again until either the weather cooled or I solved finishing up in the heat.

Not brewing was unacceptable in the long term. Texas summers are hot and I wasn't going to be moving again - maybe never. So how to cut an all grain day down and still keep up my standards.

Solution 1: I bow to the Aussies. I have brewed 4 by the "no chill" method and with great success. This cuts from 45 - 60 minutes off the end of my brew day.

Still, it gets uncomfortably hot by the end of a brew day even with that much time cut off.

Solution 2: Cut off the front end. I was spending up to an hour heating up 12 gallons of water even though the water setting in the garage overnight was 85-90 degrees to start. I searched and found references but no specific plans for using a 110 v element and water heater thermostat hooked to a sanke keg HLT. Plenty for adding an element but not the thermostat. So I bought a lower element thermostat which is the one used in a single element tank and looked it over. It obviously sensed the heat through the tank wall against the back of the thermostat. Wa La! After hours of sweating and cursing while mounting the element, electrical boxes over all and wiring a plug I got 'er done. Chipping off the stop on the thermostat I set it for what should be about 165 degrees and plugged it in.
The 1500 watt element heated the 85 degree water to 167 degrees in 2 hours and shut off.

This cuts another hour off my brew day. Next Sunday morning I will be starting with water at strike temp for 10 gallons of Bee Cave Robust Porter. Looking at a 3 1/2 hour brew day and being done by 10 AM at the latest!:rockin:

Oh, yeah. Sweet success.

Man, I hear you. I brew from the 2nd-floor apartment's patio, and that Austin heat is wicked right now.

Been strongly thinking about going no-chill, and this may just put me over the edge. What do you use for a fermenter?

Also just picked up a 120V 1500W heating element off eBay for a good price, and when I get paid in a week or so, I'm probably going to get the rest of the parts for an all-electric HLT. No thermostat at first, probably; we'll see how it goes.

Congrats and hopefully my brew days will get shorter soon, too.

-g-

No thermostat at first, probably; we'll see how it goes.

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Thermostat was only $8.00 and some change at Lowes. Element was less than $10.00 if I remember correctly.

Been strongly thinking about going no-chill, and this may just put me over the edge. What do you use for a fermenter?

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I use the same 6 gallon Better Bottles for fermenters that I always have. I chill my carboy of wort after it cools to room temp and then pour in the fermemter. I use the carboys from US Plastics that are $10.67 each.

KopyKat said:

I chill my carboy of wort after it cools to room temp and then pour in the fermenter. I use the carboys from US Plastics that are $10.67 each.

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So you just dump the hot wort straight/unfiltered into a US Plastics container, wait a couple of days for it to cool, and then transfer into the regular fermenter?

And you chill the carboy by putting it in a refrigerator or something so the gunk will settle out before pouring?

-g-

So you just dump the hot wort straight/unfiltered into a US Plastics container, wait a couple of days for it to cool, and then transfer into the regular fermenter?

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My setup is for 6 or 12 gallon batches so I leave most of the trub behind same as I do in the chill method.

And you chill the carboy by putting it in a refrigerator or something so the gunk will settle out before pouring?

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I have a deep freeze on a Johnson Controls controller that I use to bring it to fermentation temp once it has gotten to room temp. I then dump it into my fermenter and pitch the yeast.

BTW teach, feel free to come over and look at my setup. If you are going to pitch within 24-48 hours some use 6 gallon winpacks and just ferment in them. I have two new and never used for $5.00 each. I believe this is the way The Pol and some others do it. There is two camps on this depending on whether you are going to ferment soon or wait longer. I will store some for weeks before fermenting.

I just might do that. I'll PM you asking for directions if I decide to go that route.

Thanks!