Trying to expand pipeline on the cheap...

Now that I've got several AG batches under my belt, I am thinking about trying to max out the mash size I can squeeze out of my 5G water cooler. Looking at a few of the previous batches I think I might be able to cram at least 14 or maybe even 15 pounds of grain into a mash if I get down around 1 qt per lb of strike water. With efficiencies around I think I'm going to try to collect 12 gallons of wort. I would then split the 12 gallons and do two simultaneous boils on my stove. I currently only really have room and hardware to do a primary ferm for one batch at a time. After doing two separate six gallon boils at the same time, one batch will be chilled and pitched into, while the other batch will be placed while hot into an appropriate no chill vessel to be saved for when the first batch is finished in the primary. I think this should help give fill out my pipeline of brew without needing to brew every other week. The only hardware I would need is another aluminum pot and a jug for the no chill (shouldn't cost me more than about $30). I have verified that I can boil 7 gallons on my stove using an aluminum pot on just a single burner. I'm aware that the no-chill batch will need to have an adjusted hop schedule. This will let me brew ten gallons of almost the same beer (assuming a nail the nochill hop schedule), or maybe adjust the runnings so that one batch is high grav and the other low grav. Can someone confirm my sanity?

So the plan is to wait around 7 days to pitch yeast on the no chill wort? If so I think you are asking for trouble. You would be better served in my opinion by looking for a larger fermentor.

I have a thirteen gallon... super cheap from a guy on ebay. on my fifth batch with it and no problems.. i'll dig up a link if you'd like

what constitutes a proper no chill vessel? how long can you realistically expect to keep wort viable?

It's a combination of space and money that keeps me from moving up to a bigger wessel. I'm also not sure if my method for temp control during fermentation could easily be upgraded. I also keg and all of my kegs are five gallons. AFAIK any appropriately sized food safe HDPE container can be used for no-chill (I read through the entire "Exploring No Chill" thread a few times). Fermenting a ten gallon batch (even with doing a double boil) would still require me to upgrade the fermentor and temp control, but with this I could have the scale savings of only having to do one mash and for the most part one boil (at least time wise) but still end up with ten gallons of beer (eventually). It sounds like many of the no chill people have been able to stockpile wort for long periods of time (weeks to months) with no ill side effects. If a just-right ferm vessel came along I might consider going bigger, but I kind of like the option of making two beers from a mash and I definitely don't have the room or resources to have two primaries going at the same time right now.

I should preference this response with the fact that I have had a few bad batches lately, so I am extremely gun-shy, but I agree with the poster above--you are looking for trouble. Waiting that long opens up so much opportunity for contamination that you have a high chance of ending up with a sour batch of beer for the no-chill batch. If not a larger primary fermenting vessel, why not just a second one? Another 6 gallon carboy or new plastic bucket won't really take up that much room and you could just split the ten gallon batch into two primary vessels. Where there is a will there is room! And if you're broke, start out with just an extra plastic bucket-they are pretty damn cheap.

knightbeer39 said:

I should preference this response with the fact that I have had a few bad batches lately, so I am extremely gun-shy, but I agree with the poster above--you are looking for trouble. Waiting that long opens up so much opportunity for contamination that you have a high chance of ending up with a sour batch of beer for the no-chill batch. If not a larger primary fermenting vessel, why not just a second one? Another 6 gallon carboy or new plastic bucket won't really take up that much room and you could just split the ten gallon batch into two primary vessels. Where there is a will there is room! And if you're broke, start out with just an extra plastic bucket-they are pretty damn cheap.

Click to expand...

I agree that for another $15 you can buy an ale-pale and ferment both at the same time, if you have enough room in your fermentation chamber.

@knightbeer....Although the guys around here who are playing with no-chill brewing are pitching/fermenting their worts 24-48hrs after boiling, the aussies (who originally came up with the no-chill concept) claim to leave their no-chill worts up to 6 months before fermenting. They cite no problems with contamination. FYI....

^^^^ I've read that. Seems crazy to me. Perhaps its because there is less of the "bad" bacteria and airborne yeasts that are culprits for contamination??? Don't know.....but it would worry the hell out of me.......

There is no way in hell you could consistently store unsterilized wort for periods of more than a few days without having problems.

Buy another bucket to ferment in. It's not worth wasting half the batch.

JKoravos said:

There is no way in hell you could consistently store unsterilized wort for periods of more than a few days without having problems.

Buy another bucket to ferment in. It's not worth wasting half the batch.

Click to expand...

No, but boiled wort can be considered sterilized (for all practical purposes). In no-chill brewing, the aussies boil their wort then immediately transfer to one of those Win-pak cubes. The cubes are HDPE and resistant to heat so the near-boiling temps of the wort sterilizes the cube as well. They then squeeze out any remaining air/headspace and screw on the cap. As the wort cools it contracts further pulling the cube with it. They apparently keep unfermented wort for 6mo-1 year this way.

IIRC the back-and-forth between HBT members and the aussies, the only concern is botulism (the spores can survive boiling). It is my thinking that the aussies get away with it without botulism infections because of the the hops and sugar content of the wort.

It a very active topic...a search will bring up all the topics on this.

Long story short...its doable, but for what this guy want to do, I also think this guy would be better off going with another fermenter.

broadbill said:

No, but boiled wort can be considered sterilized (for all practical purposes). In no-chill brewing, the aussies boil their wort then immediately transfer to one of those Win-pak cubes. The cubes are HDPE and resistant to heat so the near-boiling temps of the wort sterilizes the cube as well. They then squeeze out any remaining air/headspace and screw on the cap. As the wort cools it contracts further pulling the cube with it. They apparently keep unfermented wort for 6mo-1 year this way.

IIRC the back-and-forth between HBT members and the aussies, the only concern is botulism (the spores can survive boiling). It is my thinking that the aussies get away with it without botulism infections because of the the hops and sugar content of the wort.

It a very active topic...a search will bring up all the topics on this.

Long story short...its doable, but for what this guy want to do, I also think this guy would be better off going with another fermenter.

Click to expand...

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not ideal. Also, oxidation is an issue if you're storing for long periods in HDPE.

The OP could also brew a double strength batch and dilute it on the back end. That way you don't need any extra equipment. Although, you are a little limited to what styles you can brew with dilution.

If you pour the 200° + wort into a sanitized container it wont spoil. The wort will sanitize it along with whatever sanitizer you prefer. Really wont matter how long its kept. But I wouldn't keep it for long periods of time in plastic IE 5 or 6 months but a month sure my beers stay in better Bottles just about that long.

Just because its out of the "norm" for homebrewers doesn't mean it wont work.


Take a look at these kits the wort is bagged you dump it into the primary and pitch your yeast .noboil

OK, risky but doable.

Why don't you just turn the container you are planning on storing the wort in into a fermenter? I can't understand how you can have no room for a second fermenter but room for a container full of unfermented wort

knightbeer39 said:

OK, risky but doable.

Why don't you just turn the container you are planning on storing the wort in into a fermenter? I can't understand how you can have no room for a second fermenter but room for a container full of unfermented wort

Click to expand...

LOL, good point.

knightbeer39 said:

OK, risky but doable.

Why don't you just turn the container you are planning on storing the wort in into a fermenter? I can't understand how you can have no room for a second fermenter but room for a container full of unfermented wort

Click to expand...

Temp control.

I had the same issues. . . no room, poor temperature control. So what did I do? I took over the bathtub. Now I can have two carboys fermenting at a cool 70 degrees. I just put several inches of water in the tub and put wet towels around the carboys.

knightbeer39 said:

OK, risky but doable.

Why don't you just turn the container you are planning on storing the wort in into a fermenter? I can't understand how you can have no room for a second fermenter but room for a container full of unfermented wort

Click to expand...

I don't think it risky at all . On this site you will see post after post of wort sitting in a fermenter for 3 days and does nothing then the poster will pitch yeast and 24 hours later it starts. Bad yeast slow yeast whatever and it still turns out well. So that right there is 4-5 days. If your sanitation is up to par it will be fine.


And the OP stated he can't upgrade his present temp control. So after the fermentation slows on the first he can pitch on the second and control the temps . I dont control the temps after primary fermentation is just about done. It helps the yeast stay active and clean up after itself

GregT said:

I had the same issues. . . no room, poor temperature control. So what did I do? I took over the bathtub. Now I can have two carboys fermenting at a cool 70 degrees. I just put several inches of water in the tub and put wet towels around the carboys.

Click to expand...

I hope you have another bathroom. Or do you take a cold shower with the carboys ......

I would give it a shot worst thing that happens is you are out 5 gallons of wort. Really not the end of the world. The thing I would change though is I would keep the wort in a corny keg so I could purge the air and get co2 in there but I have a lot of cornies.

springer said:

I hope you have another bathroom. Or do you take a cold shower with the carboys ......

Click to expand...

Yes, this is our secondary B-room. There are worse things than bathing with beer.

bhatchable said:

I have a thirteen gallon... super cheap from a guy on ebay. on my fifth batch with it and no problems.. i'll dig up a link if you'd like

what constitutes a proper no chill vessel? how long can you realistically expect to keep wort viable?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind a link if it's not too much trouble. I'm looking to upgrade to full boils from my 5.5 gal.