Any good small No Chill containers to recommend?

[SanPancho]

so trying to see if anybody's used any of these smaller containers for no chill brews or making starter wort. any experience with these?

1 gallon F style HDPE jug
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=98063&catid=611

1 gallon cube insert- why is it shaped like that?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=31619

baritainers? jerry can style container, HDPE, seems to be food safe....
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=101755&catid=605

nalgene- crazy expensive?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=34227&catid=661

the baritainer seems to be the winner on cost, assuming it really is food safe. anybody use any of these before?

 

[Pappers_]

I haven't but another option for you is to chill in whatever vessel you will be fermenting in - that's what I do when the counter flow chiller just won't do the job. I rack the warm/hot wort to the sanitized fermenter, pop on the airlock, put it in the fermentation chamber and let it fall to ferm temps for 18 hours or so before pitching the yeast.

 

[RM-MN]

I haven't but another option for you is to chill in whatever vessel you will be fermenting in - that's what I do when the counter flow chiller just won't do the job. I rack the warm/hot wort to the sanitized fermenter, pop on the airlock, put it in the fermentation chamber and let it fall to ferm temps for 18 hours or so before pitching the yeast.

Good idea. Just don't dump hot wort into a glass container unless you hate the wort and the glass container because the thermal shock will destroy the glass container and spill all the wort out onto the floor or ground.

HDPE buckets are safe for boiling liquid so I use a fermenter bucket. Pour the boiling liquid in, pop the lid on and the steam will sanitize the lid for you. Use only a little liquid in the airlock or the cooling wort will suck it back into the fermenter or use an "S" airlock as they work well both ways.:rockin:

 

[ArcLight]

so trying to see if anybody's used any of these smaller containers for no chill brews or making starter wort. any experience with these?

the baritainer seems to be the winner on cost, assuming it really is food safe. anybody use any of these before?

If you are making very small batches, why do you even need a no chill container? 0.5 - 1.0 gallons of hot wort in a pot can be cooled fairly quickly in your sink.

Add some water, put in the pot, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, maybe slosh it around every 5 minutes. The temperature will drop quickly.
Drain the water and replace it with new colder water.
Slosh the pot around every 5 minutes to distribute the different temperature bands of wort evenly.

It should take much less than an hour to get down to 80F. You can pitch and let it cool down to 68 while the yeast are in the lag phase.

 

[Gavin C]

That's whats always seemed strange to me with the traditional no-chill method. The benefits of no chill are of course added simplicity and saving of water.

Placing the hot wort in a plastic vessel to allow it to cool only to have to put in a fermentor afterwards seems to add an unnessecary step. Most no chillers, at least those who put their ideas and methods into type on HBT seem to do exactly what @pappers is describing.

Letting things cool in the pot and/or in the plastic fermentor of choice seems to add to the simplicity of the method.

For a 1 gallon batch, given how easy it will be to cool, I wouldn't see much of a need for a no chill cube or anything other than a 2 gallon food-grade plastic bucket if you want to get the wort into the FV quickly.

 

[SanPancho]

I appreciate that everyone is trying to help but I'm not looking for advice on easy cooling methods. I'm well aware of chilling overnight in the kettle, never seen such clear wort. And I typically chill to 75, then rack to fermenter and let fridge bring it down overnight.

Please no advice on how to cool, thats not my question.

I'm only trying to get advice on small no chill containers in this post. If anyone has experience with these or other small no chill containers they can recommend I'd appreciate it.

 

[theDREWery]

What about mason jars? Half-gallon or quart jars, pour straight from boil, and cover immediately with lid, screw the ring on just barely tight. Should seal as it cools, just like hot packing jam.

I use them for making strong tea for kombucha, boiling water straight in, tea, lid, come back tomorrow. Been doing this for about 6 months, every other day, with the same two jars. No problems yet.

 

[agrazela]

Although at home I just cool my kettle in a water bath to 140°F and transfer directly to the carboy for further cooling in the ferm fridge ("semi-chill," as has already been described above), I do use the cube inserts / cubitainers like these, though in 2.5gal (actually 10L) size, when I get time to make wort in the lab (to later take home):

1 gallon cube insert- why is it shaped like that?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=31619

(BTW, it is shaped like that because when empty it is folded in on itself for stacking / shipping)

Fill through a sanitized funnel and they work great. I've sanitized and re-used them many times without infection. But I still chill the kettle in a water bath to about 140-150°F before filling one, as they are made of thin LDPE and that stuff can't take high temperatures for long.

And I have stored wort in them for as long as two weeks (though in a fridge) without noticeable issue.

 

[Gavin C]

I appreciate that everyone is trying to help ......

Please no advice on how to cool, thats not my question.

Fair point SanPancho. Sorry about that.

 

[SanPancho]

What about mason jars? Half-gallon or quart jars, pour straight from boil, and cover immediately with lid, screw the ring on just barely tight. Should seal as it cools, just like hot packing jam.

I use them for making strong tea for kombucha, boiling water straight in, tea, lid, come back tomorrow. Been doing this for about 6 months, every other day, with the same two jars. No problems yet.

ive thought of these, but im hesitant to go with a non-collapsing container for long term storage. as this method started in Auz, you always minimize or eliminate the headspace by pinching container and letting the cooling collapse the plastic around the wort.

not to mention they can break, which is a liability for long term storage.

 

[thekraken]

I realize the no chill your describing is popular with some crowds, and they have been doing it successfully for some time now, but please be aware of the botulism risk.

(You can't bring up storing starter wort around here without folks yelling at you about botulism)

 

[SanPancho]

holy jesus. i just actually thought to check the shipping rates on these from US plastics, ~11 bucks to ship a $5 item. damn.

ok, well it looks like i may just go with mason jars or some 1/2 to 1 gallon glass jars instead. i guess ill just use the S type airlocks and give up on the idea of long term (1 month or more) storage.

 

[tim_c7]

I appreciate that everyone is trying to help but I'm not looking for advice on easy cooling methods. I'm well aware of chilling overnight in the kettle, never seen such clear wort. And I typically chill to 75, then rack to fermenter and let fridge bring it down overnight.

Please no advice on how to cool, thats not my question.

I'm only trying to get advice on small no chill containers in this post. If anyone has experience with these or other small no chill containers they can recommend I'd appreciate it.

I reuse 4 liter water bottles. I bought them at the local supermarket. The bottles are plastic (PET) water bottles. I think I got 4 of the water bottles for less than 5 dollars. You can also use the juice ones which are a little thicker plastic (but the juice costs more).

When I am ready I just take off the screw top, pitch the yeast, and put a bung (size 8 for my bottles) and an airlock.

 

[SanPancho]

hmmm... cant say ive ever seen those. must be some weird canadian thing! down here, all the water bottles are just the flimsy soda bottle style. nothing near 1 gallon in a good quality container. any chance you might post a pic so i can see what you're describing?

 

[SanPancho]

and actually, now that i think about it......... if i could find a cheap/used HDPE bottle in the right size, what about using a regular rubber stopper with no hole?

as the near boiling wort cools it would shrink and create suction, helping pull the stopper tight and keeping it sealed. so do i really need a screw top? im thinking no. and since air contracts more than liquid as it cools any headspace that i cant remove from the bottle prior to sealing will actually increase the suction holding the stopper tight.... right?

anybody know where i should look for HDPE bottles being used? juices, sodas, olive oils, olives, etc...? im not gonna pay 11 bucks to ship a $5 bottle from us plastics but i'll definitely scrounge around in a recycling bin.

 

[tim_c7]

hmmm... cant say ive ever seen those. must be some weird canadian thing! down here, all the water bottles are just the flimsy soda bottle style. nothing near 1 gallon in a good quality container. any chance you might post a pic so i can see what you're describing?

Sure. Th attached photo an old water bottle. Ocean spray is another good large bottle. I use these for storage and fermentation.

 

[SanPancho]

Cool. These guys are used a lot for juices down here, so I know I can get some of those. Turns out our regular old milk jugs are hdpe too. And they're a bit more flexible than these thicker clear bottles. Nice to know I won't have far to look.