Boiling outdoors... then what?

[eighteez]

Once the boil is done I understand we need to chill the wort to get it down in temp quickly.

Question:

At what point do I need to move everything indoors?

I'm assuming that the outdoor air isn't good when we are so worried about things getting into the wort.

But we aren't to aerate the wort once the yeast has been pitched either.

So is the trick to cool it then transport it into the house asap while still in the boil pot? Then move it to the fermenter?

Or is pouring it into the fermenter then taking it inside and down to the basement before pitching the yeast the way to do it?

Suggestions?

I'll be going down 2 flights of stairs with 5 gal of liquid. Its gonna get sloshed around. My guess is this will give it the aerating I need! With that in mind I suppose pouring it into the 6.5 gal fermenting bucket them putting the lid on and moving it to where its gonna sit makes the most sense. Get it down there then remove the lid, add the yeast, then continue...

 

[cfonnes]

How do you cool your wort? I use an ice bath in the tub, so I move the hot pot indoors, it works well if your pot is small. If I was doing larger batches with a chiller, I would cool it outdoors then move it inside to dump into the fermenter.

 

[JonK331]

I chill outside in the summer with the lid on my kettle so I can run the chiller water into my garden. In the winter I chill on my kitchen counter with the lid on. Doesn't really matter if you have a lid. If you don't have a lid, cover with tin foil or something similar. Pouring through a sanitized strainer will aerate better and remove hops etc. Aerating with a stone and pump or O2 tank is even better.

 

[eighteez]

I have a wort chiller so I'll be using that. (I havent done my first batch yet)

Carrying a was just boiling 5 gallons in a metal pot indoors seems like a good way to end up in the hospital with burns.

My plan was turn off heat and insert wort chiller. Then move the pot to a cooler and dump ice around it to get it down the rest of the way quickly. (I'm assuming I'd melt the cooler if I went in there too quickly)

Once cooled though, dump into fermenter (through strainer) and move to the house?

Or move inside then strain into fermenter?

Or does it matter....

 

[kpr121]

Overthinking it - doesnt matter as long as you do your best to stay sanitary. Alot of people, including me, do all their brewing outdoors. I bring mine inside once the yeast is pitched and ferment bucket is sealed up. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I dont think there is a big issue with allowing the yeast to get sloshed around, essentially aerating it. I would think as long as you dont wait for fermentation to actually start (hours after pitching), a little bit of aeration doesnt hurt. Shoot, I pitch my yeast, seal the bucket, then shake the hell outta it. Mostly because I'm too lazy to try to get that dang lid off the bucket more than I have to.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Overthinking it

FTW. I don't even cover mine (unless I know it's going to be a while until I can transfer) while chilling. Chances are quite slim anything is going to get in there. Think of it this way...There's just as much dust, microbes, etc floating around the air in your house as there is outside.

One thing I would change about the OP's process though is putting the immersion chiller (I'm assuming that's what you have. There are many styles of "wort chillers" and you just said wort chiller) in the wort for the last 15mins of your boil. This will sanitize that puppy right up.

 

[eighteez]

yes, immersion chiller

 

[Revvy]

When I'm brewing outdoors, it doesn't go inside til the yeast is pitched and the airlock is on. And sometimes a couple hours after that if I am cleaning up.

In other words there is no wrong way to do it, except maybe leaving the bucket open after you pitch your yeast so the birds can poop in it.

If you see these pics from natl. homebrew day big brew, you'll see there's not a lot of "indoors" for folks to use.

Lots of fermenters waiting to get racked into.

Have fun.

 

[eighteez]

I was worried about aerating with the yeast already in. I gathered that was a big no no.

But I guess it doesnt matter until the yeast is actually working. Which is hours/days later...

Great info! Thanks!

 

[Revvy]

I was worried about aerating with the yeast already in. I gathered that was a big no no.

But I guess it doesnt matter until the yeast is actually working. Which is hours/days later...

Great info! Thanks!

Up until fermentation happens and you have more wort than beer, you WANT oxygen in there. That's the fuel the yeasties use to reproduce and do the job you want them to do.

 

[dogtailale]

I'm assuming that the outdoor air isn't good when we are so worried about things getting into the wort.

Just where live that the outside air is that bad. The air inside my house and 98% of all homes is full of airborne bacteria.

Havn't you heard the term.....Get out and some get fresh air............. air It Out.........

 

[DrawTap88]

+1 to over thinking this. I will add though, that if anything bad gets into your wort that the yeast will overpower whatever does get in there, so long as you don't wait a few days to pitch. Think of it this way: 1 vs. 1,000,000,000.

 

[eighteez]

great info thanks!

I know its easy to think someone is overthinking something. Really I'm not. Its "cautious". Look around at all the "ruined my beer" threads and the threads on unfortunate things that have happened during the process. I'm a "measure 2x brew once" kinda person. As I'm reading through the how to's, if I have a question, I ask. Simple.

Anyone who has ready any instruction manuals knows that there is a lot of info left out. Things that aren't covered. Things that are assumed. Etc. Asking people who KNOW is the only way.

Thanks for answering!

 

[DrawTap88]

great info thanks!

I know its easy to think someone is overthinking something. Really I'm not. Its "cautious". Look around at all the "ruined my beer" threads and the threads on unfortunate things that have happened during the process. I'm a "measure 2x brew once" kinda person. As I'm reading through the how to's, if I have a question, I ask. Simple.

Anyone who has ready any instruction manuals knows that there is a lot of info left out. Things that aren't covered. Things that are assumed. Etc. Asking people who KNOW is the only way.

Thanks for answering!

I'll be the first one to appoligize for saying your overthinking things. I was/am the same way. Glad we were able to help.

 

[Joelsyales]

I have been brewing outdoors for around 11 years and have never had an infection problem with a single batch (50 gallons brewed so far this year alone). I chill with a counterflow chiller into a bucket and bring it downstairs 3-4 gallons at a time (10 gallon batches). No need to worry as long as everything that touches the wort is sanitized.

 

[eighteez]

It's all good DrawTap88. Thanks for working with us noobs!