C2H5OH
Well-Known Member
I know what most of you are thinking; "NO WAY!" "That's just crazy!" etc...
...but before you prejudge, please read through.
WARNING: This technique is for experienced brewers possessing intuition and common sense abilities. Ideally you should use a Pyrex carboy or have your glass carboy annealed.
Pros:
(1) The hot wort will stay sterile during the transfer from kettle, thus reducing the chance of having an infected wort in the primary.
(2) No need for wort chillers and the inherent costs and problems they can cause.
Cons: None, based on my experience. (If performed correctly)
**However, if technique isn't performed properly, you potentially WILL have catastrophic results. (Injury from broken glass, skin burns, a big mess to clean up, and worst of all, a complete loss of your brew wort. etc...)
That being said, this is how it's done...
(1) Clean/sanitize carboy, and boil/cook wort (212 deg. F) as usual.
(2) Place sanitized carboy in cold oven. (move metal racks to accommodate glass carboy)
(3) Turn oven on to 220 deg. F (No more, no less!)
The idea is to have the wort and the carboy at the same temp when they come in contact with each other.
(4) While oven is heating up; place large plastic garbage bag on floor in front of oven door, and place a folded towel on said garbage bag. (Bag is there to catch any drips from transfer. Towel acts as a thermal barrier to protect the carboy/floor and keeps the bag from melting to the bottom of the carboy.)
With wort at a full boil (212 deg. F) and oven at exactly 220 deg. F for a minimum 10 minutes, proceed to next step...
(5) Using oven-mits/leather gloves, extract glass carboy from oven and place on towel/bag. Then, quickly insert funnel into bung hole and begin poring boiling wort into funnel all within seconds of placing carboy on towel. (Wear protective clothing and be careful not to burn yourself!)
**This is best accomplished if you have a friend there to jockey the funnel and keep it aimed straight down.
(6) Add additional boiling water/sparge water to achieve desired volume. (Make sure funnel is still being directed straight down to minimize thermal shock of a hot liquid hitting sides of carboy.)
(7) Take a sanitized bung plug with hole in it and place a cotton cotton ball soaked in Grain alcohol or vodka in hole of bung plug. This will keep bacteria and or yeast from entering your carboy as it cools. (Don't use a solid bung plug, due to risk of implosion.).
(8) Allow carboy to cool, and pitch yeast. Be sure you don't place carboy in/on a substance/surface that will cool carboy too quickly. (Cold water, ice, snow, steel etc...)
This was performed with 2.5 gallons of wort in a 3 gallon glass carboy. This technique may not be possible with higher wort volumes and larger carboys.
You should make a "Cold-Run" to practice steps/techniques and to build confidence prior to utilizing hot materials.
...but before you prejudge, please read through.
WARNING: This technique is for experienced brewers possessing intuition and common sense abilities. Ideally you should use a Pyrex carboy or have your glass carboy annealed.
Pros:
(1) The hot wort will stay sterile during the transfer from kettle, thus reducing the chance of having an infected wort in the primary.
(2) No need for wort chillers and the inherent costs and problems they can cause.
Cons: None, based on my experience. (If performed correctly)
**However, if technique isn't performed properly, you potentially WILL have catastrophic results. (Injury from broken glass, skin burns, a big mess to clean up, and worst of all, a complete loss of your brew wort. etc...)
That being said, this is how it's done...
(1) Clean/sanitize carboy, and boil/cook wort (212 deg. F) as usual.
(2) Place sanitized carboy in cold oven. (move metal racks to accommodate glass carboy)
(3) Turn oven on to 220 deg. F (No more, no less!)
The idea is to have the wort and the carboy at the same temp when they come in contact with each other.
(4) While oven is heating up; place large plastic garbage bag on floor in front of oven door, and place a folded towel on said garbage bag. (Bag is there to catch any drips from transfer. Towel acts as a thermal barrier to protect the carboy/floor and keeps the bag from melting to the bottom of the carboy.)
With wort at a full boil (212 deg. F) and oven at exactly 220 deg. F for a minimum 10 minutes, proceed to next step...
(5) Using oven-mits/leather gloves, extract glass carboy from oven and place on towel/bag. Then, quickly insert funnel into bung hole and begin poring boiling wort into funnel all within seconds of placing carboy on towel. (Wear protective clothing and be careful not to burn yourself!)
**This is best accomplished if you have a friend there to jockey the funnel and keep it aimed straight down.
(6) Add additional boiling water/sparge water to achieve desired volume. (Make sure funnel is still being directed straight down to minimize thermal shock of a hot liquid hitting sides of carboy.)
(7) Take a sanitized bung plug with hole in it and place a cotton cotton ball soaked in Grain alcohol or vodka in hole of bung plug. This will keep bacteria and or yeast from entering your carboy as it cools. (Don't use a solid bung plug, due to risk of implosion.).
(8) Allow carboy to cool, and pitch yeast. Be sure you don't place carboy in/on a substance/surface that will cool carboy too quickly. (Cold water, ice, snow, steel etc...)
This was performed with 2.5 gallons of wort in a 3 gallon glass carboy. This technique may not be possible with higher wort volumes and larger carboys.
You should make a "Cold-Run" to practice steps/techniques and to build confidence prior to utilizing hot materials.