Coolship build

[milldoggy]

Always thought this type of sink would make a nice cool ship.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/for/3438847577.html

 

[ChugachBrewing]

That would be awesome... although being a "lab sink" I'm not sure about the kind of bugs that are there. Not as good in the beer.

 

[milldoggy]

That would be awesome... although being a "lab sink" I'm not sure about the kind of bugs that are there. Not as good in the beer.

Its stainless, it will clean up. Even a fast application of bleach(I know it pits bleach, but also kills germs)

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Yeah, I know. Just makes my stomach turn at first sight.
If you can get it, go for it! If you don't want it, get it and I'll swing on down there...

 

[BenWillcox]

Always thought this type of sink would make a nice cool ship.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/for/3438847577.html

That would make a freaking AWESOME coolship! What's the holdup?

 

[milldoggy]

That would make a freaking AWESOME coolship! What's the holdup?

No room right now

 

[moti_mo]

I'd be wary of a manky looking lab sink. If it were a sink from one of my labs, you would never EVER want to drink or eat anything that ever came into contact with it, even after extensive cleaning.

However, if you're looking to get something new and something that's a little more compact and easy to work with than a sink, you can buy the Arkay developing trays new for a bit more than $100. This place has a 26x30x3" tray (10 gallons full capacity) for $177

http://www.bizrate.com/arkay-2630-3-stainless-steel-355415282/shop

and a bunch of other versions ranging in volume from a couple of gallons to 15 gallons.

 

[BGates14]

Found my coolship. Stainless steel, 42" x 24" x 10", should hold about ~43 gallons. Picking her up this week for $250.

 

[bellmtbbq]

Awesome that American homebrewers are starting to embrace making coolship ales. I gotta do some spontaneous ferments soon

 

[spenghali]

next up, open fermentation! hopefully most of the coolshippers have a dedicated shed to build up some microflora in there!

 

[BGates14]

next up, open fermentation! hopefully most of the coolshippers have a dedicated shed to build up some microflora in there!

The idea in my head right now is to build an enclosure out of bricks, have the coolship on top and have storage for barrels in the bottom. Above would be some type of canopy over the coolship that would build up some microflora. Maybe even put a hop garden on the roof and start having hop vines entangle the whole thing.

 

[bellmtbbq]

The idea in my head right now is to build an enclosure out of bricks, have the coolship on top and have storage for barrels in the bottom. Above would be some type of canopy over the coolship that would build up some microflora. Maybe even put a hop garden on the roof and start having hop vines entangle the whole thing.

Everyone claims that the secret to Cantillon's coolship is the steam hits the rafters above and condenses, dripping back down with bugs. Maybe dig up some really old oak siding from a barn to put up ontop to get some awesome bugs

I think barrels with coolship ales makes it soooo much cooler.

 

[ChugachBrewing]

That is a neat idea. Being a homebrewer, I don't strive for the consistency of a Cantillon style brewery - so I like change. I think wild yeasts really allow us to capture a time and a place - a truly 'local' brew that no one else can produce anywhere, ever again. It will be interesting to see how the vintages change during time of season, year, location, etc.

 

[runs4beer]

At my parents house in New Hampshire we have a 4x8 foot stainless "bath" that my grandfather used for developing large ad posters in the '60. it's 10" and slopes down to one corner where there's a 1.5" threaded drain pipe. It would be an ideal cool ship but I'm only doing 10 gallon batches and live in suburban NYC but some day...
Off the top of my head I think the capacity would be b/t 200-250 gallons, if I were to drop a one or even two bbl. Batch in it I would imagine it would cool very quickly and exposure to the bugs be ideal.

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Just sent you a PM. Let me know if you don't get it.

 

[levifunk]

runs4beer - not accounting for the slope, that is 199 gallons. pretty cool!

 

[bellmtbbq]

At my parents house in New Hampshire we have a 4x8 foot stainless "bath" that my grandfather used for developing large ad posters in the '60. it's 10" and slopes down to one corner where there's a 1.5" threaded drain pipe. It would be an ideal cool ship but I'm only doing 10 gallon batches and live in suburban NYC but some day...
Off the top of my head I think the capacity would be b/t 200-250 gallons, if I were to drop a one or even two bbl. Batch in it I would imagine it would cool very quickly and exposure to the bugs be ideal.

Awesome! Talk to a local homebrewers club and fill a wine barrel as a collab beer!

 

[runs4beer]

Dp

 

[runs4beer]

Awesome! Talk to a local homebrewers club and fill a wine barrel as a collab beer!

I think a vessel this size will need a some what permanent set up, I believe cool ships need to be enclosed to keep the non-microscopic wildlife out (fruit fly, raccoons...), alot of work for a one off brew.
I found a big stainless steel kitty litter pan at petco that holds 5.5 gallon to the brim and on a cool night in September I put that out under the fig tree with a sheet of BIAB cloth clipped over the top. I fill it with second runnings (1.038og) from a wheat wine figuring there's no loss if it's a failure. Right now it has a very thin pellicle and there there was a fair amount of action in the air lock early on. I'm content with this for now.

 

[bellmtbbq]

I think a vessel this size will need a some what permanent set up, I believe cool ships need to be enclosed to keep the non-microscopic wildlife out (fruit fly, raccoons...), alot of work for a one off brew.
I found a big stainless steel kitty litter pan at petco that holds 5.5 gallon to the brim and on a cool night in September I put that out under the fig tree with a sheet of BIAB cloth clipped over the top. I fill it with second runnings (1.038og) from a wheat wine figuring there's no loss if it's a failure. Right now it has a very thin pellicle and there there was a fair amount of action in the air lock early on. I'm content with this for now.

Then your only option is to open a commercial brewery! Hahahha

 

[runs4beer]

Then your only option is to open a commercial brewery! Hahahha

Or get it to one that can press it into action (wink, wink Chugach).

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Touche! What sort of flavors are you getting from your wild brew? I put one out when Sandy came through... lots of banana flavors so far, but they are mellowing as time goes on. Definitely clean, though.

 

[levifunk]

reading about doing this, curious on updates as well as a few other questions that come to mind.

i've read about how cantillion and other places fear cleaning the area of cobwebs and other filth to ensure they aren't tampering with the yeast. would anyone do anything specific to the area they plan on keeping the coolship to make sure it's a air is cleaner (if that makes sense and is possible)? i'd like to do this in my garage, but feel like it's got all sorts of airborn nonsense. i'm thinking on building a box and then have the coolship inside.

still working on my thoughts, but those are the only concerns i've come accross so far. hope you're still progressing this idea.

They don't clean spider webs or kill spiders because spiders eat fruit flies. fruit flies carry acetobacter.

No matter what, if using a coolship, you will get stuff into your wort that you don't want. The idea is to have the good stuff out compete the bad stuff. If you aren't pumping wort into already inoculated barrels, it might be smart to put a primer in your barrel/carboy. Either some built up dregs from a commercial sour, or maybe a 1/4 gallon of a previous homebrew that turned out good.

I ended up pitching yeast into this barrel, but the priming process is outlined here: http://funkfactorybrewing.blogspot.com/2012/01/priming-barrel.html

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Levifunk,
If you inoculate the barrel with dregs from something else or a different yeast, then why use the coolship? I feel as though the point is to gather the local yeast - if you already have yeast in your barrel then it wouldn't be too much different then chilling and pitching.
A method I've used is I make several small 1-2 gallon batches and 'coolship' them until they've fermented out. Once they have, I rack off the beer, and pitch the yeast into a larger batch. That way if it spoils I'm only wasting 1-2 gallons.
The goal of my coolship build is to make a beer that is local to my region. I've been collecting yeast in the spring/fall and so far had halfway decent results. (Although I'm not a fan of all the banana flavors...
Cheers!
CBC

 

[Sebas83]

Yeah, coolship/koelschip is really to bring the locals in and cultivate in your brewing environment. But, inoculate ANOTHER barrel with dregs and blend to taste.

Your operation gets bigger by the day

 

[levifunk]

Levifunk,
If you inoculate the barrel with dregs from something else or a different yeast, then why use the coolship? I feel as though the point is to gather the local yeast - if you already have yeast in your barrel then it wouldn't be too much different then chilling and pitching.
A method I've used is I make several small 1-2 gallon batches and 'coolship' them until they've fermented out. Once they have, I rack off the beer, and pitch the yeast into a larger batch. That way if it spoils I'm only wasting 1-2 gallons.
The goal of my coolship build is to make a beer that is local to my region. I've been collecting yeast in the spring/fall and so far had halfway decent results. (Although I'm not a fan of all the banana flavors...
Cheers!
CBC

The wild yeast from a coolship isn't trained to ferment beer. Not only that, but its a crap shoot as to what you'll get. The Belgians have had hundreds of years to refine their inoculated barrels and in effect "culture" their yeast. The yeast in the barrels is well trained to ferment beer, and there is enough microbes in the barrels to guide the fermentation and ensure a desirable result.

I am glad you and other have had decent results with simply spontaneous fermentation, but I have heard many others (and experienced it myself with test batches) of 100% spontaneous fermentation turning out undrinkable. You just don't know if the wild sacchro is going to be strong enough to out compete the wild enteric bacteria. And if it is, will the wild Brett, Pedio, Lacto also be strong enough to result in a well rounded and complex beer? Its very doubtful.

Knowing you have good sacchro that will out compete enteric bacteria will make sure you don't end up with poison. Knowing you have good brett/pedio/lacto will ensure you have a well rounded beer. The coolship will introduce new strains of these which will add to your complexity. If you reuse some of that yeast to prime your next carboy, or reuse the same barrel, you will carry those new yeasts to the next batch which will have further new yeast added to it via the coolship. This is the process the Belgians went through, and in time you will build that "house flavor".

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Sounds good, that's kind of what I've been doing. Although at this point I'm keeping many yeast samples, trying to find a wild one that I want to keep around. Then IT will go in the barrel. I just wasn't sure about how your methods, somewhere earlier in the explanation I was a little lost with the pre-barrel wash. Gracie.

 

[ChugachBrewing]

Update: Coolship season is coming to Maine soon. Just ordered the drain parts from bargainfittings and got 100lb or raw wheat waiting to bite at it. Need to finish polishing and we'll be sailing soon.

 

[TNGabe]

Update: Coolship season is coming to Maine soon. Just ordered the drain parts from bargainfittings and got 100lb or raw wheat waiting to bite at it. Need to finish polishing and we'll be sailing soon.

Pictures?

 

[bellmtbbq]

Pictures?

This ^^^