No Chill Wort? Leave it for a day in sealed fermenter??

[Beer-Baron]

Hi Guys,

I know this is a not generally a great idea but suppose someone had a clean fermenter and emptied boiling wort from the kettle directly into it.

That same person could save about 2 liters of wort from the batch, cool that down, and use it for a starter.

Then since the wort was still to hot to be infected, if it went directly into a sanitized fermenter and just cooled naturally in someones basement for a couple of days. What could happen? Is this really a big problem for people?

 

[lmnop]

If that fermentor is a glass carboy it could fail (read: break and hurt you) under the stress of such a sudden temperature change. They weren't made for that.

 

[mfraier]

Give the whole pot an ice bath in the sink.....it should cool it down in about 15 minutes. If the sink is too small get a samll pastic tub from the local harware. You could leave it sealed I suppose; but the better bet is to find a way to chill it quickly.

 

[Jibis]

I have done exactly what you describe for all of my batches since I moved into my current apartment. I do not have a chiller and my sink is too small for an ice bath. It takes about 12 - 24 hours for the wort to cool pitchable temps. DO NOT PUT BOILING WORT INTO A GLASS CARBOY. Since I have started to chill this way I have not had any infections. I suggest getting some sort of clarifying agent because you will net have a cold break to help clear your beer.

 

[SwampassJ]

Chiming in with the others about don't even think about using it in a glass carboy. If you do it in a bucket you might be fine, I've never used one especially with hot wort and if you have a Better Bottle I would think the sucker would warp big time.

Lots of people on here just let it cool overnight in the kettle so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[Ace_Club]

Rather than chilling it this way in a regular fermenter, why not look into the no-chill method that has been heavily discussed on this forum? The bonus that I could see over leaving in the fermenter is:

1. No risk of suck back from the airlock and with the no-chill method, there is no airlock on the intermediate vessel.
2. No worry about cold break/hop material in the fermenter (if this is of concern to you) since once the wort is at the correct temperature, you can pour into the primary fermenter and strain out all the break/hop material. This will also serve to aerate the wort.

 

[ChandlerBang]

Chiming in with the others about don't even think about using it in a glass carboy. If you do it in a bucket you might be fine, I've never used one especially with hot wort and if you have a Better Bottle I would think the sucker would warp big time.

Lots of people on here just let it cool overnight in the kettle so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

I just read here somewhere a guy dumped 170 degree wort into a better bottle and deformed it pretty bad. I'd like to see video of that with 210+

 

[Jknapp]

I brew with the No-chill method. I bought a HDPE container & after the boil is over, I let the wort sit for 10 minutes to let it cool below 200, the open my valve, drain into my containter, seal & wait for the next day. Pretty typical for No Chill.

BUT, I've been oh-so-tempted to just slap the lid on the kettle and let it cool in the kettle overnight. Since the kettle lid doesn't seal tightly, the suck-back-infection boogey man has me scared so I haven't tried it..

I'd also like to eliminate hot wort + plastic in my brewery, so the idea to leave in the kettle is more attractive even. Maybe I'll have to try that today.

Anyone leave the wort in an electric kettle to cool? Would the elements have a negative impact on the wort by soaking overnight?

 

[DarkUncle]

I believe another concern with this method would be hot side aeration, which is a no no. If this is attempted you would need to get that hot wort into the sealed container as gently as possible to avoid the oxidation that could happen and cause some nasty off flavors after fermentation.

 

[ChandlerBang]

I believe another concern with this method would be hot side aeration, which is a no no. If this is attempted you would need to get that hot wort into the sealed container as gently as possible to avoid the oxidation that could happen and cause some nasty off flavors after fermentation.

I think HSA has pretty well been put to bed for home brewing. And for that matter for most commercial applications as well.

EDIT: Here is the thread I was looking for...............
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/stirring-enough-aeration-202286/#post2358507

 

[Beer-Baron]

Thanks for the info. I never meant glass carboy but I'm glad to know you guys are looking out for me.

I'll check out this no chill method.

thanks

 

[Beer-Baron]

Now I'm doing some reading about the no-chill method.


What are everyone's thoughts on skipping the cold break?

 

[conpewter]

Cold break still happens, it is just slower. I'm still working on the no-chill method myself (haven't brewed a lot lately) but I've seen some pictures on this site of some very clear beers coming out of the no-chill beers.

 

[jds]

I've brewed my last three or four batches without chilling. I use Whirlfloc in the boil, transfer to a corny keg or HDPE container, and allow the wort to naturally cool to pitching temperature. In the meantime, I use some reserved wort on the stirplate for a starter.

After fermenting, I keg, cold crash, fine with gelatin, and force carbonate.

That's the most recent one, about four weeks after brewday. It's hard to tell, thanks to crap blackberry camera and condensation, but the beer's crystal clear.
I'm about ready to sell my wort chiller.

Edited: Here's the Mother of All No-Chill Threads: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/exploring-no-chill-brewing-117111/