Observations on my first brew day

[Fransjoe]

Hey everyone, I finally got my first brew day. I did a BIAB partial mash. Unfortunately I ran out of propane at 7 minutes left on my boil...ok lack of planning. I also saw that my system of filling up the sink with cold tap, drain and repeat, didn't get my brew cold fast enough to be certain to avoid infections. I sanitized everything that would be touching the wort after the heat was off, to the point of spraying down with starsan every time the spoon would go into the pot. Once down to 100°F I transferred to my fermenting bucket, covered and let stand another hour or so to get the temp down to 80°F. Pitched the yeast (Safale-04) and now am crossing my fingers that I dont get an infection.

Any ideas on making a cheap but reliable wort chiller?

 

[GoeHaarden]

...crossing my fingers that I dont get an infection.

Any ideas on making a cheap but reliable wort chiller?

I think we've all tried to squeak out that last bit of propane and run out close to the end. No big deal.

I wouldn't worry about infection if your cleaning/sanitizing practices were good. There are a lot of people who do no chill, meaning that they don't worry about chilling after the boil and let the temp drop naturally before pitching yeast.

There are plenty of DIY chiller ideas out there, you just have to search for it. I've never built one as it seems like a royal PITA. However, if I could do it all over again I would just buy a Hydra immersion chiller initially and be done with it. I've spent well over that $160 on other chillers I have accrued over the years.

 

[Fransjoe]

I think we've all tried to squeak out that last bit of propane and run out close to the end. No big deal.

I wouldn't worry about infection if your cleaning/sanitizing practices were good. There are a lot of people who do no chill, meaning that they don't worry about chilling after the boil and let the temp drop naturally before pitching yeast.

I was absolutely anal on sanitizing procedures, spraying StarSan as if it were going out of style. Spray down as soon as the spoon/paddle came out of the wort, and before inserting it. The bucket was shaken and left with StaSan for at least 30 mins before transferring from kettle to fermenter.

 

[kh54s10]

IMO, infections are less of a hazard than often made out to be. I have forgotten to sanitize things, dropped a yeast package in, took hours to cool, etc. One infected bottle in 8 years on July 1.

Make an immersion chiller. Copper tubing from Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Vinyl tubing, hose clamps and a garden hose end. You might need an adapter if you are getting water from a sink faucet.

I made two 20 ft sections, when it is hot both go in the pot, when down to about 100 the smaller one goes in a bucket of water and ice. If the tap water temperature is cold enough I just put both sections in the wort.

 

[cactusgarrett]

There are plenty of well-documented instances of people chilling/waiting overnight, and even into day 2 to pitch yeast with no detrimental effects. You're golden.

Speaking from experience, if you end up making a chiller and you live in a cold clime and brew outside, fabricate to allow for hookup to both standard hose as well as somehow from an indoor sink. The coldest days that prevent chilling due to frozen taps/hoses are the worst.

 

[IslandLizard]

Congrats with your first brew!

Sounds like a chiller of some sort is on your shopping or to-do list. Immersion chillers are easily made from soft copper tubing, or picked up off Craigslist and such. Or just buy a "Hydra" or so, as @GoeHaarden said. They are among the most efficient immersion chillers available, but $$.
No-chill is a good option too, especially when water is expensive or scarce.

get the temp down to 80°F. Pitched the yeast (Safale-04)

Although alright for initial pitching, 80F is way too high for fermentation unless you use Saison or Kveik yeasts. It's best to ferment within a yeast's recommended temp range, for many ale yeasts that's around 64-68F, and will give you much better beer. You'll need some form of ferm temp control!

Re: infections, as long as you stay within the guidelines, RDWHAHB!

 

[Fransjoe]

As far as chilling goes, I will make sure to wait next time until I can save up for a chiller. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, (snow melt water, and constant temps between 55 and 68 most of the year) so I'll wait next time.