purpose of quick chill after boil

[brcisna]

Hello All,

Can anyone explain why the quick chill down after doing a boil is? I'm guessing has something to do with 'this enzyme' needs quick cooling or something?
Seen were some folks just let the boiled wort cool over night then pitch yeast once wort is down to room temp and have found no difference in end taste.
Was considering doing this on next boil,& just want some opinions.
Just thinking this would make the brew process just a tad bit simpler.

TIA

 

[lolcats]

I think it has something to do with contamination issues and beer clarity.

I also have never seen a difference one way or the either flavorwise

 

[Revvy]

There is some belief that a quick chill helps pull cold break- certain proteins out of solution.... but as you say No-chill brewing doesn't do that, and there doesn't seem to be clairty issues...

But the biggest reason in the case on NON- No-chill brewing is to get it quickly down to yeast pitch temp and yeast into it before any wild yeasts take hold... The reason they don't do it with no-chill is because they use the same technique that people vacuum canning food do to prevent things growing in their pickles and peaches... as the boiling hot liquid is poured into the container that can handle it, the boiling, sterile liquid kills anything in the container, and THEN the most important part, as it cools down a vacuum is formed in there forcing out oxygen, and sealing the vessel which prevents anything damaging getting in.

But you have to choose one or the other... rapid cool to quick pitch of yeast in a normal vessel, OR no chill in something that can handle boiling hot liquid like a plastic jerry can that will form a vacumm seal as it cools.

 

[mkelly601]

I think the initial main reason behind chilling ASAP was the faster you chill to pitching temps, the faster you can pitch your yeast. The faster you pitch your yeast, the less likely you are to get an infection. As you know, others have proved b/c of cooling limitations that if you are diligent about sanitation you will be just fine with waiting until the next day.

 

[kh54s10]

It is not enzymes. It is proteins and other debris that will clump (cold break) and drop out in the boil kettle and also the fermenter. I don't believe there is a significant difference. I prefer to chill and get brew day done with, rather than stretching it into 2 days.

There is also the theory of limiting the time the wort sits before fermentation as much as possible to reduce the risk of contamination. But, a lot of people do no chill without problems.

Added the word "kettle" to clarify.

 

[NSMikeD]

There is also the issue of hops. Leaving your beer above the temperature that isomerization occurs, 175°, will affect the late additions hops - which will lose flavor and aroma and add bitterness.

 

[seatazzz]

I'm a fan of No Chill because.....well I'm lazy and want to be mostly done at flameout (I clean as I go as well). I had several batches in a row with horrible off flavors because I pitched my yeast when the wort was still too hot. In my opinion (feel free to contradict), as long as your keggle/fermenter/whatever your wort is in is well covered and NOT in an area teeming with flying bugs, airborne nasties, or small children bent on mischief, you're good. For those who disagree, I'm sipping on my pretty good brown that was no-chilled 4 weeks ago and it's tasty. I brew and ferment in my garage where I have dog beds, a cat box (well away from the brewing area, and moved into the house during actual brewing) and household cleaners and stuff; and I'm not dead yet. I usually let the wort cool down to about 160 in the keggle (with a clean towel over it and a fan going full blast pointed at it), then pump into the fermenter in a swamp cooler, and pitch when it gets to 65 or so. I'm meticulous in sanitizing as well.

 

[stansoid]

I think the only reason is to have more precise control over hop isomerization. With a quick chill you can late hop, then rapidly cool and prevent the hops from adding bitterness. Hops will continue to add bitterness (isomerize) until about 80 degree Celsius (granted at exponentially lower rates for every degree below 100C).

Anything related to infection or clarity is nonsense. I've done my last 35 batches as no chill. I regularly pour the boiling wort into an HPDE container, seal it and leave it for months. If it was infected, the HPDE plastic container would start to bloat. I think it may actually be a cleaner process because the wort is only exposed to the outside world at room temps for the brief time that I rack it to the fermenter.

It absolutely makes the brew day more simple. I find I often have time to brew when I don't have space to ferment... So I can do the big job (brewing) when I have time, then rack and pitch yeast at a later date. My brew day is about 3.5 to 4 hours doing no chill.

Also no effect on clarity. The cold break stuff, imo, is all homebrew lore that throws back to when we did not have the techniques we do today. I clarify with biofine or gelatin and I get crisp clear beer.

So my take - Quick cooling lets you finish the process in the same day and possibly for reallllly hoppy beers, gives you better control on your process. That said, with some practice recipes can be adjusted for to make hoopy beers work. Check out the brulosphy articles on this.

I've had great success with no chill. Hoppy beers included.

FWIW - I am drinking this right now. This is a mosaic/galaxy, dry hopped version of centennial blonde that lived in a plastic container for 4.5 months before fermentation.

No infection... no clarity issues.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I guess this inevitably brings out all the no-chillers.

I haven't chilled a beer for about 3 years except for when I wanna drink it.

I do all my late hops after I transfer into my no-chill container that is just a stainless 7 gallon fermentor. I guess you could call it a hop stand.

The thing is still full of air but I'm sure that air heats up pretty good in a closed container full of 200f beer.

I just open the lid, aerate, and pitch yeast.

 

[oakbarn]

We use a plate chiller. I can transfer as fast a Chuuger can pump into a fermentor, That being said, I have had to wait a day and do a "no chill" and it worked fine. I just like the brew to be done while I have "help".

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

But you have to choose one or the other... rapid cool to quick pitch of yeast in a normal vessel, OR no chill in something that can handle boiling hot liquid like a plastic jerry can that will form a vacumm seal as it cools.

I'm going to have to disagree. I do a combination of the 2 methods most of the time.

I chill to around 100 and let it cool overnight to pitch temps...Saves time with warmer summer tap water

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

Quick chill serves two purposes.
1) To get the wort cold and away from possible contamination asap.

2) To allow the cold break to drop out. The faster you do this from boiling to pitching, the more drops out.
Those proteins are gone and won't interfere later on.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I bought a submergeable water pump a year ago.
In the hot summers, i go to one of the 25lbs of ice for $1 kiosks that are all over the place and fill up a rubber made trash can.

Then when I get home I fill it with water.
I connect that to my copper wort chiller, pump the cold water through the copper and collect the hot water in a second trash can on the other side.

On my last brew, I chilled from boiling to pitching in 25 mins. And it didn't even take one trash can full of water.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

2) To allow the cold break to drop out. The faster you do this from boiling to pitching, the more drops out.
Those proteins are gone and won't interfere later on.

I suck every bit of cold break into the fermenter and never have an issue of any kind....cold break/proteins does no harm in the fermenter. It all drops out in the fermenter and you rack off the top

 

[Dangeruss]

Go to the hour mark and he dives into it a little. But there is a lot of good info on here.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...9B9DC8D5ACAE5291C4129B9DC8D5ACAE529&FORM=VIRE

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I suck every bit of cold break into the fermenter and never have an issue of any kind....cold break/proteins does no harm in the fermenter. It all drops out in the fermenter and you rack off the top

You suck every bit in. But once it drops out it will not mix back into solution. It just piles up with the trub.
If it never drops out then it remains in solution.