WOW!! First No-Chill AG BIAB Turned Out Excellent

[Cottonmouth]

A lot of firsts with this batch. First time I used my $21 8 gallon brew pot. First BIAB. After 3 partial mash/partial boil batches this is my first all grain. First FWH. First no-chill. It's an IPA and just took a sample after 8 days in primary and it's really clear and tastes great. Even though my efficiency was only around 60% it still made a 4% ABV sessionable beer. I need to tweak my mash time and sparge technique but all in all it turned really well.

Since I live in an apartment with no place to set up a propane burner I am lucky I was able to make this batch on my stove top.

 

[Jayhem]

1. what is the meaning of "no-chill"? How do you pitch yeast to the wort?

2. 4% IPA? Wouldn't that be more of a session pale ale?

 

[Cottonmouth]

1. what is the meaning of "no-chill"? How do you pitch yeast to the wort?

2. 4% IPA? Wouldn't that be more of a session pale ale?

1. After the boil I put the lid on the pot and left it to cool on it's own in 75* ambient. After 20 hours it had cooled to 80* and I transferred to a bucket and put in the ferm chamber to cool down to 65* and then pitched yeast.

2. I'm not really sure what class this would fall into, not sure what the guidelines are. I'm still trying to refine my process.

I MADE BEER! :rockin:

I could post up the recipe if you'd like

 

[Homercidal]

Impossible! You simply cannot get quality beer from BIAB or No-Chill.

 

[Cottonmouth]

Impossible! You simply cannot get quality beer from BIAB or No-Chill.

I seriously had my doubts especially with my low-budget and inexperience.

 

[thadass]

Awesome! I already BIAB but have been thinking about trying out no-chill soon.
You mention wanting to tweak your mash and sparge, which is a good place to focus, but many of us BIAB-ers found the grain crush to have the biggest influence on efficiency.

 

[Cottonmouth]

Awesome! I already BIAB but have been thinking about trying out no-chill soon.
You mention wanting to tweak your mash and sparge, which is a good place to focus, but many of us BIAB-ers found the grain crush to have the biggest influence on efficiency.

I don't have a grain mill yet so I bought a 50# sack of crushed 2 row. I don't think I can do much with my crush, is what it is. What I think I can do though is increase my mash time from 60 min to 90 min. A dunk sparge with 2 gal of water should help too. This last batch I just pulled the bag and put it in a bucket on an upside down colander and poured 1 gal of water on top of the grains. I don't think it penetrated the mass of grain at all. It just ran off the sides.

 

[thadass]

How long have you had the grain? Crushed grain doesn't keep very well...

 

[bobertw]

did you adjust your hop schedule with the no-chill? I've seen charts where you add your hops 20 minutes later then the normal brew cycle, ie 60 min hops go in at 40 min.

 

[Cottonmouth]

How long have you had the grain? Crushed grain doesn't keep very well...

I guess I'll see how long it keeps. Everything is pretty much an experiment for me right now. I've only had it about a week. I'm hoping I'll have most of it gone within a month. How long do you think it should keep?

 

[Cottonmouth]

did you adjust your hop schedule with the no-chill? I've seen charts where you add your hops 20 minutes later then the normal brew cycle, ie 60 min hops go in at 40 min.

I took a chance and cut my 60 min hops from 1 1/2 oz to 1 oz and made them FWH. My 30 min hops went to 15 min and my 10 min hops went in at flameout. It worked out pretty good.

 

[cramar]

I'm going down a similar road, slowly acquiring the gear to do 10 gallon, BIAB, no chill batches outside in my garage.

 

[adamdillabo]

Wait is no chill a thing now. I got my brew kit for Christmas last year. Hoping for a wort chiller this Christmas.

 

[fartinmartin]

I am in the line up with Homercidal, re no chill.

 

[Cottonmouth]

I used a 2 1/2 gal pot on my first 3 batches prior to this one. What a PITA! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got this 8 gal pot. It's a little tight on the stove top but I don't think a bigger pot would fit. If and when I'm able to get a propane burner and bigger pot I'm sure this 8 gal will come in handy for something.

 

[Epimetheus]

Brew on!

Now you know to ignore the people who say excellent beer cannot possibly be made without a 3-vessel setup and kettle big enough to bathe in.

I also started with a 2 1/2 gallon pot and made good beer, BIAB style. Then splurged $25 on an 8 gal tamale steamer and sewed a larger bag. I have built and used a large immersion chiller but wonder if it is worth the bother. I will try no-chill with the next batch.

One thing that really helped was building a heat stick. The 1500W heat stick in 7 gallons reduced the time-to-boil from forever to 30 minutes. I do not even use the stove for 3 gallon batches. It runs safely on a 15 amp circuit. GFCI outlet, always.

Thank you for the inspiration.

 

[bionut]

Nice!
I am a BIABer also, now looking for a silicone hose to try no chill.

One thing that really helped was building a heat stick. The 1500W heat stick in 7 gallons reduced the time-to-boil from forever to 30 minutes. I do not even use the stove for 3 gallon batches. It runs safely on a 15 amp circuit. GFCI outlet, always.

Thank you for the inspiration.

I see that you have built your heatstick, why is that? Here i can buy one already made, up to 3000 W. Here is a link with one http://www.magnetcenter.ro/termoplonjon-electric-2000w Sorry, the site is in romanian, but maybe you can tell me if it could work. Thanks!

 

[Cottonmouth]

It was clearer before I dry hopped .

 

[garvinator70]

Looks good

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but if you have a fermentation chamber why not just put it in there to chill?

 

[Cottonmouth]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but if you have a fermentation chamber why not just put it in there to chill?

My ferm chamber is just a mini fridge and I'd rather not put the stress on it to take it from boiling down to pitching temps when I don't see any advantage to do so.

I just did another no chill brew two days ago. In 18 hours it had gone from boiling to 85F. Then racked to a bucket dropping down to 75F, pitched yeast and put in mini fridge. It took another 6 hours to get down to 63F where it will remain for the next 5 days then up to 70 for another 5 days.