No Chill in Fermentor.

[PaulRob]

Hi there, hope you are all keeping safe in these strange times. I have been looking at trying a no Chill Brewday. Has anyone tried this straight into the fermentation vessel, if so did you just pour it straight in, and did you put the lid and airlock on the fermenter. What kind of results did you get thanks.

 

[MyQul]

This is how I brew. I just pass the wort through a sieve into the FV to filter the hops out. Tbh so I get a minimum amount of trub in the final FV.I put the hot wort in 2x5L FV's (I do 10L brew length) and leave it overnight to cool. The following day I carefuley decant the wort into a 10L FV, leaving almost all of the break material behind. I cover the FV's with cling film (held on with an elastic band

 

[PaulRob]

Thanks. I just do 5 litre brews, so if I just take it off the heat and drain straight into the FV and cover with some clingfilm instead of the lid, then leave it until pitching temperature, then pitch or would I need to move it to another vessel, which I don't have just now.

 

[Drunkula]

That's exactly what I do. Put on the airlock and put something on top of it. I used to do it in a pressure barrel that would collapse in at the top so I'd hit it with a bit of pressure and sometimes the bottom would invert.

I've found no difference from the sealed barrel or the airlock.

If you're doing 5 litres can't you just cool it in the sink? That's what I used to do.

 

[MyQul]

No you dont need a second FV. I just do that to minimise trub. It's fine just pouring the wort into one FV. Just make sure you pass it through a seive to strain out the hops. Then just pitch the yeast when cool

 

[obscure]

I pour the boiling wort through a muslin square this takes out a good amount of the hop derbies, It helps,if you use a hop spider or hop bags during the boil as well. Then it’s straight into the fermentor then I pop the lid on and leave to cool. Should say that it takes about 12 hours to cool a 10L batch from boiling to 20 degrees for me at any rate.

 

[PaulRob]

That's exactly what I do. Put on the airlock and put something on top of it. I used to do it in a pressure barrel that would collapse in at the top so I'd hit it with a bit of pressure and sometimes the bottom would invert.

I've found no difference from the sealed barrel or the airlock.

If you're doing 5 litres can't you just cool it in the sink? That's what I used to do.

Thanks for the info, I do just cool in the sink currently, still takes a while though, and was just wanting to try something different.

 

[PaulRob]

I pour the boiling wort through a muslin square this takes out a good amount of the hop derbies, It helps,if you use a hop spider or hop bags during the boil as well. Then it’s straight into the fermentor then I pop the lid on and leave to cool. Should say that it takes about 12 hours to cool a 10L batch from boiling to 20 degrees for me at any rate.

Yeah I would always drain using a sieve or similar. Thanks for your info.

 

[Dean Garnham]

What are the disadvantages to using the no chill method? I am planning a 5l brew this week but have lost my freezer blocks etc! thought it would be a good opportunity to give this a try!

 

[Brewnaldo]

My first half dozen brews were no chill and whilst I like the chiller for the fact I can have the yeast pitched and the brew effectively put to sleep much faster, I had no issues (that I could detect) with no chill going straight to FV from boiler

 

[BeerCat]

I have gone back to no chill for all my beers. Never could get them to pitching temp in any case. Same flavour, same clarity. As long as you get a decent hot break you will be alright. Cubes are great but impossible to decant from if full, 25l ones at least.

 

[IronGiant]

Did your Fermenting vessels have a tap on it? I am just wondering if the rubber seal ring can handle to boiling wort...

 

[Rodcx500z]

I have recently gone back to no chill, i leave for hour with the lid on then into the fermenter i use both no tap and one with tap with no issues, another reason is you can use cml voss when it gets to 40c and just let it free fall

 

[obscure]

Did your Fermenting vessels have a tap on it? I am just wondering if the rubber seal ring can handle to boiling wort...

I pour boiling wort straight into my fermentor (which has a tap) I do however turn it so the tap is over the sink just in case but am yet to have any incidents. I also make a point of double and triple checking the tap is closed before pouring.

 

[IronGiant]

Great thanks all.
Are you adjusting late hop additions for the No chill method. Found this schedule.
Not sure what FWH 30 IBU means though..

No-Chill Hop Schedule - BIABrewer.info

 

[Tanglefoot]

After the boil I let the wort chill to 80c before doing hopstand.
Then use copper chiller to bring it down to pitch temp ( preferred method as quicker and more accurate ) before sieving through a grain bag into fermentor.
Sometimes I skip the wort chiller ( if it's late )and after straining into fv leave to chill naturally.
This can also be done in fridge set to pitch temp.

The only drawbacks to no chill I can see are small chance of infection and if you let it chill below pitch temp
( in which case if you have fridge you can just set it to raise temp as necessary ).

 

[The Baron]

I usually now do a whirlpool in my boil kettle so the temp is usually below 70c when I transfer into the FV and then proceed to no chill from then onwards as long as you have a good clean and sanitation method you should have little risk of a infection.
I try not to put wort into a FV at near boiling temps as I use a plastic FV and it is possible to pull out plastic tastes although in theory they are food grade so again the risk is minimal but I mainly do it for safety reasons of lugging 20ltrs of boiling wort around plus as I have said I have become a exponent of whirlpooling so I can reduce IBU's and get loads of hops in

 

[obscure]

The only drawbacks to no chill I can see are small chance of infection and if you let it chill below pitch temp
( in which case if you have fridge you can just set it to raise temp as necessary ).

I would say one advantage though of pouring it straight into the fermentor is that if your sanitiser hasn’t completely done it’s job a batch of close to boiling wort will probably kill anything else that remains (Note I am not suggesting this as an alternative to having a proper sanitation regime but reckon it doesn’t do any harm).

 

[The Baron]

To be honest there Obscure there are a few Homebrewers who do that put it into a cube and have not sanitised it but swirl the hot wort around the cube to sanitise it believe it or not which I find it strange that you could risk it after a 3/4 hour brew stint. I would always clean and sanitise as you said as it can bring bad practices into your sterilisation routine which we all know is imperative.
I have been lucky and never had a infection in all my years and I put that down to a good clean and sanitise routine