draining and cooling

[Jack_Frost]

I did my fisrt AG last week but I think that I might have made a simple error. Not one that has ruined the beed but might have changed the taste.

When I had finished the boil I left it to cool overnight as I dont have a cooler or a tap on the pot. I did not fancy jugging all that boiling liquid. However I thought I could just leave it all in the pan and strain/drain when it was cool. Will this have meant that the hops were still doing their thang all night or do they not do much in not boiling water? I am not too worried as it seems to taste nice, but I want to achieve a taste like the recipie suggests.

Should I have strained/drained and then left to cool?

Thanks in advance

Tim

[beermonsta]

They're fine left in there. It's only when boiling they release their bitterness (alpha acid), and as you should have already boiled you will have released most of the bitterness. You might have even helped if you threw in some late hops near flame out (end of boil) as these should add aroma to the brew.

[Spud395]

But I would say you're correct in that it will be different than the recipe.

[Jack_Frost]

So, it is fine but different to the recipe. Would I be correct in thinking that I should use slightly fewer late hops. I had a cheeky taste out of the FV and it tastes good. I just need to find more bottles.

Tim

[Bribie]

Common cooling method hereabouts is to run the boiling wort into a 20 - 25 litre water container or what we call a 'cube' (food grade HDPE available from camping shops or bigger supermarkets / hardware stores). Let it cool overnight. It should be ideal for UK temperature conditions, stick it outside back door with the cat Assuming you sanitize the cube well and fill to the top, you can even keep the wort for months if you want to, a bit like jam and chutney making.
However it can produce a more bitter wort as the alpha acids from the hops are in contact longer with hot wort and keep on isomerising into the bitter form. I add some hop tea into the fermenter to compensate for the loss of aroma that can also occur in the cube. Your brew should be fine.

[Jack_Frost]

That is a very interesting idea. Especially if you run out of time

So you run it from the boiler, hops and all into the jerry can?

[boingy]

That is a very interesting idea. Especially if you run out of time

So you run it from the boiler, hops and all into the jerry can?

No, you drain strain the hops out as normal.

[Bribie]

That's right, just the normal hot wort after using a floc tablet in the last part of the boil, and a good rest to let hops and trub settle to the bottom. I never actually keep the 'cubes' for more than a couple of days at most, but it gives me more flexibility - for example if my yeast starter is a bit reluctant to spring into life I can leave the wort safely for another day or two and pitch when the starter is going full bore.

[Spud395]

So you keep back a bit of wort that you cool quickly and use this to make up your starter?