"No-Chill" Cubes

[PeeBee]

I had fancied this method. Not 'cos I'm a right green environmentalist, but 'cos I find a "brew day" quite a trial. Once the boil's done I'm getting tired and cranky (reverting to being a two-year old again?), and it's not just the cooling, there's making all the fermenter ready and sterile, phaffing about getting the gravity reading, setting up the (on-line) gravity & temperature tracking (eh ... when did that phaff come in? Didn't do it in 1978), sorting out the chilling arrangements, making sure the yeast is good to go ... and on ... and on. More flippin' work than actually brewing the stuff. And it's evening, I haven't got all day with this caper. And then there's the clearing up ... well, that can wait 'til tomorrow.

So, "no-chill cubes", the attraction is obvious. And no standing buckets in a bath overnight like the (very) old days. So ordered two from MM (people appear to be using these exact cubes, so perhaps I needn't worry about their suitability?). They turn up promptly; well, they are attached to a fairly substantial order ... the pallet will do for firewood this Winter.

I wash them well and measure their volume closely (I don't want to be left with buckets of wort after the cubes are full). 21.9 litres, that'll be less 4% by the time they cool to 20C. If you're one of the old hands laughing in anticipation of what's to come, make sure you know I hates you!

The boil is finished. It's telling me (volume gauge) I should have this judged right. The hot wort fills the two cubes ... and disappears into their depths! No told me that! The gits! It was like knowing the volume of a deflated balloon, filling it with that amount of water, and wondering where all the extra volume has come from!

Well not that bad. The cubes remain fairly rigid when hot. But it took 5 litres more to fill the two cubes. Fortunately, I brewed a tad strong to accommodate "surprises" so should come out okay (except my SS fermenter has no volume marks).

[MashBag]

You are not the first person to mention that mm cubes are a bit big. Shame you would think they could count by now

[PeeBee]

Hmm. I didn't escape the "surprises"! Gravity of 1.050 when I was aiming for 1.057. And a volume of ... gawd knows what! I think I'll get more "surprises" when I keg it and think it's all going to fit (I better have some bottles ready).

Still, an interesting introduction to "no-chill" cubes. They do relieve some pressure on brew-day, though not seeing it fermenting until "day 4" might take a bit of getting used to. As will not getting the two-day yeast starter on until brewday. Also, it was a 40-45L batch, and those cubes are a bit heavy to lift high enough to pour into a 100mm filling port ... a pump had to be organised.

I'll try again but must get those "expanding volume" cubes (when hot) under control. Needs some sort of restrictive containment. That wooden pallet they came on might come in useful. Strap-banding might be useful? Interestingly, these cubes are sold as being thick walled and fairly rigid; perhaps the cheaper "less rigid" cubes are better because you can squeeze them in more?

[MashBag]

Just a though. Why don't you just leave it in the kettle to chill ?

.. And why a starter? That's another job you could save?

[IPA]

The obvious answer is if you don't enjoy spending six hours brewing give up and buy commercial beer.
Brew day for me is six hours start to finish. With the resulting 57 litres chilled and pitched.

[MashBag]

I think different people enjoy different parts of the the home brew experience.

[PeeBee]

The obvious answer is if you don't enjoy spending six hours brewing give up and buy commercial beer. ...

So obvious ... I've still got a box full of Golden Pride and 1845 to get through! Not the same as DIY though, and I can't put it through my "permanently installed" hand-pumps, nor do the bottles explain the hand-pumps ... or the 1/2-barrel brewery around the back.

I need to get over it. It's what I do; it's about all that's left that I can still do! You need to change your "six hour" jibe too: Or at least save it for people you understand a bit.

[PeeBee]

Just a though. Why don't you just leave it in the kettle to chill ?

.. And why a starter? That's another job you could save?

If I leave it in the kettle, I must deal with it next day! That's the situation (a "must") I'm hoping these "No-chill cubes" will save me from? I believe you can keep unfermented wort in them for many days. Not totally convinced yet.

I reckon fitting them in restrictive crates (at least while filling and sealing them) will cure their tendency to balloon outwards.

The troublesome "X-Ale" is done fermenting. Less than 18 hours (bit of nose-thumbing at "kviek" users). Not so short of extract, I misread the "1.057" ... it was 1.055 (well, they look the same, don't they?). So only "lost" 4 or 5 points.

CourageX-1914-Day3.jpg (41.29 KiB) Viewed 35219 times

A starter was necessary 'cos the Wyeast pack needs stepping up for a 40-45L batch and I'd purchased it a few months back (still just in date). And the "Whitbread 1099" is reliable at not over attenuating (S-33 dried yeast ain't too bad, but I'd already got the 1099 yeast ... and a past-it 1469 yeast!).

[MashBag]

Gotcha.
I have considered making clamp type thing to compress them while they are hot.

[JamesF]

I've not heard of this "no chill cube" thing before now. Or if I have I've paid it no attention. However, I regularly run the wort out of my boiler into fermentation buckets with snap-on lids to allow it to cool overnight which I guess is largely the same thing. I've found that if I leave stuff in the boiler to cool (after running off the wort) overnight it can sometimes "set" and is harder to clean the following day. It may be that this only happens when I've used Irish moss in the boil. I'm really not sure. I don't know if the same thing would happen if I left the wort in the boiler too, but then I'd not want the wort sitting on the hops overnight either, so perhaps leaving the wort in the boiler is only viable if the hops are in a basket and can be removed at the end of the boil?

On the other hand, there do seem to be advantages to fast chilling, and I've been pondering on the viability of setting up a system where I can store the "waste" hot water from a counterflow cooler for washing and cleaning kit at the end of the day, and/or for cleaning bottles to be used in the subsequent bottling run.

James

[JonB]

I've not heard of this "no chill cube" thing before now. Or if I have I've paid it no attention.

They've only recently come on the market over here, I believe they're a solution the Aussies developed a few years ago because their tap water is a LOT more expensive than ours per litre, so running any form of chiller could get quite expensive quite quickly.

Not something I'm likely to use as we don't have a water meter, but I think PeeBee's idea of an anti-sag jig sounds interesting.

@PeeBee
Might be worth looking at some of the Australian homebrew forums for tips and tricks with these cubes?

[MashBag]

then I'd not want the wort sitting on the hops overnight either, so perhaps leaving the wort in the boiler is only viable if the hops are in a basket and can be removed at the end of the boil?

Absolutely the bulk hops MUST be out.

Fast chiller. Google "jaded brewing" I copied their idea. Stunningly fast, but slower than overnight.

[ozroger]

I've been "no chilling" in 20 litre cubes for years, and love the method. Compared with chilling coils, pumps, iced water baths, recirculating water back into the rainwater tank, etc etc, it's simplicity itself!

For hoppy beers, delay late hop additions by 10 minutes to account for the hop stand at >isomerisation temperatures. eg - if the recipe calls for a hop addition at 20 minutes, delay it until 10 minutes, and a 10 minute addition becomes a whirlpool addition. By filling the cube with hot wort >90C, and filling it right to the brim, it can just sit there for days, weeks, until you're ready to start fermenting it.

To get the cube chockers, I believe the key is to apply upward pressure on the handle as you pour in the last of the hot wort, to the brim, and screw the cap on while still holding the handle up. Then lay the cube on it's side. The arrow shows the tiny air bubble remaining in the cube after it's cooled down.

I never worry about the cube bulging (as the photo shows), and I've not had one burst yet. Capacity, full, is 22.5 litres.

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[MashBag]

Nice one. I think the issue in the uk is for the typical brew length. Mine certainly are close, but definitely not an accurate fill. I have wondered if a wooden box (with a movable 4th side) might help for filling. Or perhaps 2 x 10litre.

Or is it me being a environmentally friendly (tight) and using the wrong cubes

Not these....

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... cba1185463

[PeeBee]

I'm going for the cheap option (even "tighter" than thee) ... a couple of loose boards and ratchet tightened webbing straps (that prevent the door strapped to the roof-rack flying off down the motorway). That should hold them in place while being filled. Perhaps? And hopefully improve the fill accuracy (the straps only need be on until the cap is secured). I'll see during next brew.

I think this "20L cubes are too big" issue is perhaps 'cos we've still got the ghost of "five gallons" (22-23 litres) cocking it up. I'd be happy with 22-23 litres, but then the blasted things balloon out another 2-3 litres when they get hot.

Something else the Malt Miller is up to that could be related to this "no-chill" cube business (if you stretch the imagination): https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/vie ... =4&t=84171