Alternative way to cool wort

[Adam Simms]

No Wort Chiller?  Try This...


The Australians are using a different method for cooling wort.  Instead of using a wort chiller, they are using a sealed plastic container.  Take your hot wort and siphon it into a food grade plastic container with a screw on air tight lid.  Place the lid on loosely and squeeze the plastic container (carefully) and tighten the lid when all the air is removed.  This puts the hot liquid in contact with all the surfaces of the container sterilizing the inside.  No need to sterilize the container!  Then leave sit in a room with your desired temperature for around 24 hours or until you reach your desired temperature.   Siphon or pour into your fermentor, siphoning can leave enough sediment out of the wort that a secondary fermentation/racking would not be necessary.

Give it a try!  Make sure you give us feedback right here on our forum.

[Adam Simms]

I have also heard of people freezing water in a gallon jug a day before, then using it to speed up the process of cooling.  Of course you would want to make sure it is sterile on the out side.  I haven't tried this.  Anybody out there try this method?

[wyzazz]

I just talked to Matt about this on Friday, I'm doing a No Chill American Wheat right now!  Just one correction, you are not Sterilizing anything you are only Sanatizing with the near boiling wort.  Sterilization only takes place when you get your temps in excess of boiling, around 250F if I remember correctly.  FWIW I sanitized my HDPE fermenter with StarSan first, and then drained the hot wort in to it.  It took around 6 hours to cool to 74F in my garage, at about 36F Ambient temp. 

One noted advantage of this technique is that you can make a Real Wort Starter for your yeast, cool around 1L of wort from your boil and pitch your yeast in to that.  Leave the fermenter sit 24 hours to cool, then pitch your starter.  This is supposed to condition the yeast to the type of wort you are pitching them in to.