Fermenting in spain

[tayll85]

Hi, haven't been on here much in the last couple of years, had a baby girl and moved to Spain with my Spanish better half, which put a halt to brewing activity.

I've finally decided to renew my passion and even found a local to join me.

I need help however! I sold off my stainless steel kit and plate chiller (way to costly to transport and nowhere to put it if I did). I can't decide on an fv. I want to go no chill, since water is expensive here, but I have no experience of this, and I was hoping to just dump the wort into a bucket then chuck in the yeast a day later. Apparently it's not as simple as this?

Do I really need a cube before transfer to an fv, or can I just find an fv made of HDPE that will handle the hot wort? And is no chill a terrible choice anyway since I will want to go hoppy occasionally?

Would appreciate any thoughts.

 

[MyQul]

Hi, haven't been on here much in the last couple of years, had a baby girl and moved to Spain with my Spanish better half, which put a halt to brewing activity.

I've finally decided to renew my passion and even found a local to join me.

I need help however! I sold off my stainless steel kit and plate chiller (way to costly to transport and nowhere to put it if I did). I can't decide on an fv. I want to go no chill, since water is expensive here, but I have no experience of this, and I was hoping to just dump the wort into a bucket then chuck in the yeast a day later. Apparently it's not as simple as this?

Do I really need a cube before transfer to an fv, or can I just find an fv made of HDPE that will handle the hot wort? And is no chill a terrible choice anyway since I will want to go hoppy occasionally?

Would appreciate any thoughts.

Actually it is, because that's what I do. Also you dont need a cube, you can just use an FV. Here's what I do;

I just make my wort as normal, following the reciepe. Then I put a sieve on an old* FV and pass the wort through the sieve to strain the hops out. I then cover the FV with clingfilm and hold it on with a big elastic band (you need this to hold the cling film on firmly as the cling film goes massively concave due to the steam from the wort then massively convex when it cools down and the wort contracts). Let the wort cool for 24-48 hours then pitch the yeast. You can either use the FV lid or some more cling film when your actually fermenting. But sanitise the cling film with star san (or any other sanitiser you can put in a spray bottle) because the underside of the cling film gets condensation on it and drips back into the wort.

Dont go more than 48 hours doing this because I've found that in the past the wort had a funky smell to it. I still fermented the wort and the beer tasted fine but I wouldnt recommend going past two days. Use a cube if you want to do that

*The only problem I've ever had is when I bought a new FV and did the above. The resulting beer had a really chemically taste and I had to chuck it. I suspect that chemicals leached into the beer from the surface of the FV. I've never had a problem with old FV's and the FV I had a problem with the first time had no problems subsequent times after the first.

 

[tayll85]

Thanks MyQul, just the answer I was hoping for! What about the potential hop issues of no chill?

 

[MyQul]

What exactly have you heard about, 'hop issues and no chill?' As I mentioned I just make my wort as per normal (as you would when usng a chiller). But then again I dont make/like hoppy beer and normally make English styles/pseudo lagers or at least the reciepe's in these styles that arent hoppy

 

[Cwrw666]

I transfer my wort from the boiler half an hour after the 0 minute hop addition, but while it's still hot enough to sanitise the FV so no problems with infections during no-chill. However, I do seem to be getting extra bitterness from the last hops so with IPAs I usually reduce the bittering hops a bit to allow for this.
I start brewing at 9 am so the wort gets into the FV by about 1.30. I find it's ok to add the yeast at bedtime - 10.30 to 11. It's still a bit warm then but doesn't seem to hurt the yeast, by next morning I usually have a good krausen forming.

 

[tayll85]

MyQul, from what I've read it would appear that by not chilling the hop oils are in contact with heat for considerably longer. For very hoppy beers it can apparently make them taste a bit grassy. If you don't brew that style though I could see it wouldn't be a problem.

Thanks cwrw, I think maybe an experimental approach is the way to go hop wise.

 

[tayll85]

Just realised I started this thread in the wrong topic, was thinking kit as in equipment, can you tell I've been away for a while...?

 

[Cwrw666]

Thanks cwrw, I think maybe an experimental approach is the way to go hop wise.

Most of my recipes are straight out of the Greg Hughes book. I make them as per the book then next time make some adjustments, maybe in the grains, maybe in the hops, until they're coming out to my taste. Works for me.
I expect any recipe is going to be affected by your exact brewing technique.

 

[MyQul]

Just realised I started this thread in the wrong topic, was thinking kit as in equipment, can you tell I've been away for a while...?

Moved it, now

 

[MyQul]

MyQul, from what I've read it would appear that by not chilling the hop oils are in contact with heat for considerably longer. For very hoppy beers it can apparently make them taste a bit grassy. If you don't brew that style though I could see it wouldn't be a problem.

Thanks cwrw, I think maybe an experimental approach is the way to go hop wise.

As an experimet,I once left all the hops that I normally sieve out, in the FV, for the entire time of fermentation. The beer didnt come out grassy but soapy.

Whirl pooling/hop stands are supposeed to give you the best bang for your buck if you want hoppyness. What you could do is, after you transfer the wort to the FV but before you put the cling film on the top. Put the FV lid on to the FV and allow to cool till the wort is below 80C (some people say below 65C) then using a hop sock steep the whirl pool hops in the wort for 30 mins using a hop sock (remember to sanitise the hop sock). Then remove the hop sock after 30 minutes.

Another thing you could do is use a combination of hop tea and dry hopping to cram more hoppy flavour in their

 

[dan125]

Just wondering if the wort would ever chill down to pitching temp at this time of year in Spain??
Do you have somewhere cool to ferment?

 

[tayll85]

Good point Dan, it is getting toasty. My keen local is in possession of a large "trastero" that he barely uses. It's basically a storage room in the basement of his apartment block, so I'm hoping ambient temp will be okay underground...? he is going to hang a min max thermometer and let me know the result

 

[dan125]

Good point Dan, it is getting toasty. My keen local is in possession of a large "trastero" that he barely uses. It's basically a storage room in the basement of his apartment block, so I'm hoping ambient temp will be okay underground...? he is going to hang a min max thermometer and let me know the result

It should be a fairly stable temp at least, being underground - be interesting to hear how warm/cool it gets. Can't help thinking that a brew fridge would come in handy for you though.

 

[tayll85]

Yeah, I considered it but he'd need to install a socket down there (which he's open to should it prove necessary). That or have a go with that kveik miracle yeast I've been reading about.

 

[MickDundee]

The ferment in Spain falls mainly on the plains IIRC

 

[dan125]

That or have a go with that kveik miracle yeast I've been reading about.

Could be a good shout - I recently had an excellent kveik from @BeerCat that I think was fermented warm.

 

[BeerCat]

Kveik would be ideal. You can ferment up to 40c and can get away without cold crashing.