AAArgh - no yeast! Can a PB be used as no chill cube?

[Algernon]

Wanted to get a brew on today.
SWMBO just gently reminded me that I have no yeast, which could bugger the process. Can a pressure barrel be used as a no chill cube (assuming I let a little out via the tap to sterilise the innards as well).
To avoid wasting beer in the tap-purging, could I pre-heat the barrel with a couple of kettles of hot and run them through the tap to clean it / sanitise it?
Can anyone see any huge problems with doing this?
It does have the bonus, in the absence of a chiller or a tap on my kettle, of both collecting trub in the lower part of the barrel and also of allowing me to drop my cold wort from a huge height into the FV for aeration when my yeast arrives.

 

[NickW]

The idea is good... but I don't know if these are made to withstand boiling wort. Someone at be able help with this.

I would also monitor it as it will expand with the heat, so you may have to periodically loose pressure out of the top, or perhaps leave it open a tad

 

[jonnymorris]

I reckon a King Keg could handle the heat. Not sure about other makes. If it has s pressure release valve you needn't worry about pressure build up either though you could just leave the lid slightly loose or tap open a bit as suggested above.

 

[Algernon]

Thanks guys.
I regularly clean mine out with boiling water from the kettle without it warping, so i am reasonably confident on the heat. It's a Wilko's one, if anyone has particular experience with them.

 

[rpt]

But do you fill it with boiling water and leave it? If you just rinse it out with one kettle full that's going to have much less energy than a barrel full.

 

[Algernon]

True, rpt, but if the plastic is stable with a couple of kettles of boiling poured on directly then I am hoping it should be fine with wort a few degrees cooler (see how I am convincing myself here - lol ).
I know the overall amount of energy in a full barrel is vast by comparison, but the actual temperature is what is going to warp / not warp the plastic, rather than the overall number of joules.

 

[mike77]

According to your signature you have several brews fermenting. Is there no possibility to harvest some yeast from any of these?

 

[Duxuk]

You can chill in the FV. I do it all the time. Just pitch when it's cooled. I have never left the wort longer than overnight, but if you can get some yeast quickly enough then it's one less potential source of infection to contact you beer.

 

[Algernon]

Sig is now out of date, Mike. I shall edit it presently. I only have one fermenting atm and it's an imperial stout. I am told it isn't good to step down the gravity when re-using yeast.
Add to that my lack of experience - I have never tried harvesting yeast from previous brews. Having had 3 infections in a row (cheers Wilko, for changing sanitiser brands to one that doesn't sanitise!) I am wanting to be super careful on the infection front. I do now have videne, which if it works as everyone here says it does, will be a lifesaver. Spray and go - it seems ok so far on my latest brew so fingers crossed. I still don't feel confident opening a brew mid-ferment to get yeast out though...