After doing my first no chill batch I had an idea. I am going to make a 5 gallon batch of wort, transfer to a corny keg (no chill) and use it for starters as needed. It would be a sealed container and as long as I am diligent about sanitizing the posts and connections, contamination shouldn’t be too much of a risk. The wort can be transferred with CO2 directly into my flasks for starters.
I could even push out all the break material in the first half gallon or so, leaving clear wort.
See any problems with this method? Some have mentioned keeping no chill wort for months before pitching yeast.
Truthfully, the thought of it makes me nervous. Keep in mind that you’re going to sanitize, not sterilize, the keg. Then there are the connections, as mentioned. Making starters is where you need to take the most care. Let us know how it works out.
I’ll give it a shot. At worst I will have wasted 10# grain and a few hours.
The connections will give the most concern for sure. I will sanitize the keg and then in goes near boiling wort. I’m not too concerned about the keg, just the connections contaminating the keg.
The two things I think will help are 1) positive pressure on the keg, and 2) co2 in the headspace
I could also keep the wort refrigerated.
If you’re looking for easy starters, in lieu of this you could try real wort starters. No chill really lends itself to this technique. At flameout I collect my starter wort, and put it aside until cool. I transfer the rest into my corny and seal it. When the starter wort is cool I pitch my yeast into the starter. By the time the corny is cooled the next afternoon the starter is usually at high krausen and ready to pitch.
I think real wort starters are ready to pitch sooner for whatever reason, so I’m able to get away with a less than 24 hour starter. Plus, I pitch harvested slurry, so I’m not truly building a starter, it’s more like proofing the slurry.
I draw off 3-4 quarts of low gravity wort out of the mash tun after filling the boil kettle, put it in quart mason jars, and seal them for 15 minutes at 15 psi in the pressure cooker. I agree with Denny, it will eventually become contaminated. If you plan on using all of it within a couple of days, then it would be OK. Just be careful.
