When it comes to brewing, I don’t like anything as much I like brewing simple and easy—and what’s simpler or easier than “nothing?”
It was this thinking (and a switch-up in brewing equipment) that led me to try my hand at no-chill brewing. The most remarkable thing about the switch is just how little difference it has made in the finished beer. All it costs me is time, and time I’ve got.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: hop flavor and aroma. If you’re not chilling, aren’t you losing all of that wonderful, fresh, hop character? For reasons that a brewing chemist might or might not be able to explain, the answer is, “not really.”