Interesting method. Every thing I have read recommends getting the wort as cool as you can and as fast as possible after the boil - 15 to 20 min at most. Then pitch your yeast as soon as possible. So you wait until after an hour or more before pitching the yeast? Is your stiring the wort your aeration method?
I may have to try this! That beer looks beautiful!
If my groundwater was cooler, it would be faster but since its nearly 80 this weekend, cold groundwater is hard to come by. Letting it rest an hour before transferring from pot to fermenter is what gets it so clear going into the fermenter.
As for pitching the yeast, the two batches I brewed yesterday are only now ready to have yeast added. The best I can do with 70+ degree groundwater is 76 degrees. That’s far too warm for my taste. I have had both of them in my fermentation chamber cooling down and now that all 20 gallons is at 66, I will pitch the yeast and warm them up to 68. Once a krausen has risen and the real active fermentation is slowing down, I raise it about a degree a day until it gets to 72 and finish it there.
I have a nice article on how to build a fermentation chamber in case you are interested - http://knewshound.blogspot.com/2009/01/building-beast.html
And no, I don’t worry a lot about contamination. I have excellent sanitation and have yet to have a problem.
*knocks on wood*
Cheers,
knewshound.