Changes

A [[Coolship]] is an open vessel used to cool wort by exposure to ambient air which traditional spontaneous fermentation brewers use to both cool their wort and to inoculate the wort with ambient microbes during the open overnight cooling. Traditionally, a coolship is a broad, open-top, flat vessel in which wort cools overnight. The high surface to volume ratio allows for more efficient cooling, which is important at commercial production scales. Traditional producers only carry out spontaneous fermentation between fall and spring when nighttime temperatures are sufficiently low (---add cutoff temp--) to sufficiently cool the wort overnight. The ambient microbial balance may also be more favorable during this time of year (--some sources say more bacteria in summer--), but inadequate cooling could result in similar results of enhanced acid production (similar to the effect of warm incubation in [[Sour Worting|sour worting]]). In addition this broad, shallow design maximizes the area of wort available for inoculation with ambient microbes. On a homebrew scale, where typical batch sizes cool more quickly, a wide shallow pan is not necessary to achieve appropriate cooling overnight given appropriate nighttime outdoor temperatures. Boil kettles and similarly shaped vessels are sufficient for overnight cooling and may provide a rate of cooling more similar to that provided by coolships in commercial production sized batches <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1068826853145528/ Facebook thread by James Howat] </ref>. However the aspect ratio of vessels of this size limit the inoculation of the wort by ambient microbes due to the lower surface area for a given volume compared to traditional coolships.