cooling wort

ffgus · 10-24-2007, 02:14 AM

I saw a video on home brewing by Samual Adams. He (not Sam himself) spooned the hot wort into the fermenter that had two chunks of ice that were from 2 frozen gallon jugs of purified water. I have also seen in a book on placing the brew kettle in a tub of ice or cold water. Which technique is most often used when making beer with a liquid malt extract? I saw this video on the Sam Adams web site under "The Art of Home Brewing".
Signed, Just getting started...
Gus

**Yuri_Rage** · 10-24-2007, 02:26 AM

Both are valid techniques.

If you're doing a partial boil (i.e., boiling less wort than your end batch size), the boiled, then frozen water jug technique is a good way to go.

If you're boiling the entire batch of beer, an ice bath is a simple solution.

If you'd like to get a little more high-tech and skip the ice, look into a copper wort chiller (search the forum).

BNVince · 10-24-2007, 02:27 AM

Well, I'm just getting started as well (on my 4th batch). I can tell you that the first batch I did, I poured the hot wort in to 3 gallons of cold water. My whole first batch tasted like band aids. I suspect it was from whats called hot side aeration.

The last 3 batches I have cooled the wort first in an ice bath and then mixed in the other water. Haven't had the problem since.

PseudoChef · 10-24-2007, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffgus

I saw a video on home brewing by Samual Adams. He (not Sam himself)...
Gus

I hope not...he died in 1803!

ffgus · 10-24-2007, 02:31 AM

But his liver lives on and on...

**Yuri_Rage** · 10-24-2007, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BNVince

I suspect it was from whats called hot side aeration.

I'd bet a million bucks that the band-aid flavor wasn't from hot side aeration. Did you sanitize with bleach?

ffgus · 10-24-2007, 02:33 AM

What is hot side aeration?

**Yuri_Rage** · 10-24-2007, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffgus

What is hot side aeration?

Nothing to worry about, particularly with extract brews. It's a phenomenon that occurs when you aerate the wort while it's hot, typically during the mash or sparge. Some claim that it contributes to long-term stability problems. I've yet to find a homebrewer who can definitively blame HSA for a particular off flavor, and the root cause of most problems can usually be narrowed down to something more concrete.

Ridge Runner · 10-24-2007, 02:47 AM

Welcome ffgus.

I've never put frozen ice directly in the wort. Definitely sanitize everything that contacts your wort after boiling & while cooling. 1/2 cap iodophor/2.5 gals, has been a excellent sanitizer solution for every brew I've done. Ice in the sink is as good as it gets around here for now. About 80F in 20 mins. Start with cold water for 2 rounds then move to the ice. I want a chiller too

ffgus · 10-24-2007, 03:11 AM

When I watched this particular video, he was using a ladle to move the wort from the brew pot to the fermenter. It was kind of a slow spooning method.