Wort chiller care

So I used my wort chiller for the first time today. Never will I ever brew another beer without one. 4 gallons went from 212 to <100 in ~15 minutes. Absolutely incredible. (I built a pre-chiller that sits in an ice bath, so that helped with our warm winter tap water in southern california).

I actually inherited the wort chiller from my uncle, who had not brewed since the 90s. I did two separate vinegar/water bathes to remove as much oxidation as possible, but it didn't get it all.. It was noticably cleaner after it came out of the cooled wort.

My two questions are, DID I RUIN MY BEER?!? Just kidding, but seriously what kind of flavors can I be looking at from the oxidation that came off of the chiller? Other question is, what is the best way to care for your wort chiller? I rinsed it immediately afterwards, and now it's sitting (open air) in my dry 65-70 degree garage.

If you are not using one of these, I HIGHLY recommend it.

1) probably none that you can detect, and 2), I dry it and store it on a shelf. A quick star san soak, maybe 15-20 minutes before I use it, and it's shiny like a new penny.

I just spray it off after each use. Have never cleaned it other than that.

I just rinse mine with hot water and hang it up in my garage until next time. Place straight in the kettle the next time without any additional cleaning.

I stopped brewing for 7 years. When I started again, I just rinsed the dust off the cooler and placed in the boiling wort. No problems.

Yeah a starsan bath every once in a while does wonders.

I spray it off when I'm done and check to make sure I blasted off all of the hop chunks and then throw it back on the shelf. It sits there until the next batch. Then it goes in at the 15 minute mark on the next brew day.

Stick it in star san for a few minutes if you want it to look nice and shiny.

TheBeerist, I put the chiller in the boiling wort about 20 minutes before I hit the kill switch. After I'm done, I use a scrub brush to get any particles (kling-ons) off before they get dried on after use. I dry it, then put it in a kitchen garbage bag (clean) until my next use. I'm thinking of making a pre-chiller (?) a cooler full of ice water that circulates through the immersion chiller and back to the cooler. My tap water is about 65 degrees now, but I feel like I'm wasting too much water. Water that eventually, could be put to a better use - making more beer.

I built a counter flow chiller. is there any advantage to a counter flow verse emertion?

autoferret said:

I built a counter flow chiller. is there any advantage to a counter flow verse emertion?

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A counterflow, or plate chiller, can cool to 60-70 degrees basically instantly, you need to have a brewpot with a spigot and then you just drain through the chiller while water runs though it on the opposite side and it goes from boiling to cool once it comes out of the chiller. It is also quite amazing to watch.

Is there a downside to just putting the chiller in at the beginning of the boil?


<----I too got a chiller from the SWMBO for Christmas...and a corona mill. Good job SWMBO!!!

I don't think there'd be a downside, with the possible exception of not being able to stir as easily...

Drop it in the wort about 15 min. from the end, then hose off any stuck on hops, etc...Put it on the shelf until the next boil. If I have any early down time, I'll wipe it down with a sponge pad and some star san.

I quickly purchased a chiller after my second batch that I ever made....no more ice baths and waiting...waiting...waiting....When I am sanitizing everything else, I usually just give it a dunk in the star san mix in the bucket and set aside until the boil....I put mine into the boil with 15-20 minutes left and then just rinse off with the hose. Hang it up. Repeat next brew day.