How to Cool Wort (w/out wort chiller)

web250 · 01-23-2008, 05:45 PM

I'm hoping to start my first batch tonight, as UPS just dropped off my new 20qt brew pot.

I'm concerned though about chilling my wort once it's done though. It'll be 2-3 gallons of wort in the 5 gallon pot. I don't want to splurge on a wort chiller yet.

What would be my best/easiest option to cool it? I was thinking maybe buy a bag of ice, and fill my sink with ice/water, and dunk the pot?

Thanks

SuperiorBrew · 01-23-2008, 05:47 PM

Do that and stir the wort and ice water every couple of minutes

c.n.budz · 01-23-2008, 05:48 PM

Do the ice bath. But you'll need more than one bag. I used to go through about 20lbs of ice to get my wort chilled to pitching temp

web250 · 01-23-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c.n.budz

Do the ice bath. But you'll need more than one bag. I used to go through about 20lbs of ice to get my wort chilled to pitching temp

Ya I think I'll run to the 7-11 down the street and buy a couple of bags, well worth it for the buck and change each.

sirsloop · 01-23-2008, 06:06 PM

I used to freeze 2L bottles... put the primary in the sink, fill with cold water, insert the bottles. It usually took 2-3 2L bottles ad one change in water to completely cool it. Expect to wait ike 30+ minutes for this to take place tho. An immersion chiller is one of the best additions you can make... next to the auto siphon that is

wilserbrewer · 01-23-2008, 06:08 PM

What i have done is use just cold tap water for the first soak of the very hot wort. Then once you have some of the heat knocked out you can proceed w/ the ice. This will use less ice.

Chad · 01-23-2008, 06:09 PM

You'll also want two or three 3/4-full 1L water bottles. You drink or pour off about 1/4 of the water to give the ice room to expand, then freeze the bottles. Sanitize the bottles in your no-rinse sanitizer just before putting your pot into the ice water bath, then gently place the frozen bottles into the worth. That'll give you a lot more cooling power.

Don't forget to sanitize a big spoon, too. You'll want to gently stir the wort to keep it moving against the cooler sides of the pot.

Chad

**BierMuncher** · 01-23-2008, 06:12 PM

If you're topping off with fresh water to get to five gallons:

Put three 1-gallon jugs of bottled water in the freezer at the beginning of your brew session.
When your boil is done, fill your sink with cold tap water.
Place the kettle in the sink and gently move both the wort and the water around.
Once the sink water warms up, replace the water. If you have a double sink, simply move the kettle from one sink to the other with fresh, cold water. If you repeat this process about 3-4 times, you'll get the wort down to 100 degrees pretty quickly.
Take one of the (now starting to freeze) jugs of water and pour it into the fermenter.
Add your wort, then top off with enough additional cold water to get to 5.25 gallons.

This should get you to 75 degrees on the money.

lembeck2001 · 01-23-2008, 06:14 PM

Yep...I'm just starting out and I put the pot in my sink with a little cold water and then I load up the sink the rest of the way with ice from the ice maker tray. I usually have enough ice already made to do the trick. It actually drops the wort to 100 degrees surprisingly fast.

sirsloop · 01-23-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad

You'll also want two or three 3/4-full 1L water bottles. You drink or pour off about 1/4 of the water to give the ice room to expand, then freeze the bottles. Sanitize the bottles in your no-rinse sanitizer just before putting your pot into the ice water bath, then gently place the frozen bottles into the worth. That'll give you a lot more cooling power.

Don't forget to sanitize a big spoon, too. You'll want to gently stir the wort to keep it moving against the cooler sides of the pot.

Chad

Damn... you put the bottles right in the wort? Class capped bottles or something?