Wort Chiller question

I am trying to decide if I should get a wort chiller. The last two times I have brewed I have been able to get 2.5 gal of wort to 70 degrees within 25-30 minutes with an ice bath and using 4 bags of ice. How long does a typical wort chiller take to have the wort reach 70 degrees? If 25-30 minutes is an acceptable amount of time why spend the money?

The faster you cool your beer, the better your results will be with the final product.

I have a 50' immersion chiller that takes about 10-15 minutes to cool a 5 gallon batch to 65F.

I can get 11 gallons of wort down to 70* in about 15 minutes with my chiller setup. How much money are you spending on those 4 bags of ice with every brew?

I just did a batch today and timed my cooling time. I cooled 6.5 gallons down to 70* in 9 mins using my immersion chiller. I have about 25' of 3/8" OD copper.

If you're doing partial boils and are able to get the temp down to 70 in 25-30 minutes, then you're fine. Assuming you don't mind paying for ice, there's no reason for you to buy a chiller.

When you start doing larger boils, you'll find that the sink-full-o'-ice method doesn't work as well anymore. At that point, you'll most likely want to make the investment in some copper tubing.

Ok, I'm getting my full boil (5.5-6gal) from boil to pitching temp (72º) in 45 minutes. 25' (I think) copper immersion chiller.

How are you guys doing that so quickly? I'm moving the chiller in the wort so as to circulate water around it. The water is moving moderately quickly through the chiller. Should I be moving it faster? Just not sure how to speed up the process to get to pitching temp sooner.

pcollins said:

Ok, I'm getting my full boil (5.5-6gal) from boil to pitching temp (72º) in 45 minutes. 25' (I think) copper immersion chiller.

How are you guys doing that so quickly? I'm moving the chiller in the wort so as to circulate water around it. The water is moving moderately quickly through the chiller. Should I be moving it faster? Just not sure how to speed up the process to get to pitching temp sooner.

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PM sent so the thread doesn't get too far off track.

45 mins for an IC does seem pretty long. I've got a smaller IC too: takes about 15 minutes for me to get down to 80 degrees. What kind of boil kettle do you have? My kettle is kind of short and wide....I find moving the IC around will drop the temperature down quicker. Since it's approaching summer, here, though....the water temperature is not going below 80. Oh, and my water source is a bathroom faucet....perhaps your water source is slower. Just some random thoughts....

Build your own. I just built one for less than $25. Took all of 5 mins to make. Go to Lowe's. I found 20' of 3/8" OD copper coil for $20. This should be enough for a partial boil. Then all you have to buy is some tubing and connectors. Use the search to search for "rib-cage chiller" on this site and have at it. Just find something to wrap the coil around (I used a coffee can), and don't bend the tube and too sharp of an angle or it will kink.

I find it hard to believe that people are cooling their wort as fast as they're posting. I suppose the type of kettle and method of chilling could have an effect, but if I'm not getting any quicker than 15 minutes with a 50' chiller, it's just unbelievable how fast others are chilling.

I start an ice bath 15 minutes before my boil is done. I then pump water from the ice bath, through the IC, and back into the ice water. I use a 10lb bag of ice, but I don't mind since it cools is so well. I can't see myself hitting better than 15 minutes with a smaller chiller though.

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

I find it hard to believe that people are cooling their wort as fast as they're posting. I suppose the type of kettle and method of chilling could have an effect, but if I'm not getting any quicker than 15 minutes with a 50' chiller, it's just unbelievable how fast others are chilling.

I start an ice bath 15 minutes before my boil is done. I then pump water from the ice bath, through the IC, and back into the ice water. I use a 10lb bag of ice, but I don't mind since it cools is so well. I can't see myself hitting better than 15 minutes with a smaller chiller though.

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Are you stirring the wort or just letting it sit static?

IMHO, I think people make their chillers too big. If you aren't pumping a BIG TIME amount of water through the chiller, then your going to reach an equilibrium in the temps and just be push water through more tubing then necessary. The idea is to grab the heat and get out.

I am just using cold water from the hose when I chill. My ground water is about 50-55*.

I believe it was CodeRage who discovered that his new SMALLER CFC works far better then his last one.

I think part of the time differences in chilling times are

a) Gravity
b) Temp of water coming in to their house.

Wort Chiller has been my best beer brewing investment. I have very cool ground water, and with actively working the 50' copper coil, I take 5.25 gallons of boiling wort down to 65 degrees inside of 5 minutes. It's pretty slick. I'm generally pitching yeast within 15 minutes of the end of boil.

So, what is the average size tube you are all using? 1/2 in OD? 3/8 in OD? I was thinking about building mine this week, but wasn't sure what size tube I should use. I have contemplated doing a 20 ft coil of 1/2 in, but wasn't sure if a 50 ft coil of 3/8 was better.

I would think 50' of 3/8 would be better. I did 20' of 3/8 b/c of money constraints. Mine works great for partial boil.

I have 20' of 3/8" tubing and bounce it around. My well water is a nice chilly 50° so it works great. I am down to pitching temps in a little under 15 minutes.. Cost me all of $25 or so with the garden hose fittings.

Well, I have a homebuilt chiller, and I'm seeing cooling times in the 15-20 min range like others are reporting.

Insofar as the original part of this thread- At $2 a bag, 4 bags a boil, a homemade IC will be paid for in just a few boils. IC's are the way to go if you're brewing a batch regularly (and assuming the water supply isn't a problem).

If you brew only occasionally, might not be worth the cost over the long haul and if ice bath is working, why fix what isn't broke?

As for long cooling times; if there's a problem I'd make sure there are no restrictions (debris, kinks, etc) to affect flow rate through the cooler. Outside of that, I'd be interested in tubing size (3/8?), length in contact with wort (19' or so?) and water flow rate/temp are about the only variables that could be limiting its effectiveness.

I remember the first 5 gallon boil I did was in Feburary Michigan winter. We had a foot of snow on the ground, so I stuck it in one of my three foot snow banks where I threw the stuff I snow blowed off my driveway. The outside temp was like 2° and it still took six hours to cool to 85°f Suprised I didn't get an infection.. So glad I built my little chiller.

I'd like to put something like this together, but I am literally right next to the town water tank, on a hill, and with the temps in the 100's my cold tap water is 80 - 85 degrees. I think I could rig a dual-coil setup where the tap water runs thru an icebath in the sink, then into the wort. I am sure this has been done before; if someone can point me to a thread.. Questions:

1. Sanitization (sp) of the coil?

2. Is there a risk of the copper imparting off-flavors?

Thanks!

SpaceportBP said:

I'd like to put something like this together, but I am literally right next to the town water tank, on a hill, and with the temps in the 100's my cold tap water is 80 - 85 degrees. I think I could rig a dual-coil setup where the tap water runs thru an icebath in the sink, then into the wort. I am sure this has been done before; if someone can point me to a thread.. Questions:

1. Sanitization (sp) of the coil?

2. Is there a risk of the copper imparting off-flavors?

Thanks!

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Just put the IC in 15 mins before flame out
No.

I also sanitize mine just to be sure of any contamination. I am just really anal about sanitizing everything.

I'm thinking about making mine about 35 feet long, and using the last 15 feet as a prechiller. My water is 72, so my other thought was to start brewing way early before the waterlines have a chance to heat up as much.

Yeah, I live in MS and have the same problem. 80* water. If you can afford to do a pre chiller, that would prob be best. What I've been doing since I do partial boils for now is I put 3 gal of water in a fridge. This drops them to ~40*. I drop my chiller in my wort to sanitize 10 min before end of boil. Then use my chiller to get the water down to about 100*. Then when I mix the 40* water with the 100* wort, I end up right about where I need to be.

I don't have a chiller yet; on the list to build. . . . the last batch, which was only my 3rd brew, I put ice directly into the wort. This was ice I made myself from sanitizing the cube trays, filling them with distilled water, covering, and freezing. It was only partially effective. Today, on batch #4, I have a one gallon of distilled in a sanitized jug in the freezer that I am going to cut open and drop in the middle of the pot; plus two more gallons in the refrigerator. Is my risk pretty low in doing this?

As long as everything is sanitized, I don't see any problems. I'm fairly new to brewing too though. I thought most said not to use DI water though? I buy spring water from wal-mart/kroger to use. No sanitizing required, plus it's not very expensive. The thing I do with the water in the fridge is a pretty simple concept. If you are adding equal parts of wort, and chilled water the final temp is going to fall halfway b/w the two temps. That's why earlier I mentioned chilling to 100* then adding 40* water this get's me below 70* since I'm adding a little more water than wort. If it looks like it's going to get lower than I want it, I have another jug of room temp water I use to top off.
The chiller is extremely simple to build, if you go slow and wrap it around something to keep from kinking it. Just no sudden angles and you should be fine. Took me less than 15 mins to make mine. If I can do it anyone can.

I can add a pic of my chiller if anyone wants to see, but it's pretty much the same as all the other rib-cage chillers on this site.

I bought a stainless steel IC from Midway that was just over $50.00delivered.

It is far and away the BEST purchase I have made to improve the quality of my beer. Chill haze is now a thing of the past for me. (I also use wirlfloc tabs). My beers now look like they have been filtered.

I went from an ice bath and over an hour to cool my wort to about 20 minutes to cool the wort. The money previously spent on ice has paid for the chiller already.

In my opinion, an Immersion Chiller is THE best thing a new brewer can buy (after their basic equipment purchase) to improve the quality of the beer.

Pez.

Pezman1 said:

I bought a stainless steel IC from Midway that was just over $50.00delivered.

It is far and away the BEST purchase I have made to improve the quality of my beer. Chill haze is now a thing of the past for me. (I also use wirlfloc tabs). My beers now look like they have been filtered.

I went from an ice bath and over an hour to cool my wort to about 20 minutes to cool the wort. The money previously spent on ice has paid for the chiller already.

In my opinion, an Immersion Chiller is THE best thing a new brewer can buy (after their basic equipment purchase) to improve the quality of the beer.

Pez.

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+1 a temp control for a fridge is a pretty close second.

I got the temp controller as a good deal from a buddy of mine. Now I need a house so I have space for the fridge. I think the order of importance should go like this: big house with a big garage, immersion chiller, and then temp controlled fridge.