Chilling the Wort rapidly

Most if the things I've read about how to chill the wort says to put it in the sink and pack ice around it. Well, I did this and it seemed to take a long while to cool down (although, i didn't have much ice to begin with). So i began looking on the web for a faster way to do it and I found the Copper Coil method, where you freeze water inside a coiled copper tube, then submerge it int he wort to cool it. Although, from what I read, it still takes about 45 mins to cool down. So here's my idea. Seeing as the less liquid there is, the less time it takes to cool, what about making a sort of siphoning system, where you siphon the wort, thru a chilled tube, into another bucket (kind of like how you get it into the fermenter, but this would be before that.) If you take it a little at a time, you should be able to cool the wort down in 10-15 mins (theoretically). Has anyone tried this? I'd like to get some feedback about the idea before I spend the money to try and do it.

Freezing water inside a copper coil will likely never work. However, running cold water through a copper coil immersed in your beer will chill it inside of 20 minutes. Try an HBT search and/or Google search for "wort chiller."

Your idea approximates a counterflow chiller. Try searching for that as well.

ya, I did a search for wort chiller and that's where I found the coil idea... Some of them did mention freezing the coil, but thanks for the info, I'll look into the Counterflow Chiller.

I never heard of anyone freezing the coil, it would that and be the same temp as the wort in less than a minute.

It sounds more like you read into wrong. Freezing the coil would be highly inneffective. Maybe you read about pumping icewater thought it.

In any case, the icewater bath suggestion would work fine if you're only boiling 2-3 gallons. You just have to remember to stir the wort in the pot with a sanitized spoon. It should only take about 20 minutes. Next best thing is a copper coil that you'd run tap water through.

The key to a quick cool down (sink or copper coil) is water movement. I use the kitchen sink method (without ice...my well water is about 45F). I can cool down a 4 gal boil in about 20 min with no ice and no wort cooler. It helps that my kettle fits in the sink. I plug the drain, start filling with cold water (I have the faucet positioned so that the water falls against the edge of the sink...this creates a whirlpool motion in the sink). As the sink fills, I am constantly stirring the wort to help it cool quicker and for aeration. When the sink is full and the water has warmed, I drain and refill. it usually takes about 5 sink fillings to cool the wort to 75F. I have also experimented with chilling my top-off water; then I don't have to cool the wort as much before I transfer it to the fermenter.

I got one of those double coil chillers from Leeners and it took 35 min. to cool 6 gal to 83 f. Should the flow rate be high ( on Hose)?

it needs to be 'high enough' that the water exiting an immersion chiller is cool to the touch. can't speak for counter flow chillers.

also with water/ice baths or immersion chillers, stirring the wort every couple minutes is needed to rapidly chill. otherwise you get cool and warm pockets in the wort. I can get 6gal down to 75F in under 30 mins with a 25' copper chiller and gentle stirring.

Here's a link to the page in the Home Brew Wiki that talks about different wort chillers.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Immersion_Chiller#Immersion_chillers

You can go to the HBW any time by clicking the link at the top of the main page. There's a lot of great info there.

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Gnome said:

I got one of those double coil chillers from Leeners and it took 35 min. to cool 6 gal to 83 f. Should the flow rate be high ( on Hose)?

Click to expand...

Hey Gnome,

I just got one of those chillers from Leeners as well. I live 10 minutes away from the store. The sheet it comes with says the water exiting should be warm. I havent used mine yet though. How do you like it? ALso, do you straighten the copper at the top where the hoses are so it exits the pot?

Sorry i just realized that i may be stealing the thread. I appologize to all!

I didn't get the book on thread etiquette. Works alright I guess, got a Keggle for Christmas so I need to upgrade to CF or 50'. The auto parts store sells a tube bender for $7 so I ran it up and hooked the rim so not a chance of dripage in the pot