Cooling the Wort

I don't have an immersion chiller. May get one in the next few months.

Until then...

On my first brew, I cooled the wort in the sink using ice water. Took about 45 minutes with a couple additions of ice.

My last brew, I took 3 gallons of Reverse Osmosis Drinking water and put them in the freezer. I transferred the hot wort from the kettle to my fermenter bucket in my swamp cooler. Then I took the really cold drinking water out of the freezer and added it to the wort. Checked OG and temp then topped off with cold filtered water out of the fridge. This got me down to 80 in no time.

So, my question is, which technique is better and why?

Either way will work, not sure if one is any "better" than another??? RO water is void of any minerals, so you could be lacking there???

The biggest downside to this method is that you are adding water that is not "sanitary". Not usually an issue, but a risk exists. I would suggest doing what is easier for you...sorry not really a definitive asnswer...

Wait... Ok, I've been sanitizing my equipment. I need to sanitize my water too?

Really?

So, I could boil four gallons of water and store in gallon jugs in the fridge. Skip the RO Water due to lack of minerals. Hmm, won't boiling my tap water drop minerals and chemicals out?

If I perceive that I make awesome beer in GA using tap water, then move to TX and make beer with that tap water, I could have a totally different beer taste?

To get the "best" cooling, why not cool the wort in the water bath to 80 degrees, and THEN add the cold water? That way you'd get to a nice pitching temp (low 60s) even faster!

You don't have to boil RO water if it's fresh from the jug/bottle (and I never boiled my tap water). And RO water is actually perfect for brewing, since the extract already has all the minerals you need.

Since beer is made up mostly of water, good tasting water does make a huge impact on the final flavor of beer.

If you have a creek handy you can cool it in a corny keg... I did this today and it dropped the temps quick!!

My last batch I cooled overnight outside before pitching. Things turned out fine!

ryclo said:

If you have a creek handy you can cool it in a corny keg... I did this today and it dropped the temps quick!!

My last batch I cooled overnight outside before pitching. Things turned out fine!

Click to expand...

LOL. Looks like it was a hell of a climb with a full corny keg.

Well, I do have a wort chiller and after today I'll be using it while my pot of wort sits in ice water.

My first use of it was with cold ass well water. After that, it was winter. Today it was 80s out and our tap water tends to warm with the air temps. It took longer to cool than I'd like.

I used to freeze spring water in sanitized plastic containers and plop it into the hot wort. If you top off with 3 gal, then freeze 2 gallons and keep one gallon at room temp. I used to get down to 70ish in 15 minutes this way..

ryclo said:

If you have a creek handy you can cool it in a corny keg... I did this today and it dropped the temps quick!!

My last batch I cooled overnight outside before pitching. Things turned out fine!

Click to expand...

Lol I posted a thread about doing this about a month ago..... it lint work so well for me since I couldn't get it in more then a foot deep.
I made a chiller last night cost me 70$ and cooled 5gl in 15mins its way worth the investment. I went too long w/o it

Stauffbier said:

I used to freeze spring water in sanitized plastic containers and plop it into the hot wort. If you top off with 3 gal, then freeze 2 gallons and keep one gallon at room temp. I used to get down to 70ish in 15 minutes this way..

Click to expand...

+1. Once you get down near 80, sanitize a large ziplock bag and fill it with ice or freeze a couple of 1/2 gallon plastic bottles filled with water, sanitize and drop them in. In 10-15 min you'll be down to 60F guaranteed.

Zuljin said:

Well, I do have a wort chiller and after today I'll be using it while my pot of wort sits in ice water.

My first use of it was with cold ass well water. After that, it was winter. Today it was 80s out and our tap water tends to warm with the air temps. It took longer to cool than I'd like.

Click to expand...

I have a cheap a$$ 1/4" 20' ic; it worked good with 3.5 gal batches, but 5 gal not so well. I use the ic to get to 90°, then rack to my Better Bottle, put the air-lock on, then wait until the next morning to pitch. That reminds me; I have to go pitch some yeast.