How vital is a wort cooler?

How vital is a wort cooler?

For small, partial boil batches (where you are only boiling a 2-3 gallons and adding additional water), you can do without one. For small batches, an ice bath in the sink works fairly quick. If you start doing full 5-gallon batches, it's a quick way to cool down your wort to yeast pitching temperature and although there are some alternate methods for cooling I'd say for full boils a wort chiller is basically a necessity.

Helps ALOT! What size batch are you doing? Extract or AG? Full boil or partial?

I can cool 5 gallons in an ice-bath in the sink in like 25-30 minutes, but that takes six bucks worth of ice and a trip to the store. You can make a immersion chiller for thirty bucks and change in less than an hour, and cool the wort in 10-15 minutes and save $6 and a trip to the store on every batch. Not to mention that your wort gets cool faster so there is less opportunity for oxidation damage or infection. Plus lets face it, if it chills faster you're done faster and since brewing takes a long time anyway, by the time you get to the cool the wort phase you're ready to get it over with and finished.

Mutilated1 said:

I can cool 5 gallons in an ice-bath in the sink in like 25-30 minutes, but that takes six bucks worth of ice and a trip to the store. You can make a immersion chiller for thirty bucks and change in less than an hour, and cool the wort in 10-15 minutes and save $6 and a trip to the store on every batch. Not to mention that your wort gets cool faster so there is less opportunity for oxidation damage or infection. Plus lets face it, if it chills faster you're done faster and since brewing takes a long time anyway, by the time you get to the cool the wort phase you're ready to get it over with and finished.

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You're saying the water you run from the faucet for 20-30 minutes is cheaper than the ice bath?

I'm actually wondering.. I saw the recirculating ice water setup for a chiller.. Where you have a tub full of water/ice and a pond pump.. and the wort chiller is fed ice water, and it returns to the same tub..

I was thinking of doing the same thing, but only a couple of bags of ice, and a lot of frozen water jugs..

I saw 25' coils of 1/2" copper for 25-30 bucks at homedepot. I assume I would have to stretch it out some.. but should be good enough..? So thats like a 40 dollar investment since a small pump is about 15-20 bucks (harbor freight, homedepot, walmart)..plus fittings..

If you're doing full boils of a 5 gallon batch or more, it's almost needed. It took me 5 batches before I went on a "whim" and bought one (Even buying it I was convinced I didn't need one).

If you're doing partial-boil extract batches, you can use really cold top-off water to chill fairly rapidly but honestly, it's not as much fun. :rockin:

I don't know how "vital" it ever is. However, when I prioritize equipment, I recommend getting a wort chiller before getting temperature control or kegging equipment.

My beer got better when I got temperature control, and my life got better when I got kegging equipment. However, my beer, my life, and my brew day got A LOT better when I got a wort chiller, and I hadn't even gone to full wort boils.


TL

For full boils, I'd say it's a necessary piece of equipment.

I've only done 2 5 gallon batches so far and cooling the wort down is a pain and you run a risk of infecting your batch while doing it if you splash water or ice in it. I haven't yet, but I definitely plan on making one. I can make one for $30 with parts from Home Depot. Next batch I will be using the chiller.

Essential! Well, not essential, but you'll swear it is once you have one. It's just so much easier. And more fun.

If you have not other means (ice bath...etc) of getting your wort below 140 degrees within 15-20 minutes, a wort chiller is essential.

DMS will play havoc with your aroma and flavor if the beer is allowed to sit over 140 degrees for an extended period of time.

That's one argument for immersion chillers VS counterflows.

El_Borracho said:

You're saying the water you run from the faucet for 20-30 minutes is cheaper than the ice bath?

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Well actually maybe only 15 minutes, but yeah. Ice cost $1.79 for 10 # bag, and I need 4 maybe 5 to do the same cooling job in 1/2 hour.

Theres no way running a faucet for 15-20 minutes costs $6

Could you do a 2.5 gallon boil, and then drop in 2.5 gallons of ice that was pre-boiled?

That seems like the easiest and cheapest route.

NitrouStang96 said:

Could you do a 2.5 gallon boil, and then drop in 2.5 gallons of ice that was pre-boiled?

That seems like the easiest and cheapest route.

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Yes you could conceivably do that, you can use spring water without pre-boiling. Try some experimenting to see how much ice is needed.

NitrouStang96 said:

Could you do a 2.5 gallon boil, and then drop in 2.5 gallons of ice that was pre-boiled?

That seems like the easiest and cheapest route.

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A couple of times I've done 2.5 gallon boil and 2.5 gallons of refrigerated bottled water, that cooled pretty good. But I think my beers taste better since I've started doing full 5 gallon boils.