Is my wort chiller big enough for 10gal batches?

I'm pretty set for 10gal batches. I've got:

48qt cooler
60qt pot

So mashing and boiling isn't a problem.....my problem lies in my IC. I've got a 25' IC and I'm not sure if it's big enough to do the job. I've used the 60qt pot on a couple 5gal batches and the IC sits about halfway in the wort. I'm not sure how deep it'll be in 10gal but I imagine it'll be fully covered.

I also recirc ice water....which could help if the IC is too small.

So how should I go about it? Chill w/my 85*ground water to 100 or whatever I get to in a 10-20min then switch to ice water or should I just use ice water throughout? Ice isn't a problem....I can get 24lb for $1.25 so I'm willing to buy an ass load if need be.

I use a 50' 1/2" OD IC for 10 gallon batches and I can't imagine using anything smaller. It takes me 15 minutes to cool it down with using ice recirculation. I usually cool to 100 degrees with tap water, then ice from there on.

I think the 25' is good for 5 gal. batches, but will take a while with 10 gallon batches.

hmm thats what I was worried about

If you use the ice and spend the time to constantly stir and whirlpool during the cool you will be fine. I used a 25' 3/8" IC for all my batches until now and with my cold tap water could cool to 68 degF in 15-18 minutes. Stirring makes an amazingly large difference. Also, when you are circulating the tap water, if you spray the discharge water onto the outside of the kettle it will speed cooling.

What do you use now BK?

I always stir so thats not a problem....I think if I can use enough ice I'll be ok.

Wonder what I can fit 72lb of ice into?

if you decide to upgrade you cooling system check this. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=73315
this beauty has changed my life. now its all about RDWHAHB

I am rebuilding my brewery, and have come up with a heat exchange system I call DRICHES (Dual Recirculating Immersion Coil Heat Exchange System) that will act as both a HERMS and a new hybrid whirlpooling chiller. It is overkill, but why not?

Sweet! I think I've got it!

We've got a couple big 32gal trash cans at work that we don't use for anything.



How many pounds of ice do you think will fit in this sucker?

Jeebus. Roughly 120 lbs minimum? Just eyeballing it off the size of a 20 lb bag. Might be as much as 200 lb. Whoa man that's some hardcore cooling capacity.

Eh, 216lb would only be $11.25

Maybe I'll just go for 96lb at $5.....I'll have to borrow SWMBO's 4runner though

So you think 96lb of ice running through a 25' IC would do it for a 10gal batch??

I paid $12.00 for 3 bags of ice theother day

You should invest in one of these

http://www.icehouseamerica.com/index.asp

I'm glad someone around me did

Holy heck yes please! I just paid $4.69 for a 20# bag the other day. Using it for my submersion fermentation cooler.

Oh and salt your ice water, get those temps down even further.

Yeah, I'm kinda worried about the whole salting thing.....It would work great but I don't want to have to futz with rinsing out my IC afterwards and I don't want it to start corroding or anything

I don't use salt and only use 15 lbs of ice. In a single pass I drop the temp from 210* to 68* in 12 minutes on a 10 gallon batch. If i slow the flow to 18 min the wort temp hits 58* My ambient temp is 105* avg and tap temp is 85*. My next cooler will be a 50plate exchanger available for $149. let me know if anyone wants that link.

I do a mix of 5 and 10 gal batches and still only have a 25' immersion chiller (for now). Looking back at my last few brews a 5 gal batch it took 5 minutes to get to 140 and a 10 gal batch it took 12 minutes to get to 140. I only note the time till 140 and then I go and start doing other stuff while it keeps chilling so I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to get further. One of these days I'll get a pump for ice water to and start circulating ice water once I get below 100.

I don't really mind all the water I use. The hottest water I collect for cleaning, and once it cools down further I hook up a sprinkler and move it around the lawn. This time of year the lawn could use all the extra water it can get.

beerthirty said:

I don't use salt and only use 15 lbs of ice. In a single pass I drop the temp from 210* to 68* in 12 minutes on a 10 gallon batch. If i slow the flow to 18 min the wort temp hits 58* My ambient temp is 105* avg and tap temp is 85*. My next cooler will be a 50plate exchanger available for $149. let me know if anyone wants that link.

Click to expand...

id love to have that link.

here is the link to the 50 plate chiller. The only disadvantage that I can see is making the connection to 3/4". I have contacted them and they claim all stainless/copper construction and beer use will not void warranty. I plan on getting one when my new stand is complete. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=160252460880

Alamo_Beer said:

You should invest in one of these
http://www.icehouseamerica.com/index.asp

Click to expand...

Can I have one of those shipped out just before the next hurricane takes us out? - Pretty sweet.

I forgot the trashcan

I just did a 5 gal batch....not bc I don't think I could have done it but bc wit's are drunk kinda young and I don't think I could get through 10 gal alone....

I vow to do a 10gal batch someday.........