I have a problem - cooling wort

I have an electric stove that i use for boiling my wort. Because I have trouble maintaining a rolling boil I had to insulate my boiling pot.

Somthing similiar to https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/improved-boiling-stovetop-53683/ , but I used automotive firewall material which works awesome.

Now, my problem is something I just learned last night from John Palmer's "How to Brew". He says you should not aerate your wort until after is has cooled down to 80 degree or less. If you do not wait the oxygen binds somehow and is not released for a long time and causes oxidation.

I cannot submerge my pot in ice because removing the insulation would be very time consuming and cost me alot of money in aluminum tape to keep taking it off and on. I have not bought a wort chiller because my kitchen facet is a Moen pull out type (sprayer and facet in one) and does not have a standard screw on to attach a adapter for a wort chiller.

So I have been dumping my boiling hot wort through a strainer and into my ale pale and then cooling that in a ice bath with ice inside the bucket as well for top off water. This is probably aerating my hot wort alot and I really need to find a new way to cool.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Can I find a adapter for my facet? SHould I buy a propane stove and brew outside? (winter is coming here in minnesota) ANy other ideas?

Well, I wouldn't argue with Palmer, but........I really think HSA (hot side aeration) is not that big of a deal. I often splash hot wort- not because I want to, but because I am just physically unable to lift 6.5 gallons of hot wort onto my stove top. So, I put the first runnings in the brewpot, and then pour the sparge runnings into the brewpot ontop of the stove. It's not ideal, but it works for me.

I think many homebrewers think of HSA as a myth- or as the homebrewer's bogeyman. It's probably quite possible, but I have never had homebrewer say, "oh, HSA happened to me".

You mentioined top-off water so I assume you are not doing a full boil. I have had pretty good success boiling my top-off water beforehand and then freezing in sanatized tupperware containers. Drop them into the hot wort and it cools VERY quickly. I did a gallon the first time and it wasn't enough alone to get down to pitching temp. 2 Gallons was overkill. Next time I plan on 1.5 gallons of ice as top-off water.

EDIT: Sorry, re-read your post and it appears you were already doing this.

fill de-labeled water bottles about 3/4 full with water and freeze them. if you toss them in right away after boil then there's no need to sanitize them. make sure they're clean of all the glue from the labels. stir until your wort is cool. 5-6 should be enough to get 5ish gallons cooled fast enough.

SenorWanderer said:

fill de-labeled water bottles about 3/4 full with water and freeze them.

Click to expand...

This is what I was going to suggest! Worked great for me for years...and I even used it for 3 or 4 AG batchs and full boil before I got my chiller.

From what I've heard, HSA is only a real problem with light lagers. I pour my hot wort into my ale pale before I use my immersion chiller. I use the washtub in my laundry room to run water through my chiller, because it already has a threaded faucet. Some people use fish tank pumps and ice water to run water through theirs.

Another option which I use is a wort immersion chiller, with a pond pump dunked in ice water. Copper is a little pricey but if your doing a full boil some type of chiller is needed to bring the wort temp down quickly.

I use 4 - 1 gal jugs of PUR filtered tap water that's been placed in a freezer for 4-5 hours to top off with...