lmacmil
Well-Known Member
I recently got a wort chiller and will be using it for the first time this week. Does it need to be sanitized or is putting it in the boiling wort going to take care of any bacteria that might be on it?
Do I have to sanitize my wort chiller?
- Thread starter lmacmil
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BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
IT needs to be sanitized but boiling it for 5 - 15 minutes does that for you. I would always just toss it in my Sani bucket for that amount of time though. Either way.
I am presuming this is an immersion chiller?
Most folks place in the BK for the last 15 min of the boil.
Most folks place in the BK for the last 15 min of the boil.
lmacmil
Well-Known Member
Yes it is. That sounds like the thing to do. Thanks.
I just put my immersion chiller in my bucket full of StarSan water for 5-10 minutes before the end of the boil. I like it to be cold when I put it in my boil kettle...rather than putting it in while boiling.
bernerbrau
Well-Known Member
I'm always afraid of the tarnish coming off in the wort, so I give it a starsan soak to get it bright and shiny before putting it in the BK for the last 15 minutes.
Make sure that the hose connections are made BEFORE you put the chiller in the boiling wort. Any water in the IC from a previous brew gets hot fast and "spits" out. (Not that I've ever had it happen to me...more than twice...) 
bernerbrau
Well-Known Member
Make sure that the hose connections are made BEFORE you put the chiller in the boiling wort. Any water in the IC from a previous brew gets hot fast and "spits" out. (Not that I've ever had it happen to me...more than twice...)
Yeah, that was a fun brew day. And a messy kitchen.
Which ever way you do it, just make sure you clean it first to get all the gunk off it before trying to sanitize using the method of your choice. Any green gunky corrosion can be poisionous. The dark copper oxide is OK in the wort. A little copper is good for yeast growth. I always just make sure I clean it really well before all gunk dries when I pull it out of a brew and store it hung upside down so the water can easily drain out. Then brewday setup is usually just a quick rinse, or at worst a light scrub and rinse. Then into the brewpot at 15 min. it goes usually along with the irish moss and hop addtition as a ritual so I don't forget any of them.
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