I've been using my immersion chiller with the lid completely off and now realize it's probably not the best idea. Do you guys usually just cut a hole or notch in your boil kettle lid for the input/outputs? Any tips or is it just that simple? Thanks in advance!
Chilling With Lid On
- Thread starter Craig311
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
wendelgee2
Well-Known Member
I usually skip the lid altogether and cover the pot loosely with sanitized aluminum foil. Foil is easier to mold around the chiller than the lid is. And that way the heat can get out, but the bad bugs have a hard time falling in. Just one way to do it...
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
My kettle lid came with the notch already cut. Just make sure the lid is sanitized because the condensation will drip back into the wort.
remilard
Well-Known Member
I like foil too. A lot of people use a notched lid though and something like works well and you can still use a small piece of foil to cover up the space exposed by the notch if you want to be super careful.
Other less common options would include hard piping the chiller in your kettle and of course a different kind of chiller that doesn't go in the kettle.
Other less common options would include hard piping the chiller in your kettle and of course a different kind of chiller that doesn't go in the kettle.
ultraplop
Well-Known Member
I cut a notch in my lid just for the wort chiller. Whats nice is that once the wort gets towards the cool end, I will grab the end of the chiller and hold the top of the pot and rock the chiller back and forth inside to help stir the wort around so that it cools off faster. That way I don't have to take the lid off to stir.
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
Another thing I just thought of: I periodically lift the lid and use the IC to 'stir' and get a little whirlpool going for faster chilling. I doubt foil would be that much, if any, more difficult to do that with but I've not used foil. Maybe a foil user could say.
EDIT: didn't see ultraplop's post until after I posted. I type sloooooooow.
EDIT: didn't see ultraplop's post until after I posted. I type sloooooooow.
tkone
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 153
- Reaction score
- 0
i have never covered while chilling and the only infection i've had is from dropping a dirty dish towel into the beer as i was bottling. figured the booze would kill anything in it, but nope. entire batch was horrible.
but yeah, 20 some odd batches with never a covered chill.
then again i'm doing it inside and nothing is flying around my kitchen. i guess if you were outside maybe?
but yeah, 20 some odd batches with never a covered chill.
then again i'm doing it inside and nothing is flying around my kitchen. i guess if you were outside maybe?
ShortSnoutBrewing
Kwanesum Chinook Illahee
Like tkone...I've never covered the kettle while chilling. Never saw a reason to, never had an issue.
I've never covered, either. I guess I've been using an IC around 14 years or so, 10 of those outside, and I've had one infected batch during that time.
I'd be more concerned about DMS than infection, and I'm not all that concerned about DMS at that point.
TL
I'd be more concerned about DMS than infection, and I'm not all that concerned about DMS at that point.
TL
Buford
Well-Known Member
I don't bother covering, and you really shouldn't at least until the wort is below 140 degrees. DMS stops being produced below that temp, and any condensation that drips back in while it's still being made will get that DMS right back into the beer.
Similar threads
