Wort Cooldown with ice?

I did my first brew last week and followed the instructions to do a 3 gallon boil (my pot is only 5 gallon). The day before I froze 2 gallons of water to make big blocks of ice and put a pitcher of water in the fridge for any top up needed beyond the ice(so the chlorine could come out).

Now here is my question. After pouring the wort in my primary it cooled down immediately. After stirring the temp was dropping below 70 degrees and there was still a bunch of big ice chunks floating in it. I read you want to cool your wort down asap, but I read wort chillers can take 15-30 minutes. Why use a wort chiller when ice takes it almost instantly down, especially when you are going to have to add water (due to a smaller pot).

I watched the Sam Adam's Video and he ladeled his wort one scoup at a time over ice...wouldn't he end up with 40-50 degree wort?

wouldn't he end up with 40-50 degree wort?

Click to expand...

Possibly he would, but there's nothing really wrong with that. Cooler is better sometimes.

I do 1.5 - 2 gal boils.

I place 4 1 gal jugs in the freezer for 4-5 hours prior to brewing. Some of the water may cystalize, but I just use it to top off to 5.5 gals.

Temps drop to the 60's most of the time.

Pouring hot wort over the ice a spoonful at a time is not a good practice IMO. He should pour it all in at the same time.

I have 3 bottles (2 litre coke bottles) of water in the fridge, I just plop them right in the boil pot and gently stir for about 10 minutes to cool to about 78F.

NOTE**
DO NOT switch bottles mid cool. The HOT wort will sanitize the bottles, but once you've cooled, it's pretty hard to sanitize a bottle.

I was under the impression that adding ice directly to the wort can produce a "wet cardboard" off flavor. I've tasted this in one of my brother's brews. He has since stopped adding ice directly into the wort and now uses an ice bath in his sink.

i used to do 3 gallon boils. to chill, i froze a one gallon UNOPENED bottle of drinking water the night before brewday. During the end of the boil, take the now frozen bottle of water out of the freezer and hack all the plastic of so you have a chunk of frozen STERILE ice. pop that in the fermenter along with one gallon cool tap water and strain your hot wort directly over the ice and water. (assuming you're using a plastic bucket, this would be very difficult to do with a 6.5gal carboy)