Looking for an effective chill technique

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Judochop

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I’m brewing all-grain and try to have 6 gallons post-boil. (Actually, I’m ending up with around 5 gallons, which means I’m boiling off something in the vicinity of 2 gallons per hour! Is that even possible!?!?)

So, I’m using an immersion chiller, and it’s fine until about 85 degrees, but then slows to a crawl. I want to improve my speed to ~70. I don’t think I’ll be going counterflow for the gadgetry involved, but am considering adding an ice bath to the process. Obviously that will help, but I’m wondering just how much.

Is anybody else using the same method (immersion + ice bath) with good results?

Another thought that crossed my mind was running my tap water into a copper chiller in an ice bath ON THE WAY to my main immersion chiller, with the intention of hitting my wort with the coldest water possible. I still have my old stovetop immersion chiller and 5-gallon pot that could serve just that purpose, but I wonder if that’s not at all worth even a modest effort and the price of more ice. Anybody heard of such a thing?
 
The best improvement that I made to my immersion chiller was a $25 submersible pond pump.

Get yourself a Rubbermaid storage bin, fill with tap water and ice. Use your immersion chiller as usual from the hose to get it down to around 100, then switch to the pump, recirculating the icy water through the chiller. You'll get down to the 60s in less than 5 minutes.
 
Sweet and cheap! Why don't you use the pump right from the start? (Kettle sits in ice water bin while iced water runs through the coils and back into the bin.)

I suppose you'd need to keep feeing the bin ice. Is that why you don't?
 
Soon the search function will be your new best friend.... Here is a large thread covering the topic:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/recirculating-ice-water-chiller-38235/

If you have a question, there is a good chance it has been discussed. Use the search function for a couple minutes, read some threads, and if you still have questions post away!

Also, spend a few minutes going through the sticky's. They are very helpful!
 
Why don't you use the pump right from the start?

That would be counterproductive. My tap water has no problem taking the temps down from just boiling to 100, but that water exiting the chiller during the first couple minutes is 170 degrees +. If you immerse the kettle, you're doing the same thing if you were just returning that hot output water- raising the temp of the recirculation water and making it less efficient.
 
So, I’m using an immersion chiller, and it’s fine until about 85 degrees, but then slows to a crawl. I want to improve my speed to ~70. I don’t think I’ll be going counterflow for the gadgetry involved, but am considering adding an ice bath to the process. Obviously that will help, but I’m wondering just how much.

Along the same line of thought...I use my immersion chiller and a hose to get the wort down to about 85 degrees, then put the kettle on top of my freezer and siphon the wort through a 10' copper coil immersed in an ice bath (on a chair) and straight into the carboy (on the ground). That usually puts me right around 60-65 degrees. Then I just shake it up for a few minutes and pitch the yeast. Works great for me.

Chris
 
Sweet and cheap! Why don't you use the pump right from the start? (Kettle sits in ice water bin while iced water runs through the coils and back into the bin.)

I suppose you'd need to keep feeing the bin ice. Is that why you don't?

If you want to use ice to take the wort from boiling to pitching temps, you need a pound of ice per pound of wort, so about 45lbs of ice for a 5 gallon batch, maybe only 10 lbs if you're going from 80 to 60F. It can be a cost issue if you're buying ice or a space issue if you're making your own, easy to fit a jug or two in your freezer, rather than 10 or 12
 
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