Learned a new trick

I learned a new trick brewing today, although perhaps many of you already do this. I noticed that my immersion chiller took a lot longer to chill my wort after I switched from my 32 qt aluminum pot to a keggle. I simply attributed it to the extra mass of the keggle. But after using it a few times, I finally realized that the base/ring at the bottom of the keggle gets REALLY hot and stays really hot. So when I set up my chiller, I poured the cold outflow from the chiller gently over the keggle to cool it. And then I put the chiller in the keggle. It cooled down the base right away, and I am pretty sure it saved at least 5 mins off my cooling time.

Does anyone else do this? Do you think it will hurt the keggle to cool it with water like this?

I do that on every batch (a whole 2 so far!). I brewed a lager first in keggles with an immersion chiller that was meant for a 5 gallon batch. But with spraying the outside of the keggle, I got it down to pitching temp in 40 minutes. I've also learned to very carefully move the IM around in the keggle to speed things up too. My LHBS owner has a setup where the outflow of the immersion chiller connects to a ring of tubing/piping that fits snug around the outside of the keggle at the top. There are holes in the ring that cascade the water down the whole circumference of the keggle. So you're not alone and it's fun to discover these little things. I don't think it will hurt the keggle a bit... being SS and all.

I actually let the water from the out flow of my immersion chiller drain down the sides of the keggle. The water is significantly hotter when it drains off so I know it helps.

I've always used the immersion chiller while the pot was in an ice water bath, just for the extra speediness, seems to work out real nice. Melts the ice damn fast though..

I do this too. Forgot the terminology, but the stand and pot continue to heat the wort.

I do this with beer, and also when I boil shrimp. They need to be cooled down super fast also.

I use a multi jet burner, so as I'm pouring water on the stand, I let the gas on wide open, so no water gets into the housing of the burner (rust and/or clogged jets).

Then I hear SWMBO....................I smell gas !!!

Yeah, that doesn't sound too safe with the gas blowing out.

I guess that's one advantage to a plate/CFC. The keg adding heat doesn't matter much.

That heat can screw up a mash, too. The first time I mashed in a keg, I started at 151 on the money. Ninety minutes later, the temp was 154 around the edges. Now I spray it down every time. Burner too. -p

I've always sprayed off the keggle with the hose before I start the IC, and it's worked fine for me so far.

Hot diggity that sounds like a GREAT idea! Thanks!!

I would imagine instead of running the gas while it's cooling, leave it off and then simply light up the burner once more for a minute immediately after you take the keggle off. Should evaporate any residual water out of there in no time flat.

I don't use a keggle, but I do full boils in a 7 gallon kettle. The wort chiller works GREAT if I just stir the wort while cooling. I get down to 70 degrees in 7ish minutes.