magno said:A plate chiller would unquestionably be more efficient than an immersion chiller. The problem with them is that they will clog with hop debris and they seem like they would be a pain to clean.
That being said, I have an immersion chiller that I have been pretty happy with.
- magno
Kaiser said:... If you use a counterflow chiller, you are getting all the wort pretty quickly below 140*F, which is frequently mentioned as the temp at which the DMS production ceases. With a counter flow chiller (including plate chiller) you leave a lot of the wort above 140F for quite some time.
beer4breakfast said:In the first reference to counterflow chiller, did you mean to say immersion chiller?
Kaiser said:one problem to consider is DMS. This compound, which gives the beer a cooked corn aroma and taste is formed from its precurser SMM during high temperatures. Its majority is cerated and boiled off during the wort boiling. Especially for shorter boils and when low temp kilned malts (like pilsner and pale malt) are used a significant amount of SMM is present when the boil is over. If you use an immersion chiller, you are getting all the wort pretty quickly below 140*F, which is frequently mentioned as the temp at which the DMS production ceases. With a counter flow chiller (including plate chiller) you leave a lot of the wort above 140F for quite some time. This will increased the DMS content in your wort and may get it above the perception threshold.
So, if you are brewing lighter beers use a counterflow chiller and are noticing DMS in your beer, you may want to try an immersion chiller.
Many mircobreweries seem to have a problem with DMS in their lagers. Just today I had the Oktoberfest from the Paper City Brewing company in Holyoke, MA and I noticed a slight cooked corn smell that dissipated pretty quickly though.
Jamil from The Brewing Network had a pretty good idea on making an immersion chiller more efficiant: http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php
MrSaLTy said:I want to go with Jamil's immersion/wirlpool method someday.... when I get a pump.
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