Keezer as wort chiller...Lesson learned!

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cheezydemon3

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First off, I am a smart guy, but in this instance DID NOT THINK!!!!!

Figured my big bad assed Keezer (sitting empty) would be able to cool down some wort in RECORD time.

Set to 20F, brewed, chilled the wort less than usual, figured at about 100F that I could pitch and let the keezer get it cooled off in NO time.....:drunk:

1 hour later the keezer is at 65F and the wort is at 95F.......

Lesson Learned.

MAYBE if the damned keezer was full of FROZEN SOLID meat that I didn't mind de-frosting, or if I had a giant tub of glycol to dunk the keg in, then maybe, with the metal sides, a keg could be thermally beaten into submission.

My message is to anyone with a fermentation chamber, or to anyone who is generally not concerned about fermentation temps.

CHILLING WORT BEFORE PITCHING IS CRITICAL. Not getting it close, not getting it to ideal temp, I am talking 5 degrees below ideal fermentation temp.

A probe taped to the side of a plastic bucket will be off by 5 degrees or more.

A probe taped to the side of a metal corny full of fermenting wort, will have a 2-3 difference from the center of the fermenting wort.

Don't fool yourself.
 
No offense cheezy but 100f is not close, someone should smack you for making bad beer.
 
eh, The keezer probably got it down to a reasonable temperature in another 6-12 hours.
Depending on what the recipe was, it might be unnoticeable.

Good luck with it.
 
I always use my keezer to cool down the wort. I cool down as much as I can with my immersion chiller, which is usually ends up at about 80-85 degrees. I have a temperature probe and stopper thermowell that goes directly into the carboy so I know exactly what the internal temperature is. It'll get down to 68 usually in an hour or two. For the lager I just did, it took longer to get down to 55. I have to watch it, though, because if I don't open the lid on my keezer once it gets down to the correct temp, it will continue to drop in temperature.

Never had a problem with infections or anything like that.
 
I always use my keezer to cool down the wort. I cool down as much as I can with my immersion chiller, which is usually ends up at about 80-85 degrees. I have a temperature probe and stopper thermowell that goes directly into the carboy so I know exactly what the internal temperature is. It'll get down to 68 usually in an hour or two. For the lager I just did, it took longer to get down to 55. I have to watch it, though, because if I don't open the lid on my keezer once it gets down to the correct temp, it will continue to drop in temperature.

Never had a problem with infections or anything like that.

That sounds perfect. Why do you have to open the keezer lid though?
 
That sounds perfect. Why do you have to open the keezer lid though?

I keep the lid open just until the inside of the keezer warms up to room temperature, then I close it again. The reason I do this is because to go from 85 to 68, the keezer has to pretty much get as cold as it possibly can. By the time the 5 gallons cools down to 68, the keezer turns off, but the temperature inside is still extremely cold. Opening up the lid stops the cold from continuing to cool down the wort.
 
welcome to the wonderful world of heat capacity. I chill with a water bath, because it's much easier to control and drop the temps.
 
pelipen said:
welcome to the wonderful world of heat capacity. I chill with a water bath, because it's much easier to control and drop the temps.

sanitized ice. nothing beats it.
 
The keezer might not be super fast, but you aren't really running a risk of infection if it's covered. Air in general is bad for energy transfer, and you'd be better off using something massive and solid.
 
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