Wort chilling in kettle vs chilling in fermenter?

I ve always seen people chilling with their wort chiller inside the boil kettle but I was thinking it would make much more sense to transfer the boiled wort to fermenter that is or has been in the cold and dipping the wort chiller in there too. The problem of course is for people who don't have a wide opening on their fermenters. I have speidel 60 litres and I'm wondering if I could proceed that way I think I could reach a pitch temperature in 10 mins for 10 gallons...

Share your thoughts and comments. Thanks.

Maximum temperature for Speidels is 140F/60C.

Glass may shatter if you put boiling wort into it. Plastic buckets MAY be ok, or may melt or crack as well (I got a stress crack in one one time after storing hot sparge runnings in it temporarily, but other times haven't had a problem). Not familiar with the Speidel's specifications as I've never used one and don't own one, but again you don't want to exceed the maximum tolerance.

What some brewers will do is transfer their wort into a clean jerrycan that CAN tolerate the temperature. That's how traditional no-chill brewing is done.

But if you're going to use a chiller anyway, you might as well deal with it like everyone else. If you don't want to stick a chiller into your kettle, go with a plate chiller or CFC setup.

I just noticed that max temp for speidel was 140F. Would be interesting to know how a borosilicate fermenting vessel could work... Expensive though... I'm not familiar with chilling equipment because I ve made small batch sizes that I could move and cool in my sink but I want to start doing 11 gallons batches now and I need to find out a solution for chilling. I'm not sure about wort plate because I don't like the idea of my wort going inside something I don't see and therefore not being able to make sure it is cleaned. Is it so that a water pump is a must for the cooling systems? If so why?

I like where your mind's at, but chilling in the kettle for me comes from convenience. Towards the end of the boil I submerge the wort chiller to sanitize. When the boil is done I make the chiller do its chiller job. If I were to transfer the wort first, the chiller would have to go with it causing drips and stickiness, the fermenter would melt, and I would be less than happy, and you wouldn't like me when I'm less than happy.

FloppyKnockers said:

I like where your mind's at, but chilling in the kettle for me comes from convenience. Towards the end of the boil I submerge the wort chiller to sanitize. When the boil is done I make the chiller do its chiller job. If I were to transfer the wort first, the chiller would have to go with it causing drips and stickiness, the fermenter would melt, and I would be less than happy, and you wouldn't like me when I'm less than happy.

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All good points! I had just thought that when tubing is heat resistant and 1/2" ID, that I could find a way that the wort would cool to an acceptable temperature by the time it arrives into the speidel. I mean how could the wort cool down in 5 feet tubing that would have a frozen wrap system all along its line for example? It would be awesome to have a system of tubing so that when hot wort flows in it, it gets chilled very quick... Regarding the dripping of sweet liquid is very good point!

Finlandbrews said:

All good points! I had just thought that when tubing is heat resistant and 1/2" ID, that I could find a way that the wort would cool to an acceptable temperature by the time it arrives into the speidel. I mean how could the wort cool down in 5 feet tubing that would have a frozen wrap system all along its line for example? It would be awesome to have a system of tubing so that when hot wort flows in it, it gets chilled very quick... Regarding the dripping of sweet liquid is very good point!

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So, a counter flow chiller???

jmcquesten said:

So, a counter flow chiller???

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The difference is if that could work you can transfer to a cold container quickly for even faster cooling (even to your fermenter which could be in your fermentation chamber), then you could see if any dirt gets stuck because tubing is transparent and you don't need to buy wort chiller which takes space too and can grow bugs or bacteria around because outside layer is always going in sweet liquid!

Finlandbrews said:

The difference is if that could work you can transfer to a cold container quickly for even faster cooling (even to your fermenter which could be in your fermentation chamber), then you could see if any dirt gets stuck because tubing is transparent and you don't need to buy wort chiller which takes space too and can grow bugs or bacteria around because outside layer is always going in sweet liquid!

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With a counter flow chiller, you can transfer from kettle to fermenter. Also, the beer runs through the tubing in a counter flow chiller unlike an immersion chiller. I have drained boiling hot wort through a counter flow chiller (using gravity), directly to a fermentation bucket and got it down to around 80°F. That's pretty close to pitching temperature with just a gravity feed and one pass through a counter flow chiller. I don't regularly do that now that I recirculate for whirlpool chilling, but it is possible. As far as cleaning, you do have to flush it out after each use.

If you're talking about vinyl tubing, I don't think you would get effective heat transfer, that's why copper is used.

For what its worth Ive been going no chill the last few batches with no issue and will continue to do so until I run into an infection.,which hopefully is never. Using a bucket as primary

Reviving a year's old thread but wa wondering about this. I chilled my wort down to about 90 then transferred it to my bucket and put it in the freezer. Once it reaches pitching temp, I'll take it out and pitch. See any downside to this? I'm only doing 1.5 gallon batches so I'm doing an ice bath to chill. Today I ran out of ice quicker than normal so i decided to try the freezer

You could use it with stainless fermenters or plastic fermentors rated for high temp.

Pro's: Hot wort sanitizes fermentor and piping.

Con's:

- Way more trub. You are transfering wort that has not been whirlpooled (for those who whirlpool) directly to the fermenter. No whirlpool hop stand either.

- Possible oxygenation with hot wort splasing into fermentor ?