So I am fairly new to homebrewing. I have been reading that the best way to chill wort is to chill it all as quickly as possible to pitching temps. Currently I am looking to buy a chiller and am trying to do research on the various types. From what i gather chilling as fast as possible is best acheived with the use of a immersion chiller since you are chilling all the wort at one time. Whereas, chilling with a CFC or plate is chilling very quickly but it leaves a lot of your wort at near boiling temps ~200* or so for a small amount of time. Does anyone have some links to various articles that explain the best methods? All I can seem to find is what the homebrew stores have to say. I already own a March 815 pump and I am looking at getting either a recirculating immersion chiller like morebeer's or JaDeD's hydra with whirlpool attachment, unless you all can convince me that a CFC style is better. I do not want to put in a whirlpool port because I do BIAB. Any input from those that have multiple types of chillers would be great. Has anyone noticed better flavor with a certain type of chiller or are the flavor and method not related? Thanks all.
Chilling wort
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BadWolfBrewing
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Don't forget to look into no chill as well. Saves a lot of time and water. There are a ton of threads on it here. I'd attach links, but I'm on my phone
Owly055
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I personally prefer the immersion chiller to the counterflow or plate chillers simply because every part that is in contact with the brew is visible. We all know the old adage..."what you don't know won't hurt you"......... Unfortunately, I DO know, having cut apart similar coolers of other types.... I know how much crud accumulates. The plate chiller is to me the very worst with respect to being able to trap crud.... the counterflow better, and the immersion the best. That's my story....... and I'm sticking to it........... ;-)
H.W.
H.W.
I made one similar to this design.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f255/diy-interwoven-rib-cage-immersion-chiller-106415/
Purchased 50' of 1/2" copper tubing immersion chiller kit from here:
http://coppertubingsales.com/immersion-chiller-build-kits/IMMERSION-WORT-CHILLER-SOLDER
Works great. I can chill from boiling to 80F in about 20-30 minutes. Then I usually put the carboy in the fermentation fridge to chill the rest of the way and wait for some of the foam to go down before pitching. ~3-5 more hours.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f255/diy-interwoven-rib-cage-immersion-chiller-106415/
Purchased 50' of 1/2" copper tubing immersion chiller kit from here:
http://coppertubingsales.com/immersion-chiller-build-kits/IMMERSION-WORT-CHILLER-SOLDER
Works great. I can chill from boiling to 80F in about 20-30 minutes. Then I usually put the carboy in the fermentation fridge to chill the rest of the way and wait for some of the foam to go down before pitching. ~3-5 more hours.
I used to use an immersion chiller in my old set up, and I use a counterflow chiller in my new set up.
It's probably not very helpful, but the truth is that you only need as much as you need to chill with your own system.
IF you can chill your wort to pitching temperatures with your chosen method, that's all that matters. But there are so many other things to consider- water temperature, water shortages, etc. I'm lucky- I have seemingly endless water t 50 degrees- so my choices are probably different than someone who lives in Arizona.
It's probably not very helpful, but the truth is that you only need as much as you need to chill with your own system.
IF you can chill your wort to pitching temperatures with your chosen method, that's all that matters. But there are so many other things to consider- water temperature, water shortages, etc. I'm lucky- I have seemingly endless water t 50 degrees- so my choices are probably different than someone who lives in Arizona.
Chilling is by far my least favorite part of Brew day. I have normal immersion chiller. I'm beginning to experiment w no chill. Time is what I lack and no chill I think will get me brewing more...
For your chiller, I would suggest the best jaded chiller that you can afford.
For your chiller, I would suggest the best jaded chiller that you can afford.
Quick chilling is traditionally recommended as it causes the cold break to form in larger clumps and sink to the bottom when coagulated by a fining agent (e.g., Irish Moss), leaving a clearer wort behind.
Plate and CF chillers usually go straight from kettle to fermentor, so cold break ends up there. It seems to have no impact on the quality of beer. Harvesting yeast from the extra trub is a bit more cumbersome, though.
But let that quick chilling idea not limit your brewing process. For example, using extended hop stands at 170-190°F for 30-60 minutes after the boil is fine, and actually very good for hop flavor and aroma. I actually apply some heat (and circulate) to keep that hop stand at the intended temp.
Read up on the various methods and their main pros and cons, before committing.
Plate and CF chillers usually go straight from kettle to fermentor, so cold break ends up there. It seems to have no impact on the quality of beer. Harvesting yeast from the extra trub is a bit more cumbersome, though.
But let that quick chilling idea not limit your brewing process. For example, using extended hop stands at 170-190°F for 30-60 minutes after the boil is fine, and actually very good for hop flavor and aroma. I actually apply some heat (and circulate) to keep that hop stand at the intended temp.
Read up on the various methods and their main pros and cons, before committing.
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I was looking to buy the hydra. Not sure I want to risk the no chill yet, maybe one day. I don't have any water supply concerns and being on a deep well my water temps don't change too much. It's upper 50s right now. I am also going to using the coolant water for my garden, stored in blue plastic barrels first. A "Dena" guy island? I work in AACOUNTY
Make sure that Hydra, or any other IC you want to use, fits your kettle size-wise with dip tubes, false bottom, thermo wells, and all, and the wort-height of your batches is tall enough to fully immerse the beast. Here is a review of the Hydra, and there are a few more threads.
I use a plate chiller with pump, with mixed feelings. Keeping hop sludge out without clogging that filter while pumping is the biggest challenge. Not quite ideal, yet. But when it works it is fassst.
Yeah, I'm in the northern part of the "Dena," but a recent import.
Jeez, some people have 6 generations living here.
Where do you live? I co-run the DC Area Group Grain Buy on this forum. Let me know if you're interested.
I use a plate chiller with pump, with mixed feelings. Keeping hop sludge out without clogging that filter while pumping is the biggest challenge. Not quite ideal, yet. But when it works it is fassst.
Yeah, I'm in the northern part of the "Dena," but a recent import.
Jeez, some people have 6 generations living here.
Where do you live? I co-run the DC Area Group Grain Buy on this forum. Let me know if you're interested.
The only thing in my kettle is a downspout(pickup tube) for my valve. I BIAB so there isn't much inside. I live in Charles county, Marbury to be exact. I am also a import but from about 14 years ago. I haven't started making beer out of recipes yet, I use Annapolis home brew all grain kits. But I am definitely interested in the group buys so that I can start.
Make sure that Hydra, or any other IC you want to use, fits your kettle size-wise with dip tubes, false bottom, thermo wells, and all, and the wort-height of your batches is tall enough to fully immerse the beast. Here is a review of the Hydra, and there are a few more threads.
I use a plate chiller with pump, with mixed feelings. Keeping hop sludge out without clogging that filter while pumping is the biggest challenge. Not quite ideal, yet. But when it works it is fassst.
Yeah, I'm in the northern part of the "Dena," but a recent import.
Jeez, some people have 6 generations living here.
Where do you live? I co-run the DC Area Group Grain Buy on this forum. Let me know if you're interested.
My kettle is electric powered so I had to put aside my immersion chiller for a new convoluted counter-flow chiller. As far as cold break is concerned by whirlpooling the wort in the kettle and using WhirlFloc I still get a nice pile of trub in the center of the kettle that doesn't make it into the fermentor.
I do know that adding knock out hops to the kettle extracts more hop aroma than when using a non-immersion type chiller, because the remaining wort stays above 170F for a longer period of time providing better hop isomerization.
I do know that adding knock out hops to the kettle extracts more hop aroma than when using a non-immersion type chiller, because the remaining wort stays above 170F for a longer period of time providing better hop isomerization.
feinbera
Well-Known Member
The thing with quick chilling is, it's not how long the wort sits at near-boiling temperatures, it's how quickly it goes through the range of temperatures between near-boiling and room temperature. Each cup (or whatever) of wort moves quickly through the plate or counterflow chiller, going through that intermediate temperature range in a handful of seconds, even though it takes several minutes for the last cup of wort in the kettle to "get its turn," while the immersion chiller does all the wort at once, but takes several to many minutes, during which time all the wort is slowly moving through that intermediate range of temperatures.
Good to know. Thanks. Cleaning is another issue I suppose. I was looking at plate chillers but they seem like a PITA to clean. And the thing I don't particularly like about CFC's is that I can't visually inspect them.
To clean, I feed hot water through the Plate chiller back and forth a few times until there is no more hop debris coming out. Then I recirc very hot PBW, also back and forth, that dislodges more hop debris and turns green. It also cleans my pump and hoses. When done I run water through to rinse the PBW out, followed by a soak in Starsan, drain, shake dry, cap the ports with Al foil, and put away.
Then when I bake bread or pizza, the plate chiller joins them in the oven and stays there for 2 hours at 450°F and allowed to cool.
As I said before, keeping the hop debris out of the chiller in the first place is your ticket. A large 300 micron SS screen does wonders in whatever shape you use it, being either a basket, hop taco, or some other heavy duty filter contraption.
The cool toys are great. I love all my gadgets. I have many of them. Stir plate, temp controllers for my fermentation chamber ect.
But if you read around, you will find that a great many people go back to their immersion chillers after switching to plate and counterflow. Usually because of the time it takes to clean and chance of infection. They are just more convenient and do the job just fine.
If your not set up with the pumps and plumbing for the upper end chillers they are more of a pain than a help. and if you do not have cold enough ground water they wont get the temp down to where you need it unless you recirculate.
With a 50' 3/8th copper immersion chiller I can get from boiling to 100F in less than 5 minutes with my 80F tap water and a quick switch to a cheap submersible pump in a cooler with a bag of ice, 100F to 60F in another 5-10 minutes.
A quick rinse, then set it in a 5 gallon bucket that I collected the hot water from the initial outflow with some oxy clean and I am done. So no wasted water, and an easy cleaning.
But if you read around, you will find that a great many people go back to their immersion chillers after switching to plate and counterflow. Usually because of the time it takes to clean and chance of infection. They are just more convenient and do the job just fine.
If your not set up with the pumps and plumbing for the upper end chillers they are more of a pain than a help. and if you do not have cold enough ground water they wont get the temp down to where you need it unless you recirculate.
With a 50' 3/8th copper immersion chiller I can get from boiling to 100F in less than 5 minutes with my 80F tap water and a quick switch to a cheap submersible pump in a cooler with a bag of ice, 100F to 60F in another 5-10 minutes.
A quick rinse, then set it in a 5 gallon bucket that I collected the hot water from the initial outflow with some oxy clean and I am done. So no wasted water, and an easy cleaning.
JustLooking
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BadWolfBrewing
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Since I started using whirlfloc, I get crazy child break with no chill. After 24 hours, there is usually 2 inches of it in the bottom of my no chill container. Now I use a conical, so I just dump it the next day and pitch the yeast
I emailed jaded about what they recommend. Since I have a 15g kettle that I do mainly 5g brews in, I would have to go with their king cobra. But their cleanable CFC's looks good too. I have a pump and intend on recirculating. I also BIAB so most of everything stays in it, not much to clog up a plate or other cfc. There are so many directions to go in this hobby it's ridiculous. Lol. Decisions, decisions...
30Bones
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Only thing holding me from the King Cobra is the price. I am also thinking plate chiller, but no pump and don't want one. I know gravity works fine, I am more concerned about the gunk inside over time. Broken record I know
30Bones
Well-Known Member
I have always used immersion chillers from my extract days to now and am a bit careless when it comes to trub. That is why I am hesitant to go the plate route.
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