First time using a wort chiller...question

[kjung]

This is my first time using my new wort chiller, and I have one question. Do you have to put it into the brew pot, or can I pour the brew into the primary, and use the chiller there, as long as I sanitize it first ?
It seems to me that cooling it in the primary first would be faster, since you are removing it from the hot brewpot first, but what do I know ?

 

[BarleyWater]

You usually put the chiller in the kettle about 15 minutes before the end of the boil to make sure it is completely sanitized. And the wort needs to be aerated after it has been cooled, and pouring into the fermenter can help do this. You wouldn't want to splash at all going into the fermenter when it was hot, and depending on the material, it could either shatter (glass) or become deformed (plastic) due to the high heat.

 

[kjung]

Good point. I didn't think about what the hot wort would do to the plastic.

Thanks

 

[rjdunlap2]

Hey I Just Built My First Chiller And Even In The Hot Pot It Cooled In Less Than 20 Min

 

[RichBrewer]

It will be much easier to cool the wort in the brew pot. As ilikestuff said, all you have to do to sanitize your chiller is to place it in the boiling wort about 15 minutes before flame out.

 

[kjung]

I just finished my first batch for today, and it took all of about 20 minutes to cool down. MUCH better and more efficient than the old "ice-and-water-in-a-bucket" method !!!

And now, on to batch #2 !!!

This is taking a little longer than I expected, but this IS also the first time I'm trying two batches in one day, so it's not TOO bad.

Time to crack open the first beer of the day, too !

 

[Special Hops]

Plus you eliminate the risk of pouring boiling wort all over yourself if you have a misshap.

 

[Moonshae]

If you keep stirring while the chiller is working, it cools a lot faster.

 

[mysteryberto]

I generally move my wort chiller up and down while it's chilling. Mixes the water a lot better and cools faster. You can feel the difference coming out of the hose.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

When I first used my IC, I can remember yelling at people, "WHY DIDN'T I USE THIS EARLIER".
Usually not a problem but it was people I didn't even know.

 

[Moonshae]

I generally move my wort chiller up and down while it's chilling. Mixes the water a lot better and cools faster. You can feel the difference coming out of the hose.

I have a problem holding on to it at first...the outflow tube is so hot. But once it cools a bit, that sounds like a better idea...my spoon is nicking my chiller, and sooner or later, a few nicks are going to hit the same spot, and become a hole.

 

[BrewDoc_Md]

I made my IC this weekend too and used it to cool my first Belgian. Worked like a charm in under 15 min!

 

[Wicked Daddy]

I just recently bought a fountain pump at Home Depot and submerged it in a 5 gallon bucket of ice, added a little water to get the pump going and hooked it up to recirculate ice water through the IC and back into the bucket. This was an idea I got here.

This chilled 5.5 gallons of 210 degree wort to 72 degrees in about 10 minutes.

 

[AnOldUR]

I just recently bought a fountain pump at Home Depot . . .

Which HD pump did you get?

 

[Wicked Daddy]

I didn't pay attention to the brand, I think it's the only brand they carry. It's a 240 GPH pump that has a hose connection adapter on the outlet. It was $37.00.

My tap water is 80 degrees and that just wasn't doing the trick. Besides, now there is no mess and no waste.

 

[Laurel]

The ice water doesn't get hot by the end?

 

[Wicked Daddy]

No. I used five 10 lb bags of ice in the bucket ($1.48 each at Wal-Mart) and still had alot of ice left when I was done. The pump goes in the bottom and the return hose just lays on top. After the wort got down to about 100 degrees, the water coming out of the chiller was still pretty cold.