Help me step up my wort-chilling game

[Rolly]

I'm currently using a 25' copper immersion chiller. I do 5 gallon all grain batches. I'm not satisfied at all with how long it takes to chill and the amount of wasted water. Plus, I've been having some DMS problems in all the batches I've brewed this summer.

My wife gave me the green light to buy a new toy, and I'm willing to spend up to $150. What's the best bang for the buck and the least headache? Plate chiller? Counterflow chiller? Recirculating ice water through my immersion chiller via march pump? Pre-chiller? I have no idea.

Will I have to buy a pump no matter what?

 

[Airborneguy]

I do the recirculation method with an immersion chiller using a pump I had from my previous hobby of saltwater fishtanks. I push 2 buckets of tap water first, saving the water and dumping it into my washer machine, then push a third bucket of ice water. The third bucket gets recirculated and I add ice as necessary. In the winter, I can chill 6 gallons to pitching temp (even lager pitching temp), in about 10-15 min. In the summer, it takes more like 25-30.

No water wasted at all, and I can get it done quick enough to get a cold break most of the time. For the ice, I freeze water in those chinese takeout cheap tupperwares. I like using larger blocks of ice because they melt slower and get the water much colder than if I used smaller pieces of ice. Remember, recirculating is returning warmer water to the bucket, so the smaller pieces melt too fast for my liking.

 

[Psych]

I'm currently using a 25' copper immersion chiller. I do 5 gallon all grain batches. I'm not satisfied at all with how long it takes to chill and the amount of wasted water. Plus, I've been having some DMS problems in all the batches I've brewed this summer.

Not to derail your topic, but I'm confused why I see folks saying 25 feet of copper immersion chiller doesn't knock your temps down to at least below 80 in a short order.

I use a home built 25 foot 3/8th ID copper immersion chiller, the temps from my cold water tap are probably about 57-60 depending on the day (summer) and I can get 6.5 gallons of wort down from 205 (by the time I turn the thing on) to 80 in about 10 minutes. Takes a further 10 minutes to get down to 70 and then I can't get any lower than that, but...

Is your tap water just that much warmer?

 

[heferly]

My 25' chiller takes 45 min to get to 70*...haven't measured my tap temp, but in chicago, the water is pretty cool.

 

[Boodlemania]

Not to derail your topic, but I'm confused why I see folks saying 25 feet of copper immersion chiller doesn't knock your temps down to at least below 80 in a short order.

I use a home built 25 foot 3/8th ID copper immersion chiller, the temps from my cold water tap are probably about 57-60 depending on the day (summer) and I can get 6.5 gallons of wort down from 205 (by the time I turn the thing on) to 80 in about 10 minutes. Takes a further 10 minutes to get down to 70 and then I can't get any lower than that, but...

Is your tap water just that much warmer?

I too use a 25' 3/8" copper chiller. My water temp in the summer is high 60's and I can chill a 5 gallon batch to around 80 in 10-12 minutes. I let my ferm chamber take it the rest of the way. In the winter, when the water is in the mid 50's, I can chill to 65 in the same amount of time. The key, for me anyway, is to stir the wort with the chiller, thereby getting more efficient thermal transfer.

I have thought about adding a pre-chiller for lagers and generall summer brewing, but I think that's as far as I'll go.

As far the water, it's not wasted. I catch it in my cooler tun and use it to wash up.

 

[Coolmac]

I've only used my new immersion chiller once. 15meters 10mm (50ft of 3/8") coil, it took me 15 minutes to cool to pitching temperature with tap water at about 14C (57F). I stirred occasionally and noticed a huge increase in heat from the water coming out the coil when I stirred. So I guess stirring will have a large effect on times.

And yes, all that hot water is great for clean up duties.

 

[kapbrew13]

I do the recirculation method with an immersion chiller using a pump I had from my previous hobby of saltwater fishtanks. .

+1 to this.
Get a submersible pump, hose, connectors, and a 18+ gallon tote. Less then $80.

I start the chiller off the hose, then connect the chiller to the pump. In the tote I have the pump, cold water, and ice or frozen water bottles. I run this and the outflow of the chiller recirculates back into the tote.
You'll have to experiment to see how much ice and water you'll need. Second tote by the kettle is where I store my chiller.

 

[bniesen]

I am too thinking of ways to cut down on my water usage when chilling. This thread has me thinking of putting a fountain pump from Harbor Freight in a bucket with ice and water and pumping that through my CFC instead of tap water.
Hmmm.....

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

I use a similar technique- I just have an old sump pump at the bottom of a rubbermaid trashcan filled with water and ice. The first few gallons of hot water goes into a bucket for cleaning water and the rest recirculates. Works great when I can just shovel snow into the trashcan and not even need to make ice.

 

[EROK]

I have 25' of 1/2" copper IC and can get wort from boiling to <70 in 10 minutes. I do stir a whirlpool manually (stir in a circle inside the chiller coils) fast for that whole 10 minute though. Temp drops fast!

 

[kapbrew13]

I have 25' of 1/2" copper IC and can get wort from boiling to <70 in 10 minutes. I do stir a whirlpool manually (stir in a circle inside the chiller coils) fast for that whole 10 minute though. Temp drops fast!

Good point. I stir also so the hot wort contacts the cold chiller.

 

[Psych]

This stirring during cooling business is news to me, but I'll definitely try it next time! If it saves a few minutes, that's awesome.

 

[Airborneguy]

Stirring makes a big diifference. Once I get to my ice bucket, I try to stir for about 1 min of each 5 min in the summer. In the winter, its not necessary.

 

[LordUlrich]

In response to the OPs DMS problem, try a longer boil say 90 minutes. Most of the DMS precursor will be boiled off and then chilling quick becomes less important.

 

[kapbrew13]

In response to the OPs DMS problem, try a longer boil say 90 minutes. Most of the DMS precursor will be boiled off and then chilling quick becomes less important.

Plus don't cover the kettle during the boil. Right?

 

[BigTerp]

I have 25' of 1/2" copper IC and can get wort from boiling to <70 in 10 minutes. I do stir a whirlpool manually (stir in a circle inside the chiller coils) fast for that whole 10 minute though. Temp drops fast!

This. I have the same setup, homemade 25' of 1/2" copper IC. I used it for the first time this past Saturday when the outside temperature was near 100 degrees. Now, I do have a pretty deep well and my water is very cold, but by stirring my wort while chilling I was <70 in 12 minutes. The water exiting the IC never got hot either.