Wort Chiller Sanitation

[Frenchy]

I'm kicking around the idea of making a wort chiller. I'm not sure if I want to make an immersion, or counter-flow chiller yet. But my thought was, since both of these come in contact with the wort after the boil, how do people go about sanitizing their chillers? I'm assuming the outside of an immersion chiller, and the inner portion of a counter-flow chiller would have to be sanitized.

 

[MeatyPortion]

Well, from what I've seen you make sure the wort chiller is clean and then put it in the pot with 20 minutes or so left on the boil, which sterilizes it.

 

[muddylars]

I'd recommend a counter flow. Either run sanitizer through it before you chill your wort, or you can run boiling wort through it and then back into your kettle before turning on the cold water. I usually stick to the sanitizer and I've had very good results.

 

[bad67z]

I have both styles of chiller and choose to use the immersion chiller. I like to be able to "see" how clean it is. When I have 20 minutes left to boil my wort, I rest the chiller over top of the kettle to "preheat" it before I drop it in to the boil. When I'm down to the ten minute mark I drop it in to kill any nastiest.

When it comes to clean up I hose it off and hang it up to dry. No problems in two years of brewing.

 

[NorCalAngler]

Since I use a hop spider to keep my hops separated from the boil I can't submerge my immersion chiller during the boil. Instead I clean it off with the hose after each use and I submerge it in my bucket of sanitizer prior to use. It fits nicely in an ale pail with sanitizer.

 

[Gordzilla]

i have an extra 5gal bucket laying aroudn so i fill that up with sanitizer when i start my brew throw the chiller in it and just let it soak for an hour or longer probably overkill but it makes it so shinny

 

[Bitterbrush]

Since I use a hop spider to keep my hops separated from the boil I can't submerge my immersion chiller during the boil. Instead I clean it off with the hose after each use and I submerge it in my bucket of sanitizer prior to use. It fits nicely in an ale pail with sanitizer.

+1

I use a 5 gal bag on my hop spider and I like to keep it moving around in the boil as much as possible. I also don't like adding the cold immersion chiller into my boil. So I just drop into a bucket with Starsan, and spray the top coils if they don't get wet.

 

[mariojr]

I have both styles of chiller and choose to use the immersion chiller. I like to be able to "see" how clean it is. When I have 20 minutes left to boil my wort, I rest the chiller over top of the kettle to "preheat" it before I drop it in to the boil. When I'm down to the ten minute mark I drop it in to kill any nastiest.

When it comes to clean up I hose it off and hang it up to dry. No problems in two years of brewing.

I just let the boil sanitize my pre-cleaned IC.

I love the idea of preheating it before dropping it in. I'm definitely going to adopt this strategy.

 

[Hammy71]

I drop my 50' immersion chiller into my pot with 15 minutes to go in the boil. Going on 3 years and close to 70+ brews and never a problem. Installed a whirlpool fitting from Bargain Fittings a couple of weeks ago and it dropped a good 30% off my chill times.

 

[bad67z]

I drop my 50' immersion chiller into my pot with 15 minutes to go in the boil. Going on 3 years and close to 70+ brews and never a problem. Installed a whirlpool fitting from Bargain Fittings a couple of weeks ago and it dropped a good 30% off my chill times.

^^^ Good to hear that is my next upgrade, gonna add a pump! I "preheat" my chiller because a lot of the time there is some residual water left, that added to 50' of 1/2" copper @ 50 deg < (I boil outside most of the time) can cool 5.5 gallons down a few degrees. I'm just trying to keep the boil going.

 

[Gordzilla]

for those of you who are boiling your immerson wort chillers do you run water through while the boil is going? I just dont like the idea of putting dirty stuff into my wort i brew outside when its warm enough and i keep the sanitizing bucket close by when i stir the mash paddel comes out of the sanitizing bucket then right back into when im done. i usually just leave the wort chiller in the sanitizer the whole time, but considering boiling it.

 

[Tom]

All-metal counterflow chillers can be sterilized in the oven. See John Palmer's How To Brew at www.hotobrew.com .

I love my plate chiller.

 

[weagle05]

for those of you who are boiling your immerson wort chillers do you run water through while the boil is going? I just dont like the idea of putting dirty stuff into my wort i brew outside when its warm enough and i keep the sanitizing bucket close by when i stir the mash paddel comes out of the sanitizing bucket then right back into when im done. i usually just leave the wort chiller in the sanitizer the whole time, but considering boiling it.

I boil my clean, but not sanitized, IC in the wort. It's one less step to deal with.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I'm a CFC man myself. I pump sanitizer through it for the last 10 minutes of the boil, then the wort, then boiling tap water and cool tap water to rinse it out. Every so often she gets some hot oxyclean water pumped through her, too.

 

[magnj]

I've used an IC for my 3 gallon batches and will be building another one, with whirlpool for my new 10 Gallon rig. Sanitize by boiling over last 15m. Love the pre-heating idea, will have to factor that into my design, I do dislike the hiccupo it causes in boil.

Like the idea of a cfc plate chiller but I also need the "see the clean", so sticking with the IC.

 

[bmsteele]

I submerge my IC in a batch of Star San. Then I can just drop it in at the end of the boil.

I was putting my IC in the wort with 15 minutes left but find this to be so much better. My boil doesn't get disrupted PLUS since the copper is already cool from the SS soak, it will help drop the wort temp immediately (though I'm sure it's not that significant of a drop...)

 

[Frenchy]

Installed a whirlpool fitting from Bargain Fittings a couple of weeks ago and it dropped a good 30% off my chill times.

What is a whirlpool fitting?? I like using my bottling bucket for sterilizing my equipment on brew day. I think I'll probably put more sanitizing solution in the bucket to cover the IC. I'm still thinking about what kind of cooler to go with, but right now I'm leaning towards the IC.