Wort Chiller Usage for Outdoor Brewing

[RichR]

Getting back into brewing after a many years away. I upgraded to a 10 gallon brew pot to do full boil extract kits. I'm also intending to use a wort chiller. My question is what is the best (i.e., most sanitary) procedure when working with an immersion chiller outdoors? I'll be doing my boil in my front yard, and I would prefer not to carry 5 gallons of hot wort into my basement to chill.

Here is how I see my brew day going down...

0. Crack open a beer.
1. Start Boil
2. Drop clean wort chiller into wort for last 10 min of boil.
3. Stop Boil
4. Put on sanitized lid.
5. Turn on cold water.
5a. Stir occasionally w/sanitized spoon.
6. Wait for desired temp.
7. Turn off cold water.
8. Remove wort chiller.
9. Replace re-sanitized lid.
10. Carry into basement for transfer to primary & yeast pitching.
11. Have another beer.

Any tips? How are others handling this?

-Rich

 

[feinbera]

That's pretty much my procedure exactly, with the exception that I don't bother with the spoon, I just grab the top of the chiller and stir it around in the wort a bit.

 

[twistr25]

That's how I currently do it, but without the lid. You could add the lid for when you move it, but it will cool faster if the lid is off.

 

[RichR]

That's how I currently do it, but without the lid. You could add the lid for when you move it, but it will cool faster if the lid is off.

Since I'll be outdoors, I'm more worried about something landing in my cooling wort.

 

[Newsman]

Since I'll be outdoors, I'm more worried about something landing in my cooling wort.

You could put some sort of mesh covering over the top to let air in and heat out. Maybe pick up a "splatter screen" from the supermarket???

 

[RichR]

You could put some sort of mesh covering over the top to let air in and heat out. Maybe pick up a "splatter screen" from the supermarket???

Good idea! I've got one of those mesh strainers that fit over a 5 gallon bucket. I will use that instead of my lid. Thanks!

 

[twistr25]

Mine's outside too, I'll occasionally use a paint strainer bag over it in case it's windy. But most of the time, just keep an eye on it.

 

[BigFloyd]

If you haven't yet bought your wort chiller, be sure to get the kind that has garden hose connections. Trust me.

 

[freisste]

Also you will want the top off when you first start cooling as you want to allow DMS precursors to be driven off. No worries about sanitation between boiling and probably about 170f. Pasteurization occurs above 160, so at about that point you *might* want to put a lid on it. I personally don't, but maybe I am less risk-averse than you. To each his own. Good luck.