Boiling the wort chiller

[andrewp]

Sorry if this has been discuss. I did a search and didn't see a thread on this.

Are there any potential negative side effects from boiling my copper aluminum wort chiller for the entire boil?

Standard practice is to boil the last 15 minutes or so to sanitize. Any thoughts of negative effects of copper in boiling wort for 60+ minutes?

 

[blackbeer]

why would you want to do that? if it is clean, it only needs 5 min or so. you can rinse it really well and leave it in sanitizer until the last 5-10 min and then boil it. when done cooling, dunk and slosh it in a bucket of hot water and pbw if you have it and rinse it real good. i usually skip the pbw and just slosh it. i've done it that way many times.

 

[andrewp]

Well my thought was one less thing to do during the boil... Say if I was busy doing something else like errands, housework, school work, etc..

 

[andrewp]

I should add that was I thinking of this for batches that would not have complex hop additions. Basically bitter, boil, chill, done...

I guess if I'm planning on adding Whirlflock or anything like that it would be around that same time too.

 

[maffewl]

From my understanding, a lot of micro breweries still use copper boil kettles, so I wouldn't think there would be any flavor impacts. And whether the chiller is in there for 15 min. or 60 min., it will reach the same temperature, so personally I don't see an issue with it. It wouldn't be my process, but I don't think it would cause any off flavors.

 

[ram5ey]

No, copper in the boil for 60+ minutes isn't a problem at all. It might even be good for the yeast.

 

[PlexVector]

No, copper in the boil for 60+ minutes isn't a problem at all. It might even be good for the yeast.

I read somewhere a while back that copper was good for the yeast so back in the day you tossed a penny (when it was mostly copper) into the fermenter or BK (I forget which).

 

[AgentHubcap]

I boil my chiller for the entire boil. My thinking was that adding at 15 mins would drop the temp and adding it early would avoid that.

 

[Rootski]

Serious question: Why boil it at all? StarSan is good for everything else, why not the IC as long as it was properly cleaned after the previous batch? My IC has plastic tubing that could get perilously close to melting if I wasn't paying attention.

 

[brew_ny]

drop it in at flame out and cool your wort it is that easy

S_M

 

[andrewmaixner]

Serious question: Why boil it at all? StarSan

This. I'm not close to being ready to actually cool just because the boil is done. I give mine a good rinse and sanitizeer spray/dip after I am done brewing, then another sanitize spray/dip when I am ready to cool and all the post-boil hops are finished.

 

[ram5ey]

I read somewhere a while back that copper was good for the yeast so back in the day you tossed a penny (when it was mostly copper) into the fermenter or BK (I forget which).

Yeah I read that too.

 

[CUrchin]

I put mine in at flame out.

 

[Calder]

drop it in at flame out and cool your wort it is that easy

This is what I do. When done I rinse with clean water and hang to dry. Then when boil is finished I place in pot. Only drops the temperature 5 to 10 degrees; still plenty hot to sanitize.

This. I'm not close to being ready to actually cool just because the boil is done. I give mine a good rinse and sanitizeer spray/dip after I am done brewing, then another sanitize spray/dip when I am ready to cool and all the post-boil hops are finished.

What's the point of sanitizing? I'm sure it makes you feel good, but it is a waste of effort. The wort is plenty hot when you put it in.

 

[andrewmaixner]

What's the point of sanitizing? I'm sure it makes you feel good, but it is a waste of effort. The wort is plenty hot when you put it in.

Takes 30 seconds and makes me feel good.
If you are doing a lot of hop additions, especially if you wait until the temp is below 180F to prevent AA isomerization, it may still technically be pasteurized, but sanitizing is super easy nowadays.

 

[RM-MN]

Takes 30 seconds and makes me feel good.
If you are doing a lot of hop additions, especially if you wait until the temp is below 180F to prevent AA isomerization, it may still technically be pasteurized, but sanitizing is super easy nowadays.

It takes 30 minutes to pasteurize at 145F. At 162 we're down to 15 seconds. At 180 you can't dunk it fast enough to avoid pasteurization.

 

[mikeprooo]

I wash my chiller both before and after use, never boil it although its stainless steel. I just put it in the near-boiling wort when its done...

 

[ArcLight]

Serious question: Why boil it at all? StarSan is good for everything else, why not the IC as long as it was properly cleaned after the previous batch? My IC has plastic tubing that could get perilously close to melting if I wasn't paying attention.

Boil it to make sure you kill everything. The Star San will not necessarily kill bacteria protected by biofilms (which is where many bacteria can be).
The heat will penetrate and kill almost all microbes and viruses (though not all spores such as those of Botulism).

The boiling will also help to dissolve or loosen any dirt, so you can clean your IC better NEXT time :fro:

 

[brew_ny]

The boiling will also help to dissolve or loosen any dirt, so you can clean your IC netter NEXT time :fro:

nice I like dirt in my wort

 

[maffewl]

nice I like dirt in my wort

+1 :rockin:

 

[brdb]

Boiling your chiller for 60 minutes isn't going to do any harm, but I also don't think it's necessary. You would be fine waiting until the last 15, or even 5 minutes. For those saying to just use Star San, does anyone know if phosphoric acid (the main component of star san) will react with copper? I'm assuming it does, the few times I've dipped my chiller in star san I've noticed the portion that was submerged appears shinier than the parts that were not submerged which indicates that some sort of reaction has occurred.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Boiling your chiller for 60 minutes isn't going to do any harm, but I also don't think it's necessary. You would be fine waiting until the last 15, or even 5 minutes. For those saying to just use Star San, does anyone know if phosphoric acid (the main component of star san) will react with copper? I'm assuming it does, the few times I've dipped my chiller in star san I've noticed the portion that was submerged appears shinier than the parts that were not submerged which indicates that some sort of reaction has occurred.

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html

Appendix B - Brewing Metallurgy

The best sanitizer for counterflow wort chillers is Star San. It is acidic and can be used to clean copper as well as sanitize. Sanitizing with Star San only takes minutes and should not be left in the chiller more than an hour, because it will start dissolving the copper.

full page has more info. Palmer is a metallurgist.

 

[KEG99]

I boil my chiller for the entire boil. My thinking was that adding at 15 mins would drop the temp and adding it early would avoid that.

I certainly see a drop in temp when I put it in at 15 minutes. Usually stops the boil entirely until it gets back up to temp. But my chiller has a complex wrap of pipes and I can't get all the water out of it. So heating up water is part of the problem. Hadn't thought of putting it in early.

And hand't thought of just putting it in at the end. I like that idea!

 

[Monkey-BB]

Putting it in before the boil would definitely make it easier on the hop spider fire drill during the last 15 minutes.
Great idea-!