Chiling wort

[skor]

Winter is getting close on a cold day can you set your wort outside or in a snowbank to cool? how about in a freezer to cool it any other time?

 

[cheesehed007]

I was told by our LHBS that setting in a snow back doesn't work so well. The snow melts away from the kettle and slows the cooling down...

 

[Polboy]

I did that few years ago and was surprised how long does it take to chill 5gal of boiling wort in the snow bank (it was few hours), next day i made CFC so i never tried it again but i think using water/ice would work much better, snow is just good isolator

 

[Unibrow]

I tried cooling in a pile of snow, it doesn't work. Get yourself an immersion chiller and you'll be amazed at its efficiency.

 

[skor]

What about the freezer idea?

 

[Krovitz]

Air won't cool as fast as liquid will. Something about physics. Someone on here explained it like this; pre heat your oven to 400* then put your hand in it for 5 seconds. Now boil water at 212* and try to put your hand in for 5 seconds.

Warning: don't put your hand in boiling water.

 

[Unibrow]

What about the freezer idea?

You need a freezer from a high tech science lab for that. The wort chiller is a great investment and costs less than 50$ on amazon.

 

[Matt3989]

A cheap rubber trashcan filled with water then adding snow will work the best without an immersion chiller. Whirlpooling the wort to keep new wort touching the sides of the fermentation vessel and encourage convection currents is also key.

I get my wort chilled to pitching temps in 20-30 minutes like this, faster would be better because i don't get very much cold break with those times. I'm just waiting until i build/buy a bk with a valve near the bottom so i can invest in a plate chiller.

 

[skor]

Thanks guys