Chilling in ice bath vs mixing with cold water?

[detz]

Should I try to get it as low as possible before mixing in water? It seem if I mix my 2g with 3g of cold water from the tap I can reach that 70 degree mark much faster. No?

 

[Beezy]

When I did extract I did a bit of both but instead of tap water I bought a 2.5 gallon jug of spring water and put it in the fridge over the night before.

 

[Yooper]

Well, you should chill it first a bit. I thought the same thing, that I could chill 2.5 gallons of boiling wort with 3 gallons of ice cold water, but then I just got 5.5 gallons of 100 degree wort that took even LONGER to cool in an ice bath.

Cool the wort to under 100 degrees, and then add the cool/cold water to top up to get you in the 60s. That'll work better, and be done in less than 20 minutes!

 

[detz]

Hmm, yeah, I chilled it down to about 90 which took 40 minuts and then added the water which only brought it down to 75. Might need to invest in a wort chiller. :-(

 

[dfc]

You could use ice blocks as your top off water. I do it and chill my beer in about 10 minutes.

 

[unionrdr]

I chill my 2.5G of wort in an ice bath too. But heavy on the ice (we use the better part of a small bag,5-7lbs),& stiring wort occasionally. keep ice water circulating as well. I've chilled wort down to 67F in 20-30 minutes. But usually 70F,then use room temp spring water to top off.
It's not hard,just be a little more patient. I think,when combined with even a small starter,average gravity beers come out better.

 

[cincybrewer]

The last time I did a partial boil I put 3 one gallon jugs in the freezer and added it to the hot wort. Took less than 10 minutes to cool. Turned out fine.