Cooling paddles

[shek]

I stand sort of corrected. In my previous post I forgot to include the heat required to change water from solid to liquid which is considerable. It would actually take 4 gallons of zero deg F ice to bring 6 gallons of boiling water to 70 deg F (if you are only accounting for melting of the ice and thermal equilibrium). I'm still a little surprised that this worked as well as it did, but I guess the thermal radiation, heat transfer to the stove, evaporation from the top of the stired wort and air cooling of the sides of the kettle are not negligible, and maybe account for a third of the cooling? Just a guess

 

[carbon111]

This looked interesting, thanks for doing the legwork, ChshreCat!

Not as helpful as I had hoped. My cheapo immersion wort chiller takes 3.5 gallons of wort just off the boil down to 70 F in 18 minutes. I'll stick with that.

 

[arturo7]

C-Cat, maybe this is a silly question, but were you spinning the paddle?

 

[ChshreCat]

C-Cat, maybe this is a silly question, but were you spinning the paddle?

Most of the time, I would hold the paddle at a slight angle and spin it slowly as I stirred. That way the melted water surrounding the ice inside the paddle would circulate as it went. Seemed the best way to avoid a thermal barrier between the outer wall and the ice.

 

[ChshreCat]

This looked interesting, thanks for doing the legwork, ChshreCat!

Not as helpful as I had hoped. My cheapo immersion wort chiller takes 3.5 gallons of wort just off the boil down to 70 F in 18 minutes. I'll stick with that.

If your groundwater is cool enough, that's great. This would be more for folks that can't get that low with an IC or don't want to use one.

I think with an ice bath and this method together, I should get low really fast.

 

[dleonard]

I agree, it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped.
I noticed that the outer ice quickly melted, and left a big chunk in the inside. When I touched the outside of the wand, it was hot...
I spun it, and stirred the wort, and then gave up, and put the boil pot (5 gallon batch in a 7.5 gallon pot) into the bathtub.
Just my two cent, but I'd skip the wand, and use the 20 bucks for even the cheapest of copper immersion chillers...

 

[carbon111]

Yeah, a chiller is faster and more efficient as well as less labor-and-time-intensive.

...at least if your groundwater is cool enough, like it is here in WA.

 

[ChshreCat]

I agree, it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped.
I noticed that the outer ice quickly melted, and left a big chunk in the inside. When I touched the outside of the wand, it was hot...
I spun it, and stirred the wort, and then gave up, and put the boil pot (5 gallon batch in a 7.5 gallon pot) into the bathtub.
Just my two cent, but I'd skip the wand, and use the 20 bucks for even the cheapest of copper immersion chillers...

I don't know. It was cooling about as fast with the wand as it does in the sink for me. A bathtub would be faster than my sink with all that volume though.

I felt the side of mine too and noticed that it was hot, but that would be expected. It's in contact with the hot wort, so when you pull it out it would take a minute for it to get cold again.

Overall, I think it's a useful tool in the right situations. With cold groundwater an IC would definitely be faster but this would have it's place for people trying to find other options.

 

[SkiSoloII]

Maybe for people with warm ground water? Get it down as far as possible quickly with the IC chiller, then use the paddle for the rest? Got to look both ways......

 

[ChshreCat]

Maybe for people with warm ground water? Get it down as far as possible quickly with the IC chiller, then use the paddle for the rest? Got to look both ways......

That's what I was figuring. This won't replace your current chilling method if you can get it down to pitching temp in a reasonable amount of time already, but for folks having trouble doing that now, this is an option.

 

[rico567]

I was thinking about getting one and using it in conjunction with my IC.....and only for that final pesky 10-15 degrees.

 

[MickJ0nes]

I use the 128oz ice wand. I start with an ice bath then slowly penetrate the wort with my huge wand. I gently move it around clockwise and change directions intermittently. I usually come in 30-35 min. to 70o. This is the only technique I've used. When doing IPA's I use my wand to crush the hop leaf and release her oils. Everyone has been pleased with the final product. Just be carefull not to put your wand in if the wort is too hot or it will explode.

Seriously... I'm never getting an immersion chiller.

 

[ChshreCat]

I start with an ice bath then slowly penetrate the wort with my huge wand. I gently move it around clockwise and change directions intermittently. I usually come in 30-35 min..

I totally read this in a "Dear Penthouse Letters" voice in my head

 

[iaefebs]

I totally read this in a "Dear Penthouse Letters" voice in my head

Best post of the night.

 

[MickJ0nes]

RIS... Full boil to 65o in 25min. Less than 20% of the wand melted with full ice bath... only 2.5 gallon boil mind you.

 

[MickJ0nes]

Might be a prb with a 5 gallon boil but I'm not there yet...

 

[Jdslep]

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/cice.html

Here is a calculator to find how much ice you need to cool water to/from any temperatures.