Cooling the Wort???

[sefrayser]

I brewed my third batch and it took me 1.5 hours to cool the wort. I couldn't use my worm and had to place it in snow. Will that affect my beer?

 

[CastleHollow]

By worm, I assume you mean immersion chiller. Too bad you couldn't use it--ground water these days is about 45, you could have knocked that temp down in no time.

There are various techniques for cooling wort, including a no chill method. As long as you kept a lid on the pot, it should be okay.

 

[tooblue02]

Before I got my wort chiller it would take me an hour or so to chill the batch, never had any issues.

 

[sefrayser]

Yes I made an immersion chiller but my hose was frozen. I didn't keep the top on it. This is my third brew and I see I have a lot to learn. I figured leaving the top on would retain the heat.

 

[tooblue02]

The top is more of a barrier to keep things out, it does take a little longer to cool with it on but as long as nothing fell into the beer while it was cooling you should be fine

 

[sefrayser]

Nothing got in the beer.......at least I don't think it did.

 

[scruffyhansolo]

In the future when you use snow put it in a container with water like an ice bath. If you put your pot directly in the snow it melts the layer right around the pot then the snow insulates from the cold like an igloo. That's probably why it took that long.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[sefrayser]

I did notice every time I went out that the snow was pushed away and I would repack it around the pot. It was a experience but one that I will not do again. With the immersion chiller I made I could cool the wort in 30-40 minutes.

 

[craigger64]

In the future when you use snow put it in a container with water like an ice bath. If you put your pot directly in the snow it melts the layer right around the pot then the snow insulates from the cold like an igloo. That's probably why it took that long.

^^ THIS! ^^

I learned this when I first started brewing. I thought the snow would make a perfect wort chiller, and I just couldn't figure out why it was taking FOREVER to chill my wort! Then I read somewhere (probably in this forum) that the snow actually acts as an insulator and keeps the wort warm.

 

[MarcusKillion]

I used to put my pot in the bath tub and fill it with cold water . This in the summer time so water is about room temp . Never had an issue at all . I placed a towel over the pot instead of the lid so heat could escape . It took a couple hours or more to cool down . I also use this method for fermenting in summer . It keeps the beer at a decent temp.
I later went to putting it in a large plastic tub and putting in two or three bags of ice and water . That works well but ice around here these days is very expensive . Usually around 5 bucks a bag. So i built a chiller but in summer it does nothing much around here . 70 degree water does not chill hot wort worth a crap . Still need the ice and even then about an hour to cool.

 

[andy6026]

Ah, the old frozen hose problem again. That happened to me once and I've vowed it will never happen again.

Some good ppl here recommended some good solutions though if you're ever in this jam again:

1) Hook your chiller up directly to the faucet. Sure you'll have to carry a pot full of boiling hot wort to wherever the connector is, but if you have good handles on it and a friend to help you carry it then it may be manageable.

2) bring the hose into the house, throw it in a hot shower for 5-10 minutes and it's ready to go.

Some other ideas came up but these seemed to be the best.