counter flow time savings?

[Lucky_Chicken]

I currently have an immersion chiller, and it works well for 10 gallon batches~ 15 min while recirculating, then I remove it, whirlpool, let sit, and pump to the fermenter.

I am wondering if it would be a time savings to switch to using a counter flow chiller? Then I could chill and whirlpool at the same time, then when its chilled I could just let it settle and pump to the fermenter. This would be a bigger plumbing change.

If I did a hot whirlpool, then I could chill right into the fermenter. The downside I see right off the bat is that i then get cold break in the fermenter, is this a big deal?

Anything I am missing, or thoughts?

 

[conpewter]

I don't whirlpool at all (whole hops on the screen seem to catch almost all the hot break) I may recirculate for 5 minutes through the counterflow if my water is not cold enough to get me down to temp in one pass. After that I go right to the fermenter (with a small air hole to suck in air bubbles during transfer, saves time on shaking). So in the winter I put all the cold break in the fermenter and normally have no issues. I do a long primary so it compacts down nicely and I don't lose much in transfer. In the summer I might be catching some of my cold break in the hop trub since I recirc for a bit.

 

[zoso]

Immersion with a whirlpool recirc is pretty quick, I don't see a counter flow being much better.

What I do (especially in the summer) is run a splitter off the hose bib and run an immersion with the "Jamil" recirc/whirlpool arm off one of the hose lines and and a counterflow off the other hose line.

So hot wort leaves the kettle, goes to the pump, through the counterflow and back into the kettle via the "jamil" tube attached to the immersion chiller. When I hit pitch temp I just shut off the pump and water and wait a few minutes for the whirlpool to settle, then move my hose from the jamil to my carboy(s).

Cools fast and cools the entire batch preserving hoppyness.

 

[wildwest450]

Immersion with a whirlpool recirc is pretty quick, I don't see a counter flow being much better.

A counter flow can go from boiling to pitching temps in seconds, no ic can do that.

 

[onthekeg]

I run the hot water out of the CFC through my old IC to cool with whatever heat that can be absorbed by the water flow, then to a big sink for cleanup. It works pretty well that way, and it also makes sure I have removed as much heat as possible with the water flow.

 

[outside92129]

i can lower the wort temp from boiling to pitching temp as fast as my march pump can drain the boil kettle, full bore.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

i can lower the wort temp from boiling to pitching temp as fast as my march pump can drain the boil kettle, full bore.

nice! My aeration device (1/2" piece of copper with holes drilled in it) doesn't let me go full bore without it coming out the holes.

Sounds like this might be the way to go, maybe I can re-purpose my IC, or sell it.