extract brewing - wort temperature question

[Joe61]

Another newbie question...

The extract kit instructions I have seen are all pretty similar in procedure.

Boil 2.5 gallons of wort. Chill to below 70F in ice bath or with wort chiller. Add 2.5+ water to get to 5 gallons total. Pitch yeast. Cooling the wort is supposed to be done quickly.

Makes sense. However, I was wondering why another method would not work.

Why couldn't you add the wort to much cooler water (the same 2.5+ gallons that is going to be added anyway)? Instead of having the extra water at room temp, why not chill that water first? You could still chill the wort, but it wouldn't have to be as cool. For example, adding 2.5 gal of 40F water to a 90F wort should give you a 65F mixture for pitching.

Even adding that chilled water in increments to the hot wort could achieve a quicker cool down to the desired temp.

Is there a reason it shouldn't be done this way?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

You can do that as long as you are being careful with sanitation - the water that you cool before hand must be stored in a sanitised container (ideally it is cool-boiled water). You can make up ice blocks to cool the wort as long as you are careful with sanitation.

 

[flars]

The method you are considering is the best way to chill the wort to pitching temperature and most often used. It is much easier to let the wort come up to the desired fermentation temperature than try to cool an active fermentation that is getting to warm.

When using glass carboys it is best to add some of the chilled water to the carboy and then add the cooled wort. The chilled water will even out the warming of the carboy to prevent thermal stress of the glass.

My worts are usually 58° to 60°F when I pitch the yeast.

 

[seabrew8]

Another newbie question...

The extract kit instructions I have seen are all pretty similar in procedure.

Boil 2.5 gallons of wort. Chill to below 70F in ice bath or with wort chiller. Add 2.5+ water to get to 5 gallons total. Pitch yeast. Cooling the wort is supposed to be done quickly.

Makes sense. However, I was wondering why another method would not work.

Why couldn't you add the wort to much cooler water (the same 2.5+ gallons that is going to be added anyway)? Instead of having the extra water at room temp, why not chill that water first? You could still chill the wort, but it wouldn't have to be as cool. For example, adding 2.5 gal of 40F water to a 90F wort should give you a 65F mixture for pitching.

Even adding that chilled water in increments to the hot wort could achieve a quicker cool down to the desired temp.

Is there a reason it shouldn't be done this way?

Cool it down however you like and don't stress on it being "quick". Just make sure its a reasonable temp. before pitching. Yeast really doesn't like hot temperatures.

For instance, i read a few times now about people letting the wort cool overnight with no issues.

Edit: If you want quick, the counter flow chiller i have cools my wort in literally minutes. However, i see no real advantage, just time and maybe clarity.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I used to boil water put it in sanitized bucket, cover and freeze it. I let it sit out while I was boiling the wort allowing it to melt a bit. I carefully added this block of ice to the wort to cool it and reach the final volume.

 

[balrog]

Sanitize a couple pitchers and refrigerate water overnight before brewing.
Add this and tap water to somewhat cooled wort. Cool the boil first to a calculable temp (mass1*temp1 + mass2*temp2 = TotalMass*FinalTemp). If you dump the cold water into the boil, then trying to cool the large mass if needed, takes much longer than cooling the smaller boil first. Since I started brewing extracts, boiling only 3G down to 2-ish, adding top off water, using a bucket not worrying about thermal shock breakage, this was the method I used.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

All of the above are good suggestions. One thing you need to keep in mind, though. DO NOT add boiling wort directly to an empty glass or plastic (PET) carboy. The glass will break from thermal shock and most plastic carboys will deform. Plastic brew buckets should be fine.

 

[Joe61]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. It's a wonder this cooling method is not mentioned in any of the "guides' I have seen.

Regarding sanitizing the water that is added... is that because the water is going to sit for a while? I plan to use bottled water (Poland Spring comes in convenient 2.5 gallon jugs - boil 1 for wort, use one for top off water and have an extra gallon sitting around to bring it up to 5 gallons).

If I am working from an unopened bottled water jug, is there still a need to boil it?

 

[meatcleaver]

I do PM partial boil & keep 3 gallons spring water (store bought) in the fridge. at flameout I stir in the remaining lme & throw in my fo hop addition. I give it 10 mins to sterilize the extract then add the cold water to quickly cool the wort. I pour the water down the side of the kettle to minimize splashing. has worked well for over a year & 25+ batches.