how long for wort to cool?

[stevefromga2000]

i just got done making my first batch of wort, actually got finished about 45 minutes ago. it's still at around 90 degrees. the recipe i have says to let it drop below 80 degrees before i put the yeast in. it also mentions to not worry if you let it cool too much.

does this mean i should expect a long time for it to cool? right now i'm thinking that it's going to be the morning before it's cool. am i right? or should i just be a little more patient?

again, all help is appreciated.

 

[Special Hops]

This time of year I have a hrs time cooling below 90 down south. I cool to 90. Stick it in a sanitize fermentors with some sanitized foil over it. Stick it inside in the AC. And then wait until the morning to pitch the yeast.

 

[stevefromga2000]

that helps a little bit. i am down south, in birmingham, so i will let it sit and cool down.

 

[heckels]

In the dead of a south dakota winter (20F that day, pretty balmy actually) it took about 3.5 hours to go from boiling to 80F. I said never again and built an immersion chiller. Now a 5 gallon batch cools to 80 in about 20 min.

 

[arturo7]

What action are you taking to cool it?

 

[just2brew]

ten gallon batches take me an hour and a half with imersion chiller. I just think of it as time to start cleaning up.

 

[Golddiggie]

Get/build/buy yourself a wort chiller. I started with immersion chillers but have progressed to a 40 plate chiller. With that, adjusting the flow to keep it within my target zone, I can chill 5.5-6 gallons of boiling hot wort to 65-70F in about 8 minutes. It would probably be a bit faster if I had a pump feeding the chiller from the kettle (extra time getting the final ~1.5-2 gallons)... With an IC you can go from boil to 65-70F (depends on your tap/ground water temp) in 10-20 minutes (depends on how much wort you're chilling, the size of the chiller coil, and how you use it )...

IMO, you'll always chill your wort faster with some kind of chiller (IC, CFC, or plate chiller). You should be able to get it to pitching temp in under 30 minutes, unless the water is above that temp.

Personally, I wish I had picked up the plate chiller months before I did. Very little effort to get the wort chilled down, and you can watch the temperature of the wort as it leaves. I have the Chillhog 4000 and RebelSmart fitted with QD's on the wort side. I added a QD to the backflush hose that came with the chiller too. Makes things even easier.

 

[stevefromga2000]

while i had it in the pot that i made the wort in, i moved it to the sink with some ice mixed with some cold water. when the ice melted, i replaced the cold water. unfortunately i ran out of ice (i will make sure not to run out next time). after it cooled to about 100, i poured it into my fermenter bucket and topped off with 2 gallons of cold water. it did not chill it as fast as i thought it would take. right now, i have it sitting in a dark area, the coolest part of my house, and closed up. not sealed, but covered. right now i'm just waiting for the temp to drop. it should be ready in the morning, i will sprinkle the yeast on before i head to work. any suggestions against this idea? or any ideas on how to prepare better for next time?

 

[TwoGunz]

I used to stick my kettle in a snow bank in the winter and it still took forever. I was convinced I needed a chiller until I started floating my pot in a big plastic tub of water on my drive way and leaving the hose at the bottom still running low -- cools really fast without anything extra to clean and sanitize.

 

[birvine]

Next time - immersion chiller. I have brewed since 1991 (but still too dense to know anything!) and I finally built one this year. Simple gadget - amazing results.

B

 

[diS]

I am using IC w/ aquarium pump.
1st 10 minutes (until it drops down to 100F) with tap water, then I connect pump in ice bath.
Results are amazing- from boil temp. to 66F in 20 mins.

 

[Wingfan13]

How do the plate chillers work ? I have never seen one in action.

I have an immersion chiller that I just bought. The issue is that the water coming out of the faucet is not that cold since it has been 100 degrees here for the last 30 days or so. So, I am still putting my pot into the sink with ice water AND the immersion chiller. I get down to about 80 in 30 minutes.

 

[arturo7]

while i had it in the pot that i made the wort in, i moved it to the sink with some ice mixed with some cold water. when the ice melted, i replaced the cold water. unfortunately i ran out of ice

Unless you have unlimited ice, don't use it until you get down to 100 or 90. The final 20 or so degrees is a lot harder to cool than the first 20.

 

[stevefromga2000]

that makes sense to wait too. i didn't really think about that part.

 

[grant-robison]

I'm planning on building an immersion chiller soon but for my first two batches i have just bought a bag of ice on the way home from my LHBS and made an ice water bath in my sink. Works fine. Stir the bath around your brew kettle and it should chill in no time. Just keep a lid on top to avoid potential infectious splashes.

 

[unionrdr]

That's what I do,but I just use cold water the 1st couple rounds. Then put in the ice. I was toying with the idea of using ice the way old school ice cream makers did. You put salt on the ice with no water around the pot,& the thin aluminum with the cream mixture in it would freeze to the sides.
So why not try it in the sink with the brew kettle? Mine's stainless steel,but it should still work...?