ice bath wort chilling

[BetterSense]

Does anyone else cool wort by ice bath immersion?

I don't have a proper wort chiller and with the price of copper they are now like $75. The last (and the first) all-grain batch I brewed, I put some water and ice in my metal trash can and set the whole kettle in there. It took about a half hour to cool down, but didn't require any equipment and since I didn't stir the wort at all, all the sediment in my wort agglomerated into nice easy-to-avoid clumps. I calculated that depending on how much water you have to add to the bath, this should take about 15-20lb of ice for 5 gallons.

I've been shopping for a deal on a wort chiller but I think I will just keep using the trashcan method. The way the solids clumped together and separated from the clear wort was really an unexpected benefit. The downside is that you have to be strong enough to pick up your boiling hot kettle into a trash can of ice.

 

[Beezy]

I do. 4 full boil batches I have done this way. I have a bucket its like 15 gallon that I stick the kettle in. First I just fill it with water. The water gets hot and I dump it and repeat like 3 times. Then I put a ton of ice and salt in there. It takes me a few hours to get it down. Defo getting a chiller at the earliest convenience.

 

[kh54s10]

Search making your own DIY IC. It should only cost $25=$30 for all you need. I priced 3/8" soft copper and found 25 ft. to be around $15-$20 I will build one with the tubing about, ~5 ft of hosing, 2 hose clamps, one female garden hose fitting and a faucet adapter. I'll probably run from the kitchen faucet through the IC then empty into the sink or out the window. That is until I graduate to AG outdoors.

 

[BetterSense]

It should only cost $25=$30 for all you need. I priced 3/8" soft copper and found 25 ft. to be around $15-$20

Those are not the prices that I have found. I have found that it's going to cost me over $50-$75 just for the copper.

 

[Beezy]

Yeah it's not that cheap. I have seen like 70 for 50 so 25 is going to be like 40 or more. I haven't found it in that length yet even tho. Still probably going to make my own but it's not as cheap as you think.

 

[TopherM]

I can go from 212 to 80 in an ice bath in under 20 minutes. The secret is I have a VERY thin aluminum (w/oxygen layer, of course), that I transfer to from my SS boil kettle. The thin aluminum transfers temp very readily, so about 20 lbs. of ice melts like a banshee, but also cools like a banshee as well (do banshees melt or cool?).

I'm planning on moving on to an CFC soon enough, but this has been a great alternative in the meantime.

 

[scribo]

You can get to a wort chiller pretty cheaply. I priced 20 foot of 3/8 type L copper coil at Home Depot online for $25.

I have had success clamping a cut end of a garden hose onto my copper coild chiller with a hose clamp, one with a screw for tightening. That makes a nice tight fit with no leaks. I like to have the ends outside the pot and pointing down (like the neck of a swan), so that if I have a loose connection, the water drips outside of the pot and not into the wort. My hose clamp union never leaks but it seems impossible to stop drips from my thread-thread connections. I think my tubing is 1/2 but I think 3/8 should work.

I was surprised that you got such a nice cold break. Besides time and sanitation, I thought one of the advantages of the wort chiller was to crash the temperature and get some of the unwanted protein to fall out of solution.

I think the time and hassle of getting that ice together and waiting for the cooldown would be pretty annoying. Once you get your chiller, it will last you.

Cheers.


Homewerks Worldwide
3/8 in. x 20 ft. Copper Type L Coil
Model CL03020
$25.11

 

[BetterSense]

I can go from 212 to 80 in an ice bath in under 20 minutes. The secret is I have a VERY thin aluminum (w/oxygen layer, of course), that I transfer to from my SS boil kettle. The thin aluminum transfers temp very readily,

I also have a very thin aluminum kettle (turkey fryer from Academy). It's so thin you can push the sides in with your thumb. Maybe that's why it worked so well for me, because it took maybe a half hour tops, and I didn't stir it at all.

 

[Rahahb]

I did my first 5 batches this way. I would bring the brew pot into the house and put it in the sink in ice. Replacing the ice as it melted, and stirring, I can get batches to 75 or under in less than 30 minutes.

I used a wort chiller for the first time saturday and it was super nice. I will be making my own when I get around to it.

 

[TopherM]

I also have a very thin aluminum kettle (turkey fryer from Academy). It's so thin you can push the sides in with your thumb. Maybe that's why it worked so well for me, because it took maybe a half hour tops, and I didn't stir it at all.

I actually had a brew party with a buddy of mine that has a 35' IC. He started his IC going on the garden hose with about 68 degree water about 10 minutes before I started my ice bath, and I done about 5 minutes before he was.

I can see the benefit of having a 50-75 foot IC running through a pre-chiller or a pump with ice water, but I don't think there is any real difference when you are talking about a 25-35 foot IC vs. an ice bath. The ice bath may even be a bit more convenient.

 

[Boleslaus]

I use this method, but I also only do partial boils, so I can cool my BK down in an ice bath to <120 in about 10-20 min then add it to 2.5 gal of 34F water...it usually ends up around 60F.

Edit: I wouldn't mind upgrading to an IC, since I'll need one eventually, but I don't have a utility sink or an outdoor faucet (I live in an apartment) so I can't screw a hose into my sink...

 

[BrewerinBR]

Here is an amazon link for 3/8" by 20' copper coils for $25.36 ... the rest of the stuff is pretty easy to get ...
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=3%2F8+copper+tubing&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7899835659&ref=pd_sl_8cqieucm5w_b

I use ice baths but only doing 3 gal batches in kitchen. I will be making a counter flow chiller when I move to 10 gal batches after I finish building my brew room.
Edit: I can go from boiling to 70 in about 15 to 20 minutes with my aluminum boil kettle and about 20 lbs of ice. I have a galvanized tub I use because my boil kettle is to big for the sink.

Here is a 25 foot IC on Amazon for $ 37.99 ... not bad!
http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Coil-Immersion-Chiller-Length/dp/B002NZNJG2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312833054&sr=8-3

 

[Beezy]

I have the thin aluminum. I would have to see it to believe you can get it down that quick. If you have 20 bucks work of ice sure but you can buy a chiller after 2 batches. It took me 2 hours last time and I didn't buy any ice. Just what my fridge would freeze in 2 days.

 

[kingmatt]

This is the exact one that I have:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller.html

I would highly recommend it. I am able to get 5.25 gal down to under 70 degrees in 20-25 min (depending on the time of year). Plus it is stainless steel so it is super sturdy and you don't have to worry about kinks!

 

[JuanMoore]

The way the solids clumped together and separated from the clear wort was really an unexpected benefit.

Try whirlpooling next time and watch all the solids form a nice tight cone in the center of the pot. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Whirlpooling

 

[chezhed]

. . . but also cools like a banshee as well (do banshees melt or cool?).

Hmmm, interesting question....I have only heard of screaming banshees


I have the pieces of a rough 50 ft IC...it was actually 2 25' coils connected with a Tee for input. Kind of one inside the other. I was using as a pre-chiller for my plate chiller but that doesn't do much for 90 degree ground water so I have changed methods to cool input water on the plate chiller.

All that said, I think I will be getting rid of it soon....watch classifieds as I will try to get some pics first or PM me if you can't wait

 

[Beezy]

Banshee's can do anything and they do it well. Postin' like a banshee son.