Question on ice

[Tsuyako]

I have seen some people use ice to cool down their wort faster when the don't have a wort chiller. But I've also heard that that is a bad idea as the ice isn't sanitized. Does it make a difference if I buy a bag or two of ice and put it into my hot wort? Or should I make my own ice with boiled and cooled water? (which would take forever)

 

[brian862107]

I'm a beginner too bit why would you put ice in wort? Put ice in sink or bath instead and then put pot on ice. That'll chill it right down without touching your brew/wort

 

[Tsuyako]

I'm a beginner too bit why would you put ice in wort? Put ice in sink or bath instead and then put pot on ice. That'll chill it right down without touching your brew/wort

Because my sink is very very shallow and it would take hours. I've seen people do it before and it would work for 'topping up water' after it's melted.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm a beginner too bit why would you put ice in wort? Put ice in sink or bath instead and then put pot on ice. That'll chill it right down without touching your brew/wort

Exactly!
You'd cool it down with water as far as it goes. Then use an ice bath to get it down the last 10-30 degrees to pitching temps.

Some people freeze water bottles, then sanitize them in Starsan, before floating them in the lukewarm wort.

Look for an immersion chiller, one of those copper coils.

 

[estricklin]

I have seen some people use ice to cool down their wort faster when the don't have a wort chiller. But I've also heard that that is a bad idea as the ice isn't sanitized. Does it make a difference if I buy a bag or two of ice and put it into my hot wort? Or should I make my own ice with boiled and cooled water? (which would take forever)

I really don't recommend putting any kind of ice in your wort, no matter what you can do it's never really going to be sanitary. Now, you might get away with it a bunch of times, but you know about Murphy.

An ice water BATH on the other hand, good idea for those who don't have a wort chiller. I actually make my own ice, (though I do have a wort chiller now), using plastic tubs from wal-mart. There's always no chill as well until you can get your hands on a wort chiller. Just find a way to transfer the wort into a plastic bucket and place it in your fermentation chamber, or where ever, until it cools. If your pot does not have a valve, let it sit in the pot until it cools below 100.

 

[Tsuyako]

Exactly!
You'd cool it down with water as far as it goes. Then use an ice bath to get it down the last 10-30 degrees to pitching temps.

Some people freeze water bottles, then sanitize them in Starsan, before floating them in the lukewarm wort.

Look for an immersion chiller, one of those copper coils.

Thanks for the water bottle tip, sounds much safer. Money is a little tight right now but I have the stuff to brew and can't afford a wort chiller. Hopefully next month the hubs can make me one.

 

[brian862107]

Enough about the ice, some help on the next topic would be appreciated lads/ladettes?

 

[ACbrewer]

If the sink is shallow, try the bath tub.

Ice in the wort is bad (the sanitized bottle thing has been mentioned before). Basically if the ice isn't sanitized first, you are pitching back in bacteria. Additionally after it is boiled, it has to be covered until used - ie you can fill ice cube trays, well I guess you could if you put a piece of plastic wrap over them, but yes, you need to keep it covered once it is boiled.
You could also look into the slow chill guys (can't remember their name) which basically they put it into the bucket hot and let it sit until the next day and pitch yeast. IF your sanitation is good, and the bucket covered, this is ok. If not, well see prior problems.

My wife for our copper anniversary got me a wort chiller (#7) this year is aluminum... And it is nice, if he really loves you, he will set you up with a hook up in the kitchen. That part I had to do on my own.

Also if you are doing partial boils, you can pre boil and then cool your top off water and pour that in from the fridge, although you have to make sure your top off water container is sanitized inside. If you fill it with boiling water that will probably be good enough.

 

[Tsuyako]

If the sink is shallow, try the bath tub.

Ice in the wort is bad (the sanitized bottle thing has been mentioned before). Basically if the ice isn't sanitized first, you are pitching back in bacteria. Additionally after it is boiled, it has to be covered until used - ie you can fill ice cube trays, well I guess you could if you put a piece of plastic wrap over them, but yes, you need to keep it covered once it is boiled.
You could also look into the slow chill guys (can't remember their name) which basically they put it into the bucket hot and let it sit until the next day and pitch yeast. IF your sanitation is good, and the bucket covered, this is ok. If not, well see prior problems.

My wife for our copper anniversary got me a wort chiller (#7) this year is aluminum... And it is nice, if he really loves you, he will set you up with a hook up in the kitchen. That part I had to do on my own.

Also if you are doing partial boils, you can pre boil and then cool your top off water and pour that in from the fridge, although you have to make sure your top off water container is sanitized inside. If you fill it with boiling water that will probably be good enough.

The pre boiled water sounds like best bet along with the frozen water bottle. We have a portable dishwasher in our place so we already have a converter on the sink (think it's the same set up). I really do not like the idea of leaving a wort out overnight, even it is covered. That just sounds like an infection waiting to happen. My last batch was a total bomb thanks to poor sanitation in the bottle department (lesson learned there...) so I really do want to be careful this time. Thanks for the info.

 

[PDevlin75]

Money is a little tight right now but I have the stuff to brew and can't afford a wort chiller. Hopefully next month the hubs can make me one.

Super simple to make, and probably half the price of buying one. I made my own... Is it as pretty as a store-bought chiller? Nope! But it works!

 

[unionrdr]

My 5 gallon kettle is shorter & a bit wider than the typical one sold on websites. only about 2/3's of it fits in the sink bowl. Still plenty to chill the wort in. I place the kettle in the sink with cold water to knock of several degrees first. Then drain replace kettle in sink & fill to the top around the kettle with ice. Then top that off with cold water. Chill down to about 75F & strain into clean, sanitized fermenter. I top off with gallons of chilled spring water to recipe volume,rapidly bringing the temp down to 65F or so. This can also produce a cold break, particularly if Irish moss or Whirlfloc was used.

 

[IslandLizard]

My 5 gallon kettle is shorter & a bit wider than the typical one sold on websites. only about 2/3's of it fits in the sink bowl. Still plenty to chill the wort in. I place the kettle in the sink with cold water to knock of several degrees first. Then drain replace kettle in sink & fill to the top around the kettle with ice. Then top that off with cold water. Chill down to about 75F & strain into clean, sanitized fermenter. I top off with gallons of chilled spring water to recipe volume,rapidly bringing the temp down to 65F or so. This can also produce a cold break, particularly if Irish moss or Whirlfloc was used.

You add the top off spring water to the kettle before chilling, right?

 

[unionrdr]

Not usually, no. Sometimes I add about half of it to chill it down real quick. Most times, I chill the sealed jugs in the fridge a couple days before brew day. Then top off with it in the fermenter to recipe volume. The water is ozoned, filtered, etc when they fill the jugs with it. So that's been perfectly fine every time.