Recommended Wort Chiller?

[Pelikan]

After a few brews under my belt, I'm starting to eye up a some gizmos, among them a wort chiller. Out of all the stuff I'm planning to buy, the chiller is the most optional.

To be clear, I'd much rather spend more money on something that's user-friendly and quality, but I don't like to spend unnecessarily. I suppose I'm asking: What's the best wort chilling solution for about 3-4 gallons of wort that doesn't cost a fortune, and at the same time offers much better performance when compared to a standard ice-bath?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Pelikan,

I apologize in advance, cause this is probably not what you want to hear, but IMO for only 3-4 gallons, i think a water bath followed by an ice bath is probably your best route.

No doubt chillers work, but obtaining the final chill into the low to mid sixties for an ale can be challenging depending on your tap water temp. If you can plan ahead and store the ice from an ice maker all the better.

Using any chiller that is not supplemented w/ ice during the summer months will require additional chilling anyway. So IMO if your going to have to ice bath to get the last 10-20 degrees, why not just ice bath from boiling. (assuming you have ice available)

I have a 25' 3/8" chiller and for 3-4 gallons I probably wouldn't even fool w/ it.

The above is all predicated on having a decent quantity of ice available! If you have the ability to plan ahead and make some ice you will do fine.

If you love gadgets...get an immersion chiller w/ a pre-chiller and possibly a recirc pump and you will shave some time off your chill. But for me, that's a hassle and expense that's not warranted for small batch brewing.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I have a DIY wort chiller I use attached straight to my faucet. The water is darn cold and does a great job by itself, but I still put some ice around the bottom of my kettle (just trying to get a nice hard cold break). My IC does do a lot faster job then an ice bath, especially for the $30 I spent making it. If you don't have cold water, or pay for your water, then a basin with a pump and ice water would be great. I guess it boils down to if the slight improvement is worth it for you (yes, even in a 3 gallon boil there is a big improvement with mine). Cheers!

 

[Pelikan]

What would one need to make a chiller DIY?

 

[Duckfoot]

25' of 3/8" copper refrigeration tubing, appropriate fittings for whatever kind of attachments you want on the ends (ie: garden hose, hose barbs if you use a small recirc pump, etc), solder, propane torch, flux, some time and patience... And something to coil the copper around...

 

[Ketchepillar]

You said 3-4 gallons, so if you are doing a partial boil, I would suggest getting the rest of your water down to almost freezing. That way you don't have to cool it down as low. <-not really a response to your question

 

[tiko]

im in a similar boat i think. i decided to bulid a immersion chiller. bobby m has an awesome tutorial for it. counter flow chillers are better but they require a pump. so do plate chillers. i think an important consideration is expandability. do you see yourself ever making 5 gal + batches? 10 gal +? anything over 5 you probably want a pump anyway and counter flow or plate will work better id say.

 

[Duckfoot]

counter flow chillers are better but they require a pump.

Not really... You can use gravity for the wort and a garden hose for the CFC water... I just happen to use a pond pump for recirculating the cold water...

 

[tiko]

well now you got me thinking. how dare you. maybe ill build a CFC. but i have to put a valve on the bk.

 

[SeldomSeen]

I got a 30' section of 3/8 copper tubing from the hardware store.
I wrapped it around my CO2 cylinder that I use for 4wheeling and that got the shape pretty close to perfect for my brew pot.

I bent the ends around till I got a good bend and then I use hose clamps to connect vinyl tubing to the faucet and a drain.

During the wort boil I run the wort chiller through the dishwasher with a tablespoon of one step sanitizer and with a heated dry cycle. I pull the thing out of the dishwasher still hot, put it in the wort, and then attatch the tubing to it and turn on the water.

10 minutes later, I have 65 degree wort ready for yeast pitching.

 

[Pelikan]

Eh, I might go KISS and stick to the sink for now...

 

[Duckfoot]

well now you got me thinking. how dare you. maybe ill build a CFC. but i have to put a valve on the bk.

Worth the trouble...

You can pick up the copper tubing fairly inexpensively now... Check HVAC stores instead of HD or Lowes... I would go to Lowes for the fittings and you can probably find a 25' piece of garden hose on the cheap, if not free... Follow BobbyM's tutorial and you will be golden...

:rockin: