Tip for Immersion Chiller users....

[Kaz]

Check/tighten all the hose clamps before every use of your chiller. It can be quite a surprise to have a hose blast off when you're chilling.

 

[asterix404]

an accident just happened with your last batch I take it? I have to say, that it doesn't seem to matter what I brew or how much, my kitchen floor is covered with water by the time I am done.

 

[enohcs]

Done that. Fortunately the two times it happened to me the water pressure was such that it shot out of the kettle and the wort was unscathed.
my chiller is now my HERMS coil and I'm using a plate chiller...which works so well that I'm still kicking myself for not going with a plate chiller years ago.

 

[chumpsteak]

The best is when the outlet pops off right at the beginning of chilling and 150 degree water hits you in the head.

 

[kpr121]

Nahhh I love the suspense of turning the hose/pump on and wondering whether I will get a nice spray of unsanitary garden hose water into my wort.

Seriously, I never think to check my connections until after I've already started chilling. I guess I will learn the hard way one day.

 

[douglasbarbin]

I like to run the hose for a few minutes after hooking up the wort chiller, but before starting my boil. That way I can make sure that everything is secure, then just set the wort chiller to the side (still hooked up to the hose, but turned off). Then I just throw the WC in the boil for the last 15 mins or so to sanitize it, and turn it on right after flameout.

 

[hops2it]

Exactly the reason I soldered on garden hose fittings for influent and effluent. I don't trust hose clamps very much.

 

[BiscayneBrewing]

Another tip...I was brewing yesterday and put my IC in the wort for the last 15 of the boil. A few minutes later I hear water dripping. I never thought to drain the water out of the IC after my last batch and when it heated up/boiled it started pouring out into my wort. I just slid it over to the side of the kettle so it drained on the patio floor. Thankfully I had 10 minutes left in the boil so I'm not worried about infection.

After chilling my wort I used an air compressor to blast all the water out of the IC.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Another tip...I was brewing yesterday and put my IC in the wort for the last 15 of the boil. A few minutes later I hear water dripping. I never thought to drain the water out of the IC after my last batch and when it heated up/boiled it started pouring out into my wort. I just slid it over to the side of the kettle so it drained on the patio floor. Thankfully I had 10 minutes left in the boil so I'm not worried about infection.

After chilling my wort I used an air compressor to blast all the water out of the IC.

This is why I leave the wort chiller connected to the hose on both ends after I test it out. Once I put it in the kettle to sanitize it, I know that whatever water is in there will be coming out far away, from the other end of the hose.

 

[asterix404]

I just stick mine in starsan before I immerse it. Also it gets all of the oxidized copper off. I have never had a problem with sanitation though I did leave a bit of water in there once and I turned on the faucet and the scalding water got my hand once. Surprisingly it only takes getting a burn like that once to know to never do that again.