Using a wort chiller

[mr_bell]

I'm looking to expand my equipment with a wort chiller, however, question. I brew extract / partial boils and have always cooled in an icewater bath with a lid on the pot. I anticipate that the lid will not fit with a chiller in my (5 gal) kettle. If I go with the chiller, do I need to be concerned about not having a lid on while cooling?

Bottled: Southern English Brown, Apfelwein
Primary: American Wheat
Coming soon: Midwest Bourbon Barrel Old Ale

 

[weirdboy]

Why would you keep a lid on it? I constantly stir mine with a sanitized spoon while it's chilling. It cools much, much faster that way.

 

[Nyxator]

I've used an immersion chiller for years with no problems leaving the lid off while cooling. It's pretty unlikely that you'll get an infection that way.

I second the stirring idea, it really does speed up the cooling process.

 

[Catch-22]

+100 on wort chiller. I also leave mine uncovered. My faucet is a stupid Moen that doesn't work on the garden hose fitting (not even with an adapter), so I put a Y fitting on my cold side of washing machine and shove the end hose through the drain. I use a 10 gal mega pot sitting on a cold wet towel and stir being careful to not splash and introduce oxygen. I believe the stirring helps concentrate the hot and cold break in the center. Wort is pitchable in about 20 min.

 

[Sacreddog717]

If you are looking for a wort/immersion chiller, they are very easy to make. I made mine by wrapping the copper tubing around a paint can. Took me 15-20 min. start to finish and cost me 1/2 of retail to make 2. I figure I'll give one to my sister for all the help she has given me brewing and bottling. Cools the wort in 20 min. instead of 45-60 min.. Definately a must have.

 

[Dave258]

I made my chiller from copper tubing from home depot. 40 bucks for 5/8 inch od. Had couplings and everything at home from a side job I did.
Did a test run the other night to clean it with vinager and water, about 4 gallons went from 200* to 74* in 15 min.
That is much better then it spending an hour in the sink with multiple water changes!
BobbyM (I think) has a great video on making one!
Good luck,
Dave

 

[Grinder12000]

I've never had a lid on when chilling - went from partial boils on the stove (ice bath) to full boils on the stove (double ice bath) and full boils in the garage with a wort chiller and I love the chiller.

Lids slow down the process and I've never heard anyone getting an infection FROM no lid.

 

[mr_bell]

See page 10 of 3rd edition of "How to Brew":

"10. Cool the wort. After the boil, the wort must be cooled to yeast-pitching temperature...as quickly as possible. To do this, immerse the pot in a cold water or ice bath...Be sure to keep the lid on the pot while cooling to prevent any cooling water or other potential contaminants from getting in..."

There is also another mention in ch 7 that says it's best to keep the lid on, but you can carefully stir with a sanitized spoon (which I've done when motivated)

I'm not debating whether or not a lid is necessary, it's just what I've always done. I've never gone wrong with the advice on the forumt, so if you guys say no worries without the lid, I'm down w/ that.

 

[jar1087]

Keeping the lid on is probably important with an unstirred, unchilled pot which takes 60 minutes to cool down; that's a lot of time to be exposed to the air. But with a chiller, you're down to pitching temps in 10 to 15 minutes, even faster if you also use an ice bath, so there is much less risk of exposure due to the shorter time period.

 

[LarryC]

One comment and one question. The comment - I have read that keeping the lid on, especially before the temp gets under 150° is bad because it can trap (I'm sure I have this acronym wrong) MDS in your wort. Leaving the lid off until it is under 150° is supposed to let the MDS evaporate off int space.

Now the question. I have been looking at making a chiller but I found this one on the interweb and I can't make one this cheap. Has anyone bought this chiller - http://www.brewsterbrown.com/super-chiller-xl.html ?

 

[CDbrews]

That is cheap, the only reason i got mine cheaper is because i got the copper tubing for free. that is less than you will pay in the store for just the tubing and if you want to add different fittings or mod it you can

 

[jar1087]

Yeah, I'd scoop that up if I were you, that's really cheap. I think I paid $30 for tubing, plus the fittings. As far as performance goes, I imagine it will work great; after all, they're pretty simple devices and not much to screw up when making them.

 

[kanderna]

I guess it begs the question... why so cheap? Thoughts?

 

[LarryC]

I guess it begs the question... why so cheap? Thoughts?

Exactly why I was asking if anyone had bought one - maybe they got a million feet of tubing they don't know what to do with

 

[zurcj20]

That is the chiller some people bought on ebay a while back and they said that it is only 1/4" tubing. that is why it's so cheap.

 

[Catch-22]

See page 10 of 3rd edition of "How to Brew":
There is also another mention in ch 7 that says it's best to keep the lid on, but you can carefully stir with a sanitized spoon (which I've done when motivated)

I will also add....

In the Brew Strong episode called HSA with Dr. Charlie Bamforth, discussion was brought up regarding stirring and they concluded that unless you are stirring so rapidly and frothing, it probably doesn't impact the wort in a negative way. Not a quote, just paraphrasing. HSA is obviously Hot Side Aeration.

 

[coryforsenate]

5 gallons: 212 to 72 in 7 minutes

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ultimate-wort-cooling-5-gallons-212-70-degrees-7-minutes-134440/

 

[Paddle_Head]

That is the chiller some people bought on ebay a while back and they said that it is only 1/4" tubing. that is why it's so cheap.

I'm totally new, and haven't even brewed with my equipment yet, but I don't think that this necessarily makes this a bad purchase.

You can pay alot more for alot less. Check out this one from NortherBrewer for twice the price. 3/8" hose, but half the length.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/default/standard-chiller-3-8-x25-with-hose-fittings.html

Because the one in question is 50' long the loss in circumfrence area is compensated with length. The total area of the chiller would be equal to the circumfrence of the pipe multiplied by the length (CxL), and the circumfrence is simple the diameter of the pipe multipled by pi.

25' long pipe with 3/8" wide tubing
(3/8" x 3.14) x 300" = 353.25" square

50' long pipe with 1/4" wide tubing
(1/4" x 3.14) x 600" = 471" square

Like I said, I haven't brewed anything yet (just taken the stuff outta the box), so I can't leverage any experience with brewing, but the thermodynamic principles here seem like this could be an effective chiller for the price.

 

[Richabt]

The only time I cover mine during the chilling process is if I walk away from it for a while. I use aluminum foil to loosely cover it mainly to keep any big critters or junk from getting into my wort.