Using a wort chiller

[bluphil52]

Just done my third BIAB.
When I was cooling down my wort from boiling to get down to 20c...
It was 35c by the time I had finished.
Now is this because I didn't put my cold water flow on full?!?
Would it have helped if I had put it on full power?!?
Thanks for help people

 

[Takuie]

Not sure by what you mean when you say you were finished it was only at 35 C. If it wasnt at 18-20 C, then technically you are not finished.

Are you using an immersion wort chiller or counterflow?

 

[bluphil52]

Hi
My wort was 35c so I couldn't put my yeast in. Normally I put yeast in at 20c.
It's a wort chiller- where a cold hose pipe goes through.

 

[bluphil52]

It's not the copper spiral thing u can buy

 

[number40fan]

I think I understand. You ran the wort through a wort chiller and it only cooled it down to 35° C. You are wondering if turning up the water flow would have cooled it more.

The speed of the wort flowing through the chiller as well as the flow of the cold water flowing through, both effect the rate of cooling the wort.

 

[bluphil52]

Hi yes that's correct
Sorry if I wasn't explaining properly
Well my wort I haven't any control over how fast it comes out.
But today I think I made the mistake of not having my cold tap Water on full. The flow was to gentle.
I just wanted someone to clarify my mistake
Thanks phil

 

[treacheroustexan]

I'm lost here. Why couldn't you keep the wort chiller flowing until you got it to the temperature you wanted?

 

[number40fan]

He is probably using some sort of heat exchanger. Wort flows in and out while being cooled by water running through it. If he can't slow down the wort and give the water more time to remove the heat, then it won't cool enough. He is thinking that not having enough water flow might have been the problem, which very well could have. I think finding a way to slow down the wort would help too.

 

[bluphil52]

To be honest the flow of the wort is pretty steady. I have had the temp of wort around 22c in previous boils.
So I think it's definitely my flow of water was too slow

 

[KepowOb]

Water flow and the temperature of the water will effect the effectiveness... Is your water warmer now?

My ground water goes to 45F in the winter, to 75F in the summer. Needles to say, my chiller works a he'll of a lot better in the winter.

 

[WayFrae]

I'm lost here. Why couldn't you keep the wort chiller flowing until you got it to the temperature you wanted?

I think he is using a counterflow wort chiller.

 

[Komocabo]

I have a plate chiller (30 plate, long by Dudadiesel) and I have to have the flow turned back to get to pitching temps. My water is about 67° coming from tap. It works, but not as well as advertised. If I open up the valve on the BK, the wort exiting the chiller gets over 90°. It takes about 20-30 mins to get 11 gals of boiling wort to 72°

 

[Esmitee]

I to use a immersion chiller alone with a counter-flow chiller. I run the IC 1st and get the kettle temp down to at least 100 f, then run wort through the CFC and right into the fermentors.

I use a pump. i start off recirculating with the IC in use , then take IC out of kettle, then whirlpool for 10 minutes or so to get a cone of ?some kind? ha ha , then run thru CFC to get to pitching temps. My water will be fully open (BTW, my water pressure SUCKS!) and I throttle back the valve to " just opened a little". there is no way I could open the valve fully open. I would get almost NO temp drop.

In the winter with my cold city water being somewhere in the mid 40's I can open the valve to MAYBE 1/3 open and fill a 5 gal fermenter in about 5 minutes keeping an eye on the output temp so I dont drop it to low.

Summer time, (my cold city water temp is close to 80)
i have to let the valve just about trickle and it takes about 15-20 minutes to fill a 5 gal fermenter. Now that sucks!

 

[Takuie]

I don't have a CF chiller yet so im just using an IC. Best I can get in summer time is 70 - 74. I have to use a pre chiller to get to pitching temps. Usually I'm to lazy to hook all that up so I get it as low as I can get it, cap and air lock my bucket and drop into my fermentatorator for about 30-45 mins. Pop it open and pitch my yeast. I need to get off my duff and uild my CF chiller and buy a fairly decent pump.

If I am in a hurry, I will add salt to the ice water for my prechiller and get that temp down in no time.

Sounds to me like the OP needs a pre chiller