Wort chiller question.

[SkyeBrewer]

I am looking to upgrade my brewery with a wort chiller and I am researching brands. Anyway my question is how fast does the wort need to be chilled? Is it as simple as; as fast as possible? I have been researching this and most people sources agree that faster is better. Is it gonna be different for each type of beer? If there's a better thread to answer my question I apologize I couldn't find it.

 

[GASoline71]

I've been brewing for 2 years with a copper imersion wort chiller. I never kept time of how long it takes. 10ish minutes I guess... my beers turn out just fine.

Gary

 

[masskrug]

If your'e handy, build your own. I put my kettle in a plastic tub with ice water AND use my wort chiller. I stir the wort. I can get the temps down to 80' in about 15 minutes. You want to be fast because once the wort gets down to a certain temperature it is susceptible to wild yeast. You want to get it chilled, pitched and sealed ASAP.

DIY:

 

[Curtis2010]

Even if you DIY an immersion chiller copper is spendy. For a little more money you can get a Duda Diesel plate chiller. Great product.

 

[ajlee]

It's as fast as possible regardless of beer style. The reason is colder temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria. I think what you're really looking for is to get below 100 as fast as possible, but don't quote me on that.

The last time I used my chiller it took 5 gallons of wort from 212 to 70 in about 10 minutes. I have a 50 foot 3/8 inch stainless steel chiller.

I went with stainless so I didn't have to worry about the type of cleaner or sanitizer I used (can't use starsan with copper) I can just use the same stuff I use on everything else. I know you can sanitize the chiller by just adding it to the boil, but I like to give mine a quick dip in sanitizer. I've been happy with it.

 

[Impulse115]

I have an immersion wort chiller as well, but have not tried putting my kettle in an ice bath at the same time. Ideally, you want to drop your temp in 15 minutes post-boil. I pick 15 because everyone's cold water source differs and I've never detected a problem with spontaneous or off fermentations within that time. With that said, the first batch I ever brewed was not planned properly and I ended up leaving it out next to an open window with a lid on overnight to cool without noticing an off-flavor.

If you have the extra cash, try going for a plate chiller though. I've heard nothing but great things.

 

[dstranger99]

I saw a chiller on NB for $70. It'll be my next investment, I'm just tired of freezing water jugs and adding them to the BK..........

 

[bierandbikes]

I use a copper coiled immersion chiller. As others say, getting below 100 is pretty quick. Getting below 80-85 takes some time. I have heard of guys using a submersible pump and recirculating ice water through the immersion chiller once the temp gets below 100 and it drops to 60 in a hurry. I have also considered simply coiling the hose in a bucket of ice to cool the water even further before it enters the chiller, but have not tried it yet. Check the temp of your tap water and this will give you an idea of your cooling potential

As for cost, copper tubing is so expensive in smaller quantities that it is sometimes cheaper to buy one already made. Plate chillers are typically more expensive, but as said above, the differential is getting smaller with the soaring price of copper.

 

[Gduck]

With an immersion chiller or plate chiller the thing that will primarily affect your cooling ability is what temperature your ground water is. In the winter I can cool fairly quick, but the time almost doubles in the summer.

Some people will use a submersible pump in a bucket of ice water and recirculate that through their chiller. It's something I keep thinking about though I haven't pulled the trigger on it.

As for plate vs. immersion they have their pros and cons. I recently went to a plate chiller and the biggest issue is cleaning it. It's not hard, just takes extra time to clean and sanitize it. With the immersion chiller I could just give it a good rinse, then stick it in with 15 minutes left in the boil and that took care of sanitation. Also you don't have to worry about an immersion chiller being plugged with gunk from your brew like can happen in a plate chiller. If you go with the plate, definitely utilize either some kind of filter or give it a good whirlpool once the boil is done.

 

[devils4ever]

I agree with Gduck. I had a plate chiller and had problems with it clogging. So, I switched to a copper IC and never looked back. It's easy to clean and sterilize plus no clogging issues.

 

[Bazaar]

15 minutes or less is great. To me, you can't beat $25 or $40 for a DIY 25-50ft wort chiller.

 

[grem135]

I built a 40ft 3/8ths IC and can go from 200 to 65 in under15 minutes in the winter. For summer i bought a submersible pump from harbor freight for $13 since my ground water is 80f in the summer. I figure i can toss some ice and water in a cooler and close the lid while getting the wort temp down below 100 with the hose then switch to the pump and recirculate the cooler water.

 

[Transamguy77]

If you want to make one got to Coppertubingsales.com and purchase a kit to make one. I got a 1/2"x50' for $80 shipped to my door.