Wort chiller vs. Ice Bath

[IFMracin]

I say build one.

I built one yesterday, total cost: $20.01 (+ some tax)


This pic does not show the clear hose installed, but I think you can guess how that looks.

 

[Calichusetts]

I do 1 gallon batches...my ice bath gets it down to 70 before I'm even done filling it!

 

[hepcat]

I chill the wort in the kitchen sink. Only doing partial boils (2.5-3 gal) so it works fine, and have found one 20lb bag of ice cools the wort down to ~100*F easily in ~20 min. Then I pour the wort into my FV (plastic bucket) onto ~a gallon chilled water, then top up to 5.5 gallons (my standard batch size) with ~room temp water and I'm at pitch temp.
Don't see the need for a wort chiller until I decide to step up to full volume boils.
And I'll make one for ~$50 as opposed to ~$70 for a new one at my local LHBS.

 

[slcdawg]

I've only brewed one batch so far, but cooled 3 gallons of wort to 70F in about 20 minutes in a kitchen sink icebath. 20 lbs of store bought ice and whatever ice was in my freezer, added incrementally. I stirred the ice bath in one direction and occasionally opened the lid and stirred the wort gently in the other direction. I was surprised at how quickly it cooled based on what I've read. I prob will get a wort chiller, but need to get a couple of batches under my belt to justify to the Minister of Finances.

 

[bk0]

Put the lid on for cripes sake!!

I'm all about "Keep it simple" and "No stress on brewday". I do this for fun, not work. So I take my hot wort, put it in a cool water bath and forget about it for an hour or two. When I'm ready to get back to it, it's nice and room temperature. No work and no stress.

 

[shattstar03]

I say build one.

I built one yesterday, total cost: $20.01 (+ some tax)


This pic does not show the clear hose installed, but I think you can guess how that looks.

That is a pretty nice freakin chiller!!!! Mind building me one?

 

[BrewDocND]

I got tired of the ice bath method and my tiny sink was a pain to keep filling with ice and circulating.

Just used my immersion chiller for the first time and it saved me about an hour and a lot of aggravation.

If my ice bath worked in 20 minutes i would have stuck with it

 

[hepcat]

Put the lid on for cripes sake!!

I'm all about "Keep it simple" and "No stress on brewday". I do this for fun, not work. So I take my hot wort, put it in a cool water bath and forget about it for an hour or two. When I'm ready to get back to it, it's nice and room temperature. No work and no stress.

Ever heard of DMS? For cripes sake?? LOL.

I've learned on this board that it can ruin your beer with nasty off flavor (cooked corn flavor). You infuse it into the wort when you leave the lid on while cooling your wort. Leaving the lid on, the condensate from the lid will drip back into the wort and quite possibly cause the DMS issue. So I'd rather risk possible contamination while cooling the wort with the lid off. I've also heard on here, the hot vapors drifting off of the cooling wort provide an adequate barrier to airborne pathogens for the short period of cooling.

I've also read that if you are so concerned about possible airborne contamination while cooling your wort with the lid off that once the wort gets down to <=90*F I believe, then it's ok to put the lid on if you want, no chance of DMS then.

 

[ArcLight]

>>Ever heard of DMS? For cripes sake?? LOL.

Once you take the pot off the heat and place it in water, the temperature drops quickly at first, to at least 180, so you wont have any more DMS forming. (or at least just a tiny amount)


>>Also read that if you are so concerned about possible air born contamination while cooling your wort with the lid off that once the wort gets down to <=90*F I believe, then it's ok to put the lid on if you want.

Microorganisms may thrive at a temperature of 80 or 90, but they are not killed at 120F.
Lots of yeast and bacteria can survive in 120 degree wort for 60 minutes. I can see putting the pot in the tub/sing with the lid off for a couple of minutes, while stirring, but I'd keep the lid on after that. You can easily get an air born infection in 120 degree wort that cools down to 90 in an hour. If you want, slosh the covered pot around every so often to distribute the heat, else the hot wort rises, perhaps above your water level.

 

[hepcat]

You can easily get an air born infection in 120 degree wort that cools down to 90 in an hour." ArcLight

Which is why I get the wort down to ~100*F in <=20 minutes , then immediately transfer to the FV onto chilled water (only doing partial boils so far) then top up with ~room temp water and I'm at pitch temp.
And again, I'd rather risk possible airborne contamination while cooling the wort with the lid off than end up with DMS in my finished beer.

 

[bk0]

And again, I'd rather risk possible airborne contamination while cooling the wort with the lid off than end up with DMS in my finished beer.

This seems like exactly backward priorities. Infection is far more common and will make your beer undrinkable. DMS is rare and will (at worst) give slight off flavors.

 

[hepcat]

You're entitled to your opinion and way of doing things, as am I. Cheers.

 

[verbhertz]

Can't get my lid on around my IC. I don't worry about infection in the 15 minutes it takes to cool.

 

[ArcLight]

>>Can't get my lid on around my IC. I don't worry about infection in the 15 minutes it takes to cool.

Maybe cover it as best you can with the lid, realizing that you can't cover it all the way.
It seems pretty easy to do so, and may save an infection.
Considering how much work i put into a brew, plus the money, I put the lid on to cover as much as I can of the pot



>>Which is why I get the wort down to ~100*F in <=20 minutes

You are unlikely to get DMS at this point. On the other hand, there is a lot of dust outside. A wild yeast wont necessarily ruin your batch, but it may impart unwanted flavors. Keeping the lid on slows down your chilling by how much? 3 minutes?

 

[neosapien]

I used an ice bath for my first couple batches. Bought an IC and can't imagine going back. I like not having to buy the ice, and I use the water from the chiller to clean up all my kit and water my plants. In north texas I can get it down to about 80 in 20 minutes in the summer. I just put the carboy in my fermentation fridge for a couple hours before I pitch.

 

[sww35]

How about buying gallons of distilled water and freezing them and then adding them to the wort to bring down the cooling temp? Seems like it would be a quick process and a safe way to introduce the water that may be needed in the ice form.

 

[hepcat]

>>Can't get my lid on around my IC. I don't worry about infection in the 15 minutes it takes to cool.

Maybe cover it as best you can with the lid, realizing that you can't cover it all the way.
It seems pretty easy to do so, and may save an infection.
Considering how much work i put into a brew, plus the money, I put the lid on to cover as much as I can of the pot



>>Which is why I get the wort down to ~100*F in <=20 minutes

You are unlikely to get DMS at this point. On the other hand, there is a lot of dust outside. A wild yeast wont necessarily ruin your batch, but it may impart unwanted flavors. Keeping the lid on slows down your chilling by how much? 3 minutes?

Don't brew outside. Brew in my kitchen. Not alot of 'dust' there. Let me see if can put this to bed: You want a put a lid your wort while you cool it down go for it. I don't care who or how many of you tell me to. Ain't gonna do it.

 

[Yooper]

How about buying gallons of distilled water and freezing them and then adding them to the wort to bring down the cooling temp? Seems like it would be a quick process and a safe way to introduce the water that may be needed in the ice form.

Well, that doesn't work that well unless you chill the wort a bit first.

I'm no math whiz, but as an example let's say you have 3 gallons of 212 degree wort. Adding two gallons of 32 degree water (ice) will NOT get you 5 gallons of 65 degree wort- more like 100 degrees. So then you have 5 gallons of too-warm wort that takes even longer to chill.

BUT- if you have 3 gallons of 212 degree wort that you stick in an ice bath for 15 minutes and get to 100 degrees, and THEN add 2 gallons of frozen water, then you'll be in the ballpark.

 

[verbhertz]

That method works great for partial boils. Obviously. Lol

 

[jestmaty]

That method works great for partial boils. Obviously. Lol

Partial boils? LOL, I know what you mean.

FWIW, groundwater temps down in the Houston area are in the mid 80's in the summer.

Just 48 hours ago, I brewed an all grain IPA, finished at 10:30 pm.. at night!

I always keep track of my wort chiller's ability to cool down to pitch temp.

Started cooling 212* wort at 10:12, was down to 90* by 10:24, 12 minutes time.

I switched to a 30 lb ice bath @ 10:25, in a walmart laundry basket with rope handles, and took about another 12 minutes to get down to high 60*'s

I've found that a switch over at about 90* is the perfect temp. Once I get to 90, I'm not going any lower on wort chiller only. BTW, mine's a 50ft, 3/8" stainless steel wc.

Feels pretty good to be down to high 60's in about 25 minutes.

 

[IFMracin]

That is a pretty nice freakin chiller!!!! Mind building me one?

It's very simple.

20' of copper coil 3/8" = $13.48
http://www.lowes.com/pd_311863-69305-CU06020N_0__?productId=3142375&Ntt=copper+coil

8' of clear tubing 3/8" ID = $0.33/ft

Garden hose adapter 3/8" barb = $2.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/female-garden-hose-thread-with-3-8-barbed.html

4 hose clamps = $0.90

Total of $20.01

I'm interested to give it a try and see how efficient it is, if it's not that great I'll pick up a longer length of coil.
But our ground water stays pretty cold, so we'll see.

 

[hepcat]

It's very simple.

20' of copper coil 3/8" = $13.48
http://www.lowes.com/pd_311863-69305-CU06020N_0__?productId=3142375&Ntt=copper+coil

8' of clear tubing 3/8" ID = $0.33/ft

Garden hose adapter 3/8" barb = $2.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/female-garden-hose-thread-with-3-8-barbed.html

4 hose clamps = $0.90

Total of $20.01

I'm interested to give it a try and see how efficient it is, if it's not that great I'll pick up a longer length of coil.
But our ground water stays pretty cold, so we'll see.

Was wondering how you built yours so cheap.
3/8 x 20' copper tubing on Lowe's site (in my zip code) is $25.86.
You getting a contractor's discount or something?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_311863-6930...8+x+20+copper+tubing&productId=3142375&rpp=24

edit: looks like my link did the same as yours, just takes you to their home page.

 

[deercreek]

Was wondering how you built yours so cheap.
3/8 x 20' copper tubing on Lowe's site (in my zip code) is $25.86.
You getting a contractor's discount or something?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_311863-6930...8+x+20+copper+tubing&productId=3142375&rpp=24

edit: looks like my link did the same as yours, just takes you to their home page.

Try searching for the item code 311863. That shows up as $13.48 for me too.

 

[hepcat]

OK just did that deercreek, still shows $25.86. Strange. But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[DoctorMemory]

Was wondering how you built yours so cheap.
3/8 x 20' copper tubing on Lowe's site (in my zip code) is $25.86.

Oh good, it isn't just me! I just bought 20' of 3/8" at Home Depot last night, and I paid just under $30. Also picked up 20' of 5/8" clear vinyl tubing for $7, so all told I should be right at half the price my LHBS is charging for a similar IC (although theirs is 25').

 

[IFMracin]

OK just did that deercreek, still shows $25.86. Strange. But thanks for the suggestion.

Evidently it's just cheaper in the midwest?

 

[deercreek]

It's very simple.

20' of copper coil 3/8" = $13.48
http://www.lowes.com/pd_311863-69305-CU06020N_0__?productId=3142375&Ntt=copper+coil

8' of clear tubing 3/8" ID = $0.33/ft

Garden hose adapter 3/8" barb = $2.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/female-garden-hose-thread-with-3-8-barbed.html

4 hose clamps = $0.90

Total of $20.01

I'm interested to give it a try and see how efficient it is, if it's not that great I'll pick up a longer length of coil.
But our ground water stays pretty cold, so we'll see.

Have you had a chance to give it a try yet? I just made a Lowes run and picked up the same materials. My hose clamps were $0.92 and my tubing was $0.32 a foot, though. I was trying to come up with a water attachment I could buy there, but I would have had to do it in three pieces. This just gives me a good excuse to place an order with Midwest.

 

[CBXBob]

Evidently it's just cheaper in the midwest?

Your chiller looks great, I bought 50' of 3/8 copper tube for $86. (local store, not big box) got the hose fittings for another $7. So a home made 25 ft cooler cost me about $50. Doesn't look as nice as yours, but works great! If I had known I could go to nybrewsupply and get one for $45. I'd have gone that route. IC versus Ice Bath, IC baby!

 

[IFMracin]

Have you had a chance to give it a try yet? I just made a Lowes run and picked up the same materials. My hose clamps were $0.92 and my tubing was $0.32 a foot, though. I was trying to come up with a water attachment I could buy there, but I would have had to do it in three pieces. This just gives me a good excuse to place an order with Midwest.

I have not, either sometime this week, or next weekend.
When I looked at lowes for the hose attachment it was like 7.50

 

[Clonefan94]

Reviving a bit of an older thread here, but as I was searching around I came across this and thought this was a good place to post what I do. I have an immersion chiller I built from 50' copper coil. It was a little long for my operation, so I cut 10' off and built a pre-chiller as well. These worked great, but with the hot summer this year, I was still struggling to get those last few degrees out, so I used a couple of those stainless steel water bottles, packed them with ice, put in a little salt and filled the remaining space with water. When I started my boil, I threw them in the freezer. When I started my normal chilling, I took them out of the freezer and dropped them in the bucket of starsan solution I had, completely submersing them. Then, when the wort got down to about 100 degrees, I pulled them out and set them in the brewpot. They are tall enough that about 2" still sticks up above the wort. So standing them up I dind't have to worry about the plastic lids being an issue in the wort. This really worked great to get it down to 70 degrees a lot quicker than just running the IC like I first did.

I picked them up at target for $6/each I think. They have the screw on sealable lid and being stainless steel, should sanitize easily. I only use them for Brewing, so keeping them clean really isn't an issue. I don't think you'd need them once the temperature drops, but fighting the heat on those 90+ degree days while trying to cool wort wasn't working well. It might be overkill or add another chance for infection, but on really hot days, it helped the cooling process and was worth the chance, imo.