Help choosing a wort chiller

[andyg55]

Hi everyone

Up to now I've been brewing 5-gallon batches using the Palmer method (3-gallons in a 5-gallon boiling kettle mixed with cold water in the fermenter). I've been chilling the kettle down using iced water in the sink.

I'm about to purchase a 15-gallon kettle for all-grain brewing and I need some help choosing a wort chiller. They all seem a little complex. Ideally, I'd like something that has the least chance of introducing contamination. I'm not desperate to get the kettle down to temperature as fast as humanly possible (although quick is nice).

What would your recommendations be? I'm currently looking at this wort chiller from Northern Brewer:

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/northern-brewer-stainless-counterflow-chiller
Cheers,
Andy

 

[Clint]

I use a spiral type I made myself. It's great during the cooler months when the cold tap is cold but during the summer it's not so good. A counter flow might be better or no chill.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I use a plate chiller and they work really well. Mine is 30 plates I believe and cools 30 litres from boiling to pitching temp in about 40 minutes.

 

[andyg55]

I use a plate chiller and they work really well. Mine is 30 plates I believe and cools 30 litres from boiling to pitching temp in about 40 minutes.

I heard that plate chillers are tougher to clean than the coiled wort chillers. Is this true? Does anyone ever have contamination issues with plate chillers?

 

[Clint]

My coiled wort chiller gets a scouring pad under the hot tap at the end of brew day then it's back in the shed.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I'm about to purchase a 15-gallon kettle for all-grain brewing and I need some help choosing a wort chiller. They all seem a little complex. Ideally, I'd like something that has the least chance of introducing contamination. I'm not desperate to get the kettle down to temperature as fast as humanly possible (although quick is nice).
What would your recommendations be? I'm currently looking at this wort chiller from Northern Brewer:

Many members have made their own the guy below recons it cost him £20 for all parts -

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I heard that plate chillers are tougher to clean than the coiled wort chillers. Is this true? Does anyone ever have contamination issues with plate chillers?

I don’t think I understand how people would struggle. To clean mine I just use clean water in the sink and circulate this through my pump and chiller - suck up with the pump then through the chiller and back into the sink.

When using the chiller I do run the boiling wort through it for the last 15 minutes to make sure it’s sterilised. You can see it on my brewday posts.

It isn’t easy to completely empty it of water but you can get pretty close with a robust shake and if you feel the need, put it in a warm oven to dry out thoroughly. I don’t.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

My coiled wort chiller gets a scouring pad under the hot tap at the end of brew day then it's back in the shed.

Sounds like my northern upbringing where I’m the wort chiller and Sunday is brew day

 

[Clint]

I would say if you're making one...if you're as cack handed as me...borrow a pipe bender to do the tails.

 

[phillc]

Many members have made their own the guy below recons it cost him £20 for all parts -

Is there any concerns about using copper in an acidic environment? I would prefer stainless steel, even if it doesn't have as good thermal conductivity as copper.

 

[Clint]

No.

 

[phillc]

No.

Helpful.

As copper gives of ions in an acidic environment, which beer is, I was hoping someone might have something constructive to add about why a copper wort chiller is acceptable.

 

[Bigjas]

I don’t know why copper is ok to use. But I made my own coiled chiller from 10mm copper pipe from Screwfix. I bent it round an old paint tin. I have been using it for a few years now with no ill effects. I put it into the boil for the last 15 mins to sterilise it. It is easy to clean afterwards. I think a lot of people use copper chillers. In years gone by, kettles were made from copper I believe.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don’t know why copper is ok to use.

Its fine - click link -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/help-choosing-a-wort-chiller.86071/post-887575

 

[Buffers brewery]

I use two home made copper coil chillers. One is fitted permanently in the kettle/boiler and the second one (only used in the warmer months) goes in a bucket of water to which I add a bag or two of ice when the temperature gets down to 30-40 degrees. Obviously both chillers are connected in series. Chills a 5 gallon brew down to around 20 degrees in about 30 minutes.

 

[Buffers brewery]

BTW I posted a short vid on how I made a coil for my HERMS tank, but can be used for chiller. It’s not limited to a paint can diameter.

 

[Buffers brewery]

Helpful.

As copper gives of ions in an acidic environment, which beer is, I was hoping someone might have something constructive to add about why a copper wort chiller is acceptable.

Found this using good ol’ google. Might be of interest...
https://libationlawblog.com/2017/08...ewing-equipment-but-not-for-your-moscow-mule/

 

[dwhite60]

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/entertain...t-health-experts-are-not-informed/ar-BB11Angl
Interesting article on copper fighting disease.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[BrewsWayne]

Andy,

I use that exact wort chiller in my set-up. I have a 65L BrewZilla all-in-one.

I have added on a few things for ease of use.

I have Camlocks on both water and wort inlets and outlets.

I use a digital thermometer to monitor wort outlet temperature.

I use the pump on the BrewZilla to push the wort through the chiller into a FermZilla.

I have no trouble to knock out from boiling to 20C as fast as the pump will move the wort.

 

[phillc]

Found this using good ol’ google. Might be of interest...
https://libationlawblog.com/2017/08...ewing-equipment-but-not-for-your-moscow-mule/

Thanks. So fine for immersion chillers in hot wort, but not, for example, in your magic box (also called a jockey box) or homemade kegerator for beer dispensing.