Using a shelf chiller to cool wort

[Consett26]

I’ve recently acquired a shelf chiller and was wondering about the wisdom of using it to chill post-boil wort, either putting the wort itself though the chiller or using the cold water circulation from the shelf chiller to feed the immersion coil.

I suspect it’s a bad idea and that it won’t cope with being used for a purpose other than that for which it was intended. I also suspect that someone on here has probably tried it so I thought I’d ask before investing in whatever bits and bobs I need to connect the Brewzilla recirculation hose to 3/8” tubing

 

[foxy]

I’ve recently acquired a shelf chiller and was wondering about the wisdom of using it to chill post-boil wort, either putting the wort itself though the chiller or using the cold water circulation from the shelf chiller to feed the immersion coil.

I suspect it’s a bad idea and that it won’t cope with being used for a purpose other than that for which it was intended. I also suspect that someone on here has probably tried it so I thought I’d ask before investing in whatever bits and bobs I need to connect the Brewzilla recirculation hose to 3/8” tubing

I posted this up a couple of days ago a 12 volt chiller set to whatever temperature you want. It heats too so good for fermenter control.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I’ve recently acquired a shelf chiller and was wondering about the wisdom of using it to chill post-boil wort, either putting the wort itself though the chiller or using the cold water circulation from the shelf chiller to feed the immersion coil.

I suspect it’s a bad idea and that it won’t cope with being used for a purpose other than that for which it was intended. I also suspect that someone on here has probably tried it so I thought I’d ask before investing in whatever bits and bobs I need to connect the Brewzilla recirculation hose to 3/8” tubing

Sounds like an expensive way to chill your wort. Cold water out of the tap is pretty cheap. Electricity is really expensive.

 

[Consett26]

Sounds like an expensive way to chill your wort. Cold water out of the tap is pretty cheap. Electricity is really expensive.

That's a good point

 

[MashBag]

Sounds like an expensive way to chill your wort. Cold water out of the tap is pretty cheap. Electricity is really expensive.

Walk away is cheapest. It's cool on the morrow.

 

[peebee]

I do! ... or did.

But there is a caution... the size of the cooler's water tank dictates how much cooling it can do, AND the coolers may have a documented "Maximum" temperature to cool (mine, a common or garden "Maxi", states 30°C).

I used to use a counter-flow chiller (cfc) to get it most of the way and push its output through the shelf cooler to finish off. Tap water is about 18-20°C in summer, so the cfc wasn't too good at getting temp down past 30-40°C. Lots of un-necessary palaver!

I now use "no-chill" cubes. A bit more flexible than @MashBag's arrangement (I could finish off the following week rather than next day).

 

[MashBag]

Eeeyuk. Next week.. Cripes. I will be bottling it then.... Brrr

 

[stripeyjoe]

I was thinking of using my shelf chiller to cool the water going to the CFC so it can be a bit quicker cooling and also cool to lager pitch temps. That way there's no hot wort going through the shelf chiller, just cold tap water.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I was thinking of using my shelf chiller to cool the water going to the CFC so it can be a bit quicker cooling and also cool to lager pitch temps. That way there's no hot wort going through the shelf chiller, just cold tap water.

Is the speed of cooling a particular problem? Even in the summer I can chill my wort down to ~18-19 degrees using just the tap water. I reduce the flow through the CFC so that the wort spends more time next to the cold water in the chiller and thus reduces in temperature more. It takes more time to do this (~30-40 mins) but time isn't important to me at this stage and it just pumps away merrily to itself, and I save water. I could probably increase the speed without affecting the final temperature by just turning the cold tap open more, but I'd prefer to waste less water.

If you want to cool down to pitching temperatures below the temperature of your tap water (here it's about 10 degrees in winter, 16 degrees in summer) then you may require additional cooling. But I'd just see it as burning electricity unnecessarily.

 

[MashBag]

I absolutely agree with @Agentgonzo.

I got chilling down to 6-8mins from 98°c > 20°c. No electric. Still too slow so I now walk away.

I have heard people with IM coils use tap to say 30/20°c ish then pop the chiller in circuit and slow the flow rate.

The truth is, cfc & plates aren't my first choice because of this and hygiene reasons.

But try it you might like it.
Dip you hand in to judge. Cold exit temp = too fast.

Ps. Is the coolant flowing the right way?