Whirlpool/mixing while cooling using a power drill

[Leard]

I'm looking at using a power drill to create a whirlpool for hopping, and for stirring my wort whilst I'm immersion chilling. Seems it will cool quicker if the wort is being mixed at the same time, and it's easier to attach something to a power drill rather than using my paddle by hand.

What techniques do people have? I have considered getting a paint stirrer and attaching that to the drill. However they're metal and usually have paint on them, so I'm worried about the sanitation of using one. Price is an issue as well. You can buy aeration/whirlpool rods, however they're £15+ compared to a £4 paint stirer. There must be a cheaper way of doing it.

 

[Dutto]

I found that using a drill broke up the clumps that had been flocculated by the Protofloc tablet, so I rapidly moved back to the more gentle system of creating the whirlpool with a paddle.

 

[hedgerowpete]

google coat hanger wine degassing stick, for a simpler idea, or just a plastic mixing paddle spoon in a battery drill, speed will have to be slow or you will do to much damage.

would a cheaper option and one that has more uses else where be a £14 water pump and to recirculate the wort?

next options would be a battery powered bbq rotisserie mounted on a frame on the top with a mixer bar down, or a ceiling fan motor. the paddle needs to be nothing than a bar and a twisted flat plate on it to keep a slow rotation

 

[Leard]

would a cheaper option and one that has more uses else where be a £14 water pump and to recirculate the wort?

How does this pump method work with BIAB? Attach the pump to the kettle spigot which would then pump the water back into the kettle?

 

[hedgerowpete]

How does this pump method work with BIAB? Attach the pump to the kettle spigot which would then pump the water back into the kettle?

yes exactly that, i put a colender in the top of my bag to hold it open and pour the recycle on the top to wash back through the bag again, other wise mine burns on the elements

 

[Ghillie]

I'm looking at using a power drill to create a whirlpool for hopping, and for stirring my wort whilst I'm immersion chilling. Seems it will cool quicker if the wort is being mixed at the same time, and it's easier to attach something to a power drill rather than using my paddle by hand.

What techniques do people have? I have considered getting a paint stirrer and attaching that to the drill. However they're metal and usually have paint on them, so I'm worried about the sanitation of using one. Price is an issue as well. You can buy aeration/whirlpool rods, however they're £15+ compared to a £4 paint stirer. There must be a cheaper way of doing it.

I use a paint stirrer on a combi drill for doughing in, best £3 I've ever spent!

Pretty sure it would work for a whirlpool as well, although I'd rather go for the pump version myself.

 

[mattrickl06]

I bought the paddle online, think it was around £20 from Brew UK.

I can cool from 100 degrees to 20 in 16 minutes now using an immersion chiller and using the drill on a low spin setting.

When it gets to around 22 degrees i create a whirlpool on full power put the lid on and leave for around 15 minutes to settle out the detritus.

I then use an autosyphon and discard the first pint or so of cloudy crap from the bottom but so long as you dont move the end of the syphon then the next 23.5 litres or so comes out crystal clear.

Either way it all settles out with a good crash chilling for a week or so.