Wort chilling advice

[will4009]

Hello,

I could use some advice regarding wort chilling.

I am using the BIAB method, brewing small 8-ish litre batches. My chilling method has been to fill up the sink, and place my brewing pot into the water. I then change the water every 5-10 mins and stir the wort a couple of times .

However, my sink is quite small, the water line only covers about 1/4 of my brewing pot. So, about half of the wort is above the water line. In my last brew, it took about 1 hour 20mins to chill the wort down to 20C. Is that too long? I have read contradicting reports about not chilling the wort fast enough.

I have seen immersion chillers, I may look at making one myself, although due to the small batch size I am making, I won't need a 'full size' one. Are their any other methods for chilling the wort?

Thanks

 

[MrRook]

You can process half the volume at twice the gravity and add the other half as ice cold water.

 

[Clint]

Or leave it in the fv overnight with the lid tight on and let it cool on its own.

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

I'm doing the same sort of batch sizes via BIAB and sink cooling.

I didn't check really how long it took to cool my last lot but I am guessing it is about the same timescale as yours. Batch was about 12L and I don't use / want an immersion chiller as on a water meter. I stirred mine constantly (without splashing) after I had added flame out hops at less than 80c. It wasn't as quick as some of the recommendations, but quicker than any other time I have chilled in the sink.

I've also "no chilled" as @Clint said by just leaving it to cool in a sealed FV with a batch I am drinking now, and it turned out fine, other than the beer being a bit cloudy when chilled too far- I had assumed this was chill haze caused by no chill but have seen other advice which suggests it might have been some deficiencies in the mash / sparge.

 

[terrym]

My pot holds 9 litres which I cool in the sink. Regular stirring of the water in the sink (I just use my hand) and the pot contents will greatly assist heat transfer and get the job done quicker. I change my sink water 3/4 times in winter, and 4/5 times in summer. The whole process takes about 40-50 minutes during which I clear up. I do partial mashes so can put cold water into the FV, and bring down the bulk temperature. And that means I can stop the sink cooling process when the wort is about 24/25*C. Trying to get down to 20*C is the difficult bit particularly in summer since the heat transfer driving force is low. Last summer my mains water ex tap got to 18*C.

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

My pot holds 9 litres which I cool in the sink. Regular stirring of the water in the sink (I just use my hand) and the pot contents will greatly assist heat transfer and get the job done quicker. I change my sink water 3/4 times in winter, and 4/5 times in summer. The whole process takes about 40-50 minutes during which I clear up. I do partial mashes so can put cold water into the FV, and bring down the bulk temperature. And that means I can stop the sink cooling process when the wort is about 24/25*C. Trying to get down to 20*C is the difficult bit particularly in summer since the heat transfer driving force is low. Last summer my mains water ex tap got to 18*C.

makes my timescale about right then as my pot is 15L so about double time to cool, very roughly. The other reason I don't use a wort chiller is we have one of those new fangled taps and not sure they fit.

I think next time I'll also chill my top up water, say 2L, and pour into the FV to help aerate the wort and bring it down to yeast pitching temp a bit quicker.

 

[terrym]

makes my timescale about right then as my pot is 15L so about double time to cool, very roughly. The other reason I don't use a wort chiller is we have one of those new fangled taps and not sure they fit.

I think next time I'll also chill my top up water, say 2L, and pour into the FV to help aerate the wort and bring it down to yeast pitching temp a bit quicker.

You could try chilling 5 litres or more of water and then adding that to your last sink full of water. That way you will increase the dT between sink and pot.

 

[PhilBrew]

Hi Will

However, my sink is quite small, the water line only covers about 1/4 of my brewing pot. So, about half of the wort is above the water line. In my last brew, it took about 1 hour 20mins to chill the wort down to 20C.

... if you can't increase the cold water to hot wort ratio in your small sink ... might an old tin bath or builders trug full of cold water be able to be fitted into your brewday equipment?

You could then re-use it as a water bath with a fish-tank immersion heater to maintain fermentation temps, too
Cheers, PhilB

 

[will4009]

Thanks for the advice everyone,

I did not consider the no chill option, are their any downsides to this? I mean, if an 1 hour 20mins is still a passable amount of time to chill my beer, I could just carry on with my current method.

That's a good idea about a trug. I shall look into that, i suppose i could even use freezer blocks in the water to chill even faster.

 

[BILA]

I’ve seen people use ice packs or freeze half filled plastic bottles of water also to keep the cold side of thermal transfer lower for longer if you have freezer space?

 

[BarnBrian]

I've done my last four brews no chill. Leave it overnight in my Braumeister with the lid on, adjust temperature in the morning before transfer to FV. For me there's no downside at all.
Brian

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

I've done my last four brews no chill. Leave it overnight in my Braumeister with the lid on, adjust temperature in the morning before transfer to FV. For me there's no downside at all.
Brian

Out of interest did you find it went cloudy once chilled? I did. I'd no chill all the time if I could get clearer beer as it's much quicker and convenient for me.

 

[Clint]

In four years I've had one infected batch and I put it down to an extended episode of chilling during very hot weather when I was using the pot in the sink of ice method...it didn't go well. Since moving to ag and a wort chiller things are easier but it does slow during the summer and I tend to build stocks if I can to save brewing as much.
My solutions...a no chill cube which I've yet to use and Kveik...which I'm quite excited to use as chilling to 35/40 is a doddle and I should be able to maintain temp in my brew fridge...plus, hopefully,be able to turn round a few brews quickly.

 

[BarnBrian]

Out of interest did you find it went cloudy once chilled? I did. I'd no chill all the time if I could get clearer beer as it's much quicker and convenient for me.

Slightly cloudy but this cleared after a couple of weeks in the cornie.

 

[PhilBrew]

Hi @Hengoedbrewer

I'd no chill all the time if I could get clearer beer as it's much quicker and convenient for me.

... I assure you, you can produce very clear (even when chilled to within an inch of freezing) beer by no-chilling ... people have produced award-winning lagers after no-chilling their worts!! ... your chill-haze problem is not all to do with no-chill, but to find out what is causing it, and how to solve it would probably involve reviewing your full process, and would divert will4009's thread more than necessary ... if you have discussed this elsewhere feel free to point me at the thread and I'll join in there to see if I can help, if not perhaps you should start a thread

Cheers, PhilB

 

[Petrolhead]

Another vote for no chill. I allow the temp of the wort to drop as much as time will allow, I usually finish my brewing in the evening, then transfer into my fv which is a 25L water carrier and seal.

As the wort is hot the sides do bow out a bit and then I return the next morning, add the yeast, pop the airlock on and pop the brew into my fermenting fridge which sorts out the wort being a bit to hot or cold.

To be honest I do it this way as I am too lazy to hang around whilst it cools via the wort chiller.

 

[An Ankoù]

However, my sink is quite small, the water line only covers about 1/4 of my brewing pot. So, about half of the wort is above the water line. In my last brew, it took about 1 hour 20mins to chill the wort down to 20C. Is that too long? I have read contradicting reports about not chilling the wort fast enough.

Same here. I use a 12 litre pot and the water level comes up half way. It takes about the same time as yours to chill. No poroblems. I think the important thing is to get down to <80C quite quickly so the hop aromatics don't boil off. After that you can leave it overnight unless you're in a hurry.

 

[obscure]

I’m very much in the no chill camp, personally just transfer the still boiling wort straight to the fermentor put the lid on and leave overnight.

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

Hi @Hengoedbrewer
... I assure you, you can produce very clear (even when chilled to within an inch of freezing) beer by no-chilling ... people have produced award-winning lagers after no-chilling their worts!! ... your chill-haze problem is not all to do with no-chill, but to find out what is causing it, and how to solve it would probably involve reviewing your full process, and would divert will4009's thread more than necessary ... if you have discussed this elsewhere feel free to point me at the thread and I'll join in there to see if I can help, if not perhaps you should start a thread

Cheers, PhilB

Hi Phil

that would be excellent- I'll pop you a message later.

 

[BradleyW]

I also do small batches and really struggled to get the temp down. I discovered the wonders of "liquoring back" which is basically diluting your wort. The idea is you use less water in the mash, make a really strong wort and then dilute it with cold water to hit your OG. Because your wort isn't a big volume, it takes less time to chill. This is my method which is pretty good at getting the temp down quickly. The day before a brew I fill a load of tupperware with water and shove them in the freezer to make some big ice cubes. I also put several litres of either mineral or treated tap water in the fridge to use for diluting. On brew day, during the boil I fill my bath with cold water and chuck the ice in. Once the boil is done I put my pan in there and get the temp down to around 30c, this takes between 20-30 minutes depending on volume of wort I have in the pan. Once at that temp I chuck in the cold water and I'm at my desired temp ready to pitch. Obviously amounts of water will depend on what OG you want, but you can use Brewer's friend to calculate all that.