Wort cooler, how important ?

[Baz Chaz]

As some may be aware I'm rapidly collecting gear together to go to AG (after one kit brew going over to the dark side already )

Mash Tuns made, hopefully boiler being sorted this week :party: I've already got many of the bits and bobs needed, my next question is regarding a wort cooler :idea:

How imprortant is this bit of kit, is it mainly for convenience

is there a problem allowing it to simply cool over time, other than the actual time it would take

 

[rickthebrew]

The longer it takes to cool your wort the more open to infections it is, I haven`t got a wort chiller and find in the winter left to cool split between 2 fvs in the garden works a treat, out of 22 brews i`ve lost two to an infection or wild yeasts, both were in warm summer months and i`m hoping to get a plate exchange chiller like this

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=9817

So not essential but to chill boiling wort to pitching temp in ten mins :shock: People leave there wort to chill overnight as well, not best practice but works fine .......most of the time :thumb:

 

[prolix]

getting the wort from the boiler and into the fermenter in 30mins just makes life and tiding up easier. If you can seal it hot then you can just leave it to cool a la jams. Infection and wild yeast are the bad boys here, cooled and inoculated with yeast means nothing else can get a hold.

 

[BigYin]

I'm considering making this one : http://www.instructables.com/id/Homebre ... sion-Type/

Looks easy enough to do :drink:

 

[Brewmarc]

I agree with Rick cooling the wort & pitching the yeast as early as possible will definately stave off infection, but another point in rapid cooling of the wort is to produce further trub precipitation during the "Cold Break" though only about a third of that is produced during the "Hot Break" it all counts assuming you have an effective trub filter at theboiler outlet tap. I have a homemade chiller like the one sugested by Big yin & at a frection of the cost of a plate chiller from the HBS & will cool 25 lts of wort from boiling to yeast pitching temp in about 20 mins.

 

[Baz Chaz]

Found this one which seems a reasonable price, copper tubings gone very expensive

http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/itm01362.htm

just waiting to see if my mates managed to get the boiler he was looking at for me :!:

 

[BigYin]

That's actually not a bad price :hmm: Pricing up the 10mm copper tube it's going to cost around the same as that stainless steel one - although going the diy route will create a double coil one which will hopefully work quicker....

 

[Brewmarc]

That's actually not a bad price :hmm: Pricing up the 10mm copper tube it's going to cost around the same as that stainless steel one - although going the diy route will create a double coil one which will hopefully work quicker....

Also having experimented the faster the flow through the cooler the faster the rate of cooling, obvious really. So crank the tap right open just make sure your inlet/outlet pipes are secured tightly :lol:

 

[ash]

That's actually not a bad price :hmm: Pricing up the 10mm copper tube it's going to cost around the same as that stainless steel one - although going the diy route will create a double coil one which will hopefully work quicker....

Also having experimented the faster the flow through the cooler the faster the rate of cooling, obvious really. So crank the tap right open just make sure your inlet/outlet pipes are secured tightly :lol:

Unless you're on a water meter (like me) then you might want to experiment to strike a balance between fast cooling and saving water!

 

[graysalchemy]

Also having experimented the faster the flow through the cooler the faster the rate of cooling, obvious really. So crank the tap right open just make sure your inlet/outlet pipes are secured tightly :lol:

I was lead to believe that for the most efficient cooling you should have the cold water at a flow rate so that the water coming out of the chiller is only a few degrees below that of what is in the chiller. You will also get alot of lovely hot water which you can collect and use for cleaning up. Not only will you save water but also energy.

What ever you do don't put the water on your plants or lawn you could scald them.

I have a chiller made out of 10m of 8mm copper and i can chill 10 gallons in about 45mins.

:

AG

AG

 

[Springer]

Just working on this at the moment.

Bit untidy but only at trial stage, pipes everywhere and leaking, 10 metres of 8mm copper down a lengh of braided 13 mm hose, wrapped around a cornie

Used it on Monday for first time and it cooled from boiling to 25 degrees at about 4 litres a minute. Only made from bits off the shelf to make it easy. At the end of the "straight through soldered up ends" are 8 mm compression fittings to keep the water in which goes down the tee piece ? :? ?

Plan is to box it up and place it below the Heat Exchanger, must lag the top of that one day :grin:

Bit of extra Brew Porn while I'm logged in

Just a quick pic of the mash process, nice and clear with the HERMS set up and at the desired temperature

First runnings into the boiler

And finally into the fermenters, must look into one of those conicals that are all the rage at the moment,now that I can cool it faster............ :)

S

 

[Sean_Mc]

Thought you'd been quiet on the build stuff S and have been wondering what your next build was

good stuff :thumb:

 

[tubby_shaw]

Looking good

 

[Springer]

Hi both,

not been building brew stuff for a while been making these .......

And training this one..........

to do this.........

:)
S