Chilling

[ericbw]

I have been trying to find some details on something I saw a while back (probably more than a year ago). I saw a video where a guy had a chiller that used an autosiphon and immersion chiller. He pumped ice water from one 5 gallon bucket, through the chiller, and then it came out in another 5 gallon bucket. By the time he was done, the wort was chilled, and it took about 5 minutes.

I can't seem to find anything about this contraption now. It seemed like it was a little more complex than just what I described above. Like maybe one more component.

Was I dreaming, or does anyone know anything about this?

 

[flars]

The procedure sounds familiar, with the exception of using an inexpensive water fountain pump to eliminate the work with the siphon.

 

[dude_brewery]

I have been trying to find some details on something I saw a while back (probably more than a year ago). I saw a video where a guy had a chiller that used an autosiphon and immersion chiller. He pumped ice water from one 5 gallon bucket, through the chiller, and then it came out in another 5 gallon bucket. By the time he was done, the wort was chilled, and it took about 5 minutes.

I can't seem to find anything about this contraption now. It seemed like it was a little more complex than just what I described above. Like maybe one more component.

Was I dreaming, or does anyone know anything about this?

I'll often do something similar to this, where I fill a 5 gallon bucket with ice water, and then will use a submersible pump to run the ice water through my immersion chiller.

Essentially, this pump attached via some tubing to my immersion chiller. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018X2XT4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It works to cool my wort fairly quickly. Since I live in south Florida (warm tap water), I will use the immersion chiller with tap water to cool from boiling to about 150-140F, and then switch to the ice bucket and submersible pump to get my wort from 140 to pitching temps. Normally takes about 15-25 minutes for a 5 gallon batch.

I have to refill the ice bucket with water a few times during the process.

 

[balrog]

See a good commercial example that could be easily copied HERE

 

[ericbw]

See a good commercial example that could be easily copied HERE

Balrog, that's the video I saw. I mis-remembered it as using an auto-siphon, probably because the video shows him moving the chiller up and down.

dude_brewery, so you put the pump in the bucket, fill with ice water, and it sucks through the pump, to the chiller, and into the other bucket?

How long do you run water through the chiller before using the ice bucket?

I used to put my 4 gallon pot into a tub of ice water and after about 30 minutes, I could transfer to the fermenter, top up with cold water, and it would be close to pitching temp.

Now I have a 9 gallon pot with a spigot, so it won't fit in the tub any more. last weekend, I set the pot on cold concrete and it took about 5 hours to get to pitching temp.

I need a better/faster way that doesn't include running water out on the ground for 15 minutes if possible.

 

[balrog]

Balrog, that's the video I saw. I mis-remembered it as using an auto-siphon, probably because the video shows him moving the chiller up and down.

dude_brewery, so you put the pump in the bucket, fill with ice water, and it sucks through the pump, to the chiller, and into the other bucket?

How long do you run water through the chiller before using the ice bucket?

I used to put my 4 gallon pot into a tub of ice water and after about 30 minutes, I could transfer to the fermenter, top up with cold water, and it would be close to pitching temp.

Now I have a 9 gallon pot with a spigot, so it won't fit in the tub any more. last weekend, I set the pot on cold concrete and it took about 5 hours to get to pitching temp.

I need a better/faster way that doesn't include running water out on the ground for 15 minutes if possible.

Temp diff is the key, so running a 5G pail of water, a submersible ($20 maybe) pump, to recirculate from 5G pail through chiller back to pail, will get you down pretty quick. Meanwhile have another 5G pail with 3G water and 10lb ice, switch pump over to that when temp drops to 100-120 or so and ice water will easily take it down the rest of the way. The faster you pump, the faster the heat exchange, and moving the chiller in the wort is paramount for faster heat exchange.

 

[Savagejair]

Hi just want to let you know I live in Southern California where typical brew day is at 95 degrees and tap water is a cool 80 plus at times but will settle to 78. After a while. I use the jaded brewing immersion chiller in the video. And can say I chill 5 gallon to pitch in 17 min. I set up a spare igloo mid mash with ice water and good stir of table salt. Get a temp around 40-44 degrees and put aside till ready. This pump is small but works. Never looked back. I would go with a larger immersion chiller jaded makes with great confidence. Brulosophy has a great review of another immersion chiller from jaded and agrees that make a excellent product for the money. [emoji482]

 

[ericbw]

Hi just want to let you know I live in Southern California where typical brew day is at 95 degrees and tap water is a cool 80 plus at times but will settle to 78. After a while. I use the jaded brewing immersion chiller in the video. And can say I chill 5 gallon to pitch in 17 min. I set up a spare igloo mid mash with ice water and good stir of table salt. Get a temp around 40-44 degrees and put aside till ready. This pump is small but works. Never looked back. I would go with a larger immersion chiller jaded makes with great confidence. Brulosophy has a great review of another immersion chiller from jaded and agrees that make a excellent product for the money. [emoji482]

How much total ice and water in the cooler? I have a 5 gallon mash tun, which could be cleaned up and filled with ice water during the boil or would it take more than that? Even so, another bucket of ice water could be ready as well.

 

[ericbw]

Temp diff is the key, so running a 5G pail of water, a submersible ($20 maybe) pump, to recirculate from 5G pail through chiller back to pail, will get you down pretty quick. Meanwhile have another 5G pail with 3G water and 10lb ice, switch pump over to that when temp drops to 100-120 or so and ice water will easily take it down the rest of the way. The faster you pump, the faster the heat exchange, and moving the chiller in the wort is paramount for faster heat exchange.

So the pump that jaded brewing uses pumps faster, cooling it more/faster than the submersible pump?

 

[balrog]

So the pump that jaded brewing uses pumps faster, cooling it more/faster than the submersible pump?

tough to say because that pump looks pretty good, better than a simple pond pump I am planning on using, but remember that chiller is 1/4" tubing I think.

If you have the time you could see roughly how fast it's filling the bucket. Make some assumptions on the buckets being used, then get confused because they talk about 10 gallons used but both buckets aren't full so ??, but roughly 10 gallons per their ad in 16m gives the flow rate.

Also, that chiller is wickedawesome wrapped and probably exchanges heat better when stirred in pot than simple helical winding of typical chiller shape. Just sayin'

 

[Savagejair]

Hi ericbw, I use this just like in the product video https://youtu.be/mPJLhndWj2I
I really use the agitation I get from the movement of the immersion chiller to provide aeration. Kills two birds in one shot. Just as if you would stir or whisk the wort during chilling to aid the movement wort to allow more cooling. its an active process. I am looking at a bigger chiller really because this one i use is small. I started in the kitchen in a large stock pot. so now Im doing 5 gal. batches. it still works great but i could use a more appropriate size. I'LL show you a picture just don't laugh.
So I am now going to say plan ahead if you are starting out. but just make sure the coils are always in or covered by the wort for full effect.

 

[Savagejair]

Balrog is correct its 1/4 inch tubing. the shape is to allow for quickly adjusting the height for maximum efficiency. pot or kettle height. This is small but works. If you are interested read this article from Brulosophy
http://brulosophy.com/2014/12/19/wort-chiller-challenge-elbow-grease-vs-automation-xbmt-results/

 

[Savagejair]

I get a 10 lb bag of ice.

 

[ericbw]

In case anyone is interested... I finally got this going yesterday. I have a 25' copper chiller, which I stretched out some to make it taller - probably too tall, TBH. I also got a cheap ($10) aquarium pump. Filled a bucket with ice (22lb bag), then filled with water.

I ran it till the bucket was empty of water, then refilled it. The "out" bucket was pretty warm, so I dumped it. Eventually, the out water was cool enough that I poured it back to the ice bucket. Then I put the out hose into the ice bucket and let it circulate like that.

This method took the temp from boil to about 75 degrees within 30 minutes. I stirred it periodically while it was chilling. I think if I stirred all the time OR if I moved the chiller constantly, it could cut the time down even a little more.

I think that Jaded Brewing chiller is probably much faster (larger copper tubing), and their pump might move more cold water faster. But I'm happy with this.

I did an extract summer ale (pils and wheat DME with Meridian hops at 60/20/0 minutes; threw in a grapefruit peel and the fruit at 5 minutes). I like doing all grain, but it was nice finishing a beer in 3 hours instead of all day!

 

[Jim311]

I just chill down with the immersion chiller as far as it seems like the groundwater is going to take it and throw it in the ferm chamber to chill it down the rest of the way. I guess it would be nice to pitch the yeast right away but it's a lot less equipment and work this way. I figure I'm bringing it down most of the way very quickly which (I hope) is the most important part. The ferm chamber chills it down most of the way within a few hours and then I can pitch.

 

[ChelisHubby]

Gentlemen THe ice in the bucket that is pumped thru the wort chiller works well. But you realize you are spending 20 for a pump and the cost of ice to save 10cents of water.

 

[Jim311]

I don't think it's a matter of money. It's a matter of having groundwater too hot to chill down to proper pitching temps.