10 gallon a setup and chilling question

[Dmanshane]

Currently I have a 15 gallon hot liquor tank 70qt cooler mash tin and a 15 gallon boil kettle I have a 3 tier brew sculpture so it all gravity feeds. Now I have only using it for 5 gallon batches in my 8 gallon kettle using an immersion chiller. I feel like I have enough capacity to move to 10 gallon batches if I want but I need a new chiller to use on my 15 gallon brew kettle.. should I go with a pump and a plate or counter flow or buy this
http://jadedbrewing.com/products/the-hydra .... also is the 70 qt cooler enough for 10 gallon batches prob not high gravity ones but hopefully for normal ones

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

thats the $10000 question but I use a plate chiller

 

[gregkeller]

I've done a 10 gallon (really 12) in a 70 quart cooler of a 1.075 beer. But it was absolutely maxed out at 1.25 qts/lb. maybe could get more out of it if i went down to 1 qts/lb.

Also got a plate chiller/pump combo, but it has me worried about contamination in all the nooks and crannies. If doing it again I think i'd get a counterflow.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I boil and recirculate the plate chiller with boiling water before each brew

 

[rjbank]

I use a plate chiller without a pump and just gravity feed through the chiller.


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[Natdavis777]

+1 for plate chiller. I use a pump now and recirc the last 5 minutes of my boil to sanitize it, but when I did everything with gravity, I let it sit in a bucket full of star san solution until I was ready to use it. Never had an issue and chilled like a dream!

 

[govner1]

I've done a 10 gallon (really 12) in a 70 quart cooler of a 1.075 beer. But it was absolutely maxed out at 1.25 qts/lb. maybe could get more out of it if i went down to 1 qts/lb.

Also got a plate chiller/pump combo, but it has me worried about contamination in all the nooks and crannies. If doing it again I think i'd get a counterflow.

+++1 on the CFC. Easy to clean and very efficient!
I use one w/ a pump to recirc & whirlpool.

 

[Dmanshane]

Ugh lol don't want to spend the money on pump and chiller but I think in the long run it would be a better investment... recently I been doing a lot of high gravity beers.. I have an imperial red in the keg I think it was 1.093 og and I have the w00t stout front northern brewer that's waiting to get brew and it's 1.103 og but I don't think I'd to a 10 gallon that's that's high of a gravity..

 

[jtratcliff]

You can always no-chill....

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

I have the same setup as you and used my 5-gallon 25' IC for chilling (terrible!) until this last batch when I implemented my DIY 20' CFC and a march pump, so awesome! I built a temp probe into the 'out' for the wort on the CFC, when I vary the pump ball valve opening and thus wort flow rate through the CFC I can then dial in a pitching temp for ales and run it from the pump right into the fermenters.

 

[TrickyDick]

I would recommend going to a bigger and larger diameter coil immersion chiller. You can stir with sanitized spoon or recirculate with a pump for less water waste. I have a IC, Convoluted copper CFC, and a Therminator. I use the Ic the most by a longshot. It's the easiest, and cheapest. Pumps open a whole new can of worms. Get a larger diameter OD like a 5/8" x 50 foot coil and try to size it in your pot so you get the largest diameter that will fit without touching the wall, probes, drains etc so that you don't end up with coils sticking a over the wort. Lots of threads probably on how to build on cheaply and properly.

As an aside, I have a single tier setup with 15 gal vessels. Biggest beer I ever brewed ten gallons was a 1.101 double Bock with a decoction mash that bumped my efficiency a good 10%. All depends on the efficiency of your setup, crush, mash thickness, etc...

Td


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[haeffnkr]

+ 1 for a big immersion chiller, trickydicky brings up some good points.

I use a stir motor to aid the cooling.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/triple-coil-immersion-chiller-pics-448915/

I take a 12 gallon batch to ale or lager temps very quickly and easily.

thanks Kevin

 

[Helloworld]

I like my immersion chiller with a whirpool setup. Check it out here:

http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php