Poll question: CFC or IC?

[Beavdowg]

Ok, I'm seriously thinking about making a Counterflow chiller for myself. I have an immersion chiller that works fine but it takes up a fair amount of room and is not as efficient when I'm boiling a 5gal batch in my converted Sanke keggle as many of the coils are up out of the wort.

So, what do people like more? CFC or Immersion Chiller?

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Plate Chiller

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I like a whirlpooling immersion chiller. If I had no whirlpool I would prefer the CFC.

 

[Brew-boy]

Never used a CFC only a whirlpool immersion chiller. I like the fact I do not have a bunch hot wort sitting around waiting to go through a plate or CFC. I can go from 212F to 90F in ten minutes. I would like to try a plate or CFC just once to compare the differences but I know no one who has one.

 

[OMJ]

I used to use a whirlpool IC but I had the extra stuff laying around so I built a CFC and I much prefer it.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Never used a CFC only a whirlpool immersion chiller. I like the fact I do not have a bunch hot wort sitting around waiting to go through a plate or CFC. I can go from 212F to 90F in ten minutes. I would like to try a plate or CFC just once to compare the differences but I know no one who has one.

212 to 65 in 5 minutes with a plate chiller. Just sayin. And that's recirculating to get the main batch down to below 130 before putting into the carboy. No hot wort sitting around waiting for anything.

 

[Brew-boy]

212 to 65 in 5 minutes with a plate chiller. Just sayin. And that's recirculating to get the main batch down to below 130 before putting into the carboy. No hot wort sitting around waiting for anything.

Nice, I would love to see this first hand.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Come on over

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I like the immersion for it's simplicity in cleaning/sanitizing: just put it in the boil for 15 minutes and you're good. HOWEVER, I built a CFC after using a friends for one reason: it's faster. With an IC, you have to chill, then rack. With a CFC, you rack and chill in the same motion. The only thing I don't like about the CFC is that it's a bit harder to clean, but I don't even notice anymore. If you have a march pump, a CFC is REALLY easy to use. Just recirculate some boiling wort in the chiller, and it's sanitized.

 

[Beavdowg]

I don't have a pump. I just read about the whirlpool IC today and how effective it is. But if I understand it correctly you need a pump to use the WIC, right? Otherwise you'd have no way of getting the wort back up to the whirpool part. The thing that makes me hesitate about the CFC is that you're carrying all that cold break to your fermenter instead of leaving it behind as you would with an IC.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I don't have a pump. I just read about the whirlpool IC today and how effective it is. But if I understand it correctly you need a pump to use the WIC, right? Otherwise you'd have no way of getting the wort back up to the whirpool part. The thing that makes me hesitate about the CFC is that you're carrying all that cold break to your fermenter instead of leaving it behind as you would with an IC.

Yes, you need a pump to whirlpool. And don't worry about the cold break in the fermenter...I've never had any off flavors because of it. I use whirlfloc, and even my light beers come out crystal clear and VERY smooth. I think worrying about cold break in the fermenter is like worrying about hot side aeration...might be a myth for homebrewers.

 

[DBbrewing]

Right now I use a immersion chiller but for Christmas I am getting a Plate chiller , I can't wait to use it on Saturday.

 

[Beavdowg]

Yes, you need a pump to whirlpool. And don't worry about the cold break in the fermenter...I've never had any off flavors because of it. I use whirlfloc, and even my light beers come out crystal clear and VERY smooth. I think worrying about cold break in the fermenter is like worrying about hot side aeration...might be a myth for homebrewers.

Thanks for the clarification, TwoHeads. So you use a CFC then? How do you go about sanitizing it without a pump? What's your routine?

thanks

 

[mcmidc]

Just built a 50ft 3/8" IC. Used it last night for the first time with a whilrpool. With 45 degree tap water I went from 212 to 62 for 5.25 gal in just under 10 mins. Night and day from my 30ft 1/4" chiller I had with no whirlpool. I was also leaning towards the CFC but after last night's chill I don't think I'll look back. I couldn't believe how fast it went, I was down to 130 degrees in like 3 minutes or a little less. I was really impressed with whirlpooling with the IC.

 

[humann_brewing]

I like a whirlpooling immersion chiller. If I had no whirlpool I would prefer the CFC.

that is not such a fair comparison, your immersion chiller is way cooler that a standard stand along immersion chiller.

 

[cubbies]

I currently use an IC, but am hoping to go with a CFC or plate chiller in the near future. My 25' IC gets my wort cooled to 80 in about 15 minutes depending on the temp of my water which changes with the seasons.15 minutes is not bad, but I would prefer better, and I will probably be doing the occasional 10 gallon batch before long and I don't think my IC will perform well with that.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Thanks for the clarification, TwoHeads. So you use a CFC then? How do you go about sanitizing it without a pump? What's your routine?

thanks

Yes, I use a CFC and have had it for about a year. Before I got a pump, I would simply gravity drain Iodophor or StarSan through the chiller, and block off the end so it would be completely filled with sanitizer. I'd leave the sanitizer in there for at least 10 minutes, and sometimes for the entire brew day. That worked fine, and I never had any infected batches. I like sanitizing with heat a whole lot better, but without a pump that would be very difficult. If you're not going to get a pump soon, I'd go for the immersion chiller. It's just a simpler setup, easier to sanitize and clean, and does the same job at getting your wort down to pitching temp. Cheers, and have a very merry christmas!

 

[bull8042]

Chillus Convolutus counter-flow here.

 

[bigjoe]

You still have options of whirlpooling without a pump. I do it all the time. I use a paint stirrer on a drill. Before that a spoon or even moving your IC around a bit in the pot will accomplish similar results. The problem with all of them is that you need to be standing there the whole time.

 

[mordantly]

luckily for me my ground water is 40F these days so the ic works just bomb-digggity. who wants to pump wort arround?

 

[teach]

Where's the vote option for "Other"? I do the no-chill method. Used to use an IC, but when your tap water is 80F, you end up wasting a lot of water.