Cooling water temperature

[swheatbeer]

I tried to do a search on the forum, perhaps I am not really using the right terms but I am trying to find out the fastest way I can cool 20l of wort. I have a 12v pump and a immersion chiller.

I was thinking about cleaning out my Mash Tun straight after sparging and while I am getting the boil on. Then fill the MT with cold water and ice. The pump runs at 7l a minute so the Mash tun will be empty through the immersion chiller in 5 mins. Does anyone know whether its possible to acheive pitching temp with cold water in 5mins.

Also does chilled water and therefore rapid cooling help with the cold break and are there any negatives with using really chilled water?

[trucker5774]

I notice a difference in cooling time in the summer and winter, so your theory sounds right. Not sure if you will do it with the water/time................Oly one way to be sure...........let us know how you get on

[swheatbeer]

I suppose I need to get the water temp as low as possible 1-2oC. Perhaps it might be more realistic to recirc the cooling water and add more ice. maybe 10mins is acheivable

[trucker5774]

Not sure about the recirc. The initial water leaving the chiller will be quite warm. It may work as the temp drops.

[swheatbeer]

That was i silly idea to recirc. Its been a year since i brewed (new dad) and i now remember the output from chiller can be very hot

[art.b]

id imagine the return water would be at near to boiling point b4 long....
have you thought of no chilling,
then you can pitch the yeast later when every thing has been cleaned up, it would save a lot of faffing about as far as i can see...
most people who use it, have no problem with pitching the yeast days/weeks/months later...

http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=54

[Normski]

Not sure I'd want to push the water through that quick. Im not sure if it'll have time to transfer from the wort to the cooler water.
I always run from a tap very slowly, testing the temperature of the output. If run slowly it is hotter. And it doesnt waste so much water.
It's simple and it cools in about 15-20 mins.

[trucker5774]

Not sure I'd want to push the water through that quick. Im not sure if it'll have time to transfer from the wort to the cooler water.
I always run from a tap very slowly, testing the temperature of the output. If run slowly it is hotter. And it doesnt waste so much water.
It's simple and it cools in about 15-20 mins.

Good point on flow rate if you are on a meter. If the wast water is not an issue crank it up and get it flowing with as much cold water as possible.

[Aleman]

Cooling to around 35C takes around 10 minutes with an IC .. . going from 35-25C takes an age. If you cool using normal tap water for the first stage and then swap to using you water and ice for the last bit you will get the best of both worlds.

What I would suggest however is that you put a second coil in your mash tun with ice/cold water mix, and then run your coolant from the tap through this coil and to the IC in the wort. use your solar pump to keep the ice water mixture moving. . . adding salt to the Ice water mix will reduce the temperature as well.

Again you would be better off waiting until you had reduced the temperature of the wort to below 40C before doing this

[swheatbeer]

thanks aleman and everyone else, sounds like great advice. Think I will try the first stage cool with mains water then with very cold ice water.

Not sure I fancy letting it cool over time aussie style

Out of interest are there any offers for the fasted boil to pitch temp with single or multiple immersion chillers? I fancy a challenge

[gnorwebthgimi]

I do exactly what you have suggested, fill my mash tun with water as cold as I can get ready for the end of the boil and use an IC.

Works a treat.

Good luck

[Aleman]

Out of interest are there any offers for the fasted boil to pitch temp with single or multiple immersion chillers? I fancy a challenge

60L from boiling to 8C in 5 minutes . . .

Although that was with a plate chiller under gravity . . .

Using supercooled methanol as the coolant . . . I would have chilled more of the batch but ran out of the dry ice to super cool the methanol

Don't try this at home folks

[trucker5774]

Out of interest are there any offers for the fasted boil to pitch temp with single or multiple immersion chillers? I fancy a challenge

60L from boiling to 8C in 5 minutes . . .

Although that was with a plate chiller under gravity . . .

Using supercooled methanol as the coolant . . . I would have chilled more of the batch but ran out of the dry ice to super cool the methanol

Don't try this at home folks

I bet you were really miffed when you had to raise it back to pitching temperature