Following on from question about time taken for an IC to cool wort to a pitching temperature, I am obviously doing something wrong.
So I would like to get the general consensus of what the correct technique is.
Circulation - it appears that most circulate the wort around the chiller by some means, gentle stirring or a recirc system. This one confused me as I thought you were meant to leave the wort to settle and for a lot of the suspended particles to drop to the bottom.
Flow rate - Is a low flow rate more effective than a higher one? With a low flow rate then a smaller quantity of cooling water will be heated to a higher temperature but a higher flow rate will heat a larger quantity of cooling water to a lower temperature, which surely must have a greater cooling effect overall?
Thanks for your help.
Immersion chiller technique
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Piscator
Re: Immersion chiller technique
Couple of quick bits......
Stir with the coil while you are chilling to speed up the heat exchange - if you leave it a layer of chilled wort builds up around the coil but doesn't mix with the main body particularly well. Once the temperature is down it doesn't take the trub long to settle out again.
Keep a moderate flow going - if the flow is too slow the water in the coil gets heated to the same temp as the hot wort before it has finished the journey through the coil - this means you are not getting the full benefit of the coil. Although the water leaving the coil is cooler if you run it faster this is a good thing as this means it was chilling for the whole journey through the coil.
Hope this makes sense
Cheers
Steve
Stir with the coil while you are chilling to speed up the heat exchange - if you leave it a layer of chilled wort builds up around the coil but doesn't mix with the main body particularly well. Once the temperature is down it doesn't take the trub long to settle out again.
Keep a moderate flow going - if the flow is too slow the water in the coil gets heated to the same temp as the hot wort before it has finished the journey through the coil - this means you are not getting the full benefit of the coil. Although the water leaving the coil is cooler if you run it faster this is a good thing as this means it was chilling for the whole journey through the coil.
Hope this makes sense
Cheers
Steve
Last edited by Piscator on Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jack_c
Re: Immersion chiller technique
In addition to technique, I'd also be interested to hear more info about everyones ic chiller construction, usage and performance to see what factors are at play, such as:
-Material used
-Length / Diameter of pipe
-Number of coils
-Gap between coils
-Coil diameter
-Height of chiller
-Temp of ground water
-Volume of wort being chilled
-Time taken to 23c
-Flow rate
-Do you stir
-Picture of chiller
Mine is (measurements taken with it standing up)
- Copper
- 10m, 10mm
- 12 coils
- Variable gap between 0cm and 2cm
- 22cm coil diameter
- 24cm height
- 13c ground water
- 26 to 27 litres being chilled
- 17 to 19 mins from 100c to 23c
- Medium flow
- Stir every few mins
-Material used
-Length / Diameter of pipe
-Number of coils
-Gap between coils
-Coil diameter
-Height of chiller
-Temp of ground water
-Volume of wort being chilled
-Time taken to 23c
-Flow rate
-Do you stir
-Picture of chiller
Mine is (measurements taken with it standing up)
- Copper
- 10m, 10mm
- 12 coils
- Variable gap between 0cm and 2cm
- 22cm coil diameter
- 24cm height
- 13c ground water
- 26 to 27 litres being chilled
- 17 to 19 mins from 100c to 23c
- Medium flow
- Stir every few mins