The cold break

[Mike the pint supper]

Just a quick question, currently in the process of building a AG kit. Just wondered if there is any advantages to having a extremly cold cold break! Thinking along the lines of building a primary coil in a cool box to chill the tap water before it enters the counter flow. Then putting a ice and water mix in the cool box so the counter flow water is about 3 degrees when it enters the counter flow system. With the wort being about 7 degrees when it reaches the FV. Any thoughts?

[simple one]

I believe it would be counter productive to crash the temp that low, as it would then need to be allowed to come back up to the temp for fermentation. Which ruins one of the points of rapid cooling, which is getting the fermentation on as soon as possible to lessen the risk of infection whilst messing around with it.

I think the principle of a cold break is the speed of the drop in temp (say from 80c to 18c), rather than final temp. So it would help the pace of the drop, but I would stop at 18c.

I THINK.... (and I hope someone tells me if I am right or wrong) That the cold break is mainly to crash the protiens out of the wort which cause chill haze. So not really important if you like your beers at cellar/room temp.

[Mike the pint supper]

Cheers that makes sence with ale. Although would be tempted to do it for a low temp yeast for larger rather than chill after. Mind will only be brewing it to keep the OH happy