9 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

Can you use StarSan IN a copper wort chiller? I want to submerge the chiller in an ice bath and gravity feed the wort through it, but I want to make sure I can sanitize it first.Cheers,Rich

[stellarbrew]

Yep, no problem. Just don't leave the StarSan in contact with the copper for more than a few minutes, so as not to dissolve the copper.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Interesting idea, does anyone else do this? I gravity feed ice water through my wort chiller and never thought of doing it the other way around. Rich, Can you also sanitize the inside of the chiller but running hot wort through it near the end of the boil?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Interesting idea, does anyone else do this? I gravity feed ice water through my wort chiller and never thought of doing it the other way around. Rich, Can you also sanitize the inside of the chiller but running hot wort through it near the end of the boil?

That might be tough to do without a pump and still get the boiling wort through the whole thing.I bought a 30ft chiller, Im too lazy to build one right now, might have saved me $30, but it saved me a few hours work.I figure since I use an ice bath anyway (and I borrow a pump and chiller) that gravity feeding through the bath with a larger diameter chiller will be more efficient time wise. Should only take about 2 minutes to chill to whatever the temp will be. I'm guessing I will get the wort from 200ish to at least 100 on the first run. I can always refill the kettle (or the HLT that has been sanitized) and run it through again, or just put the carboy in the ice bath for a little bit after the first run if it isn't too hot.Cheers,Rich

[zymot]

What you are doing is a variation on the Counter Flow Chiller (CFC) idea. Instead of running water over the exterior of the tube, you are placing it in a bath of ice water. If you do this. constantly move the chiller in the ice water. doesn't to be alot of movement, just enough to keep moving warm wate raway from the tube.If you are confident in sanitation issues, give it a try, I guess.Personally I would not do it. If you cannot see inside the tube and examine how clean it is. Then running wort through it has some risk.Maybe it is just more intuitive for me to pick one side of the copper tube and always use it the same way. Immersion chillers, wort on the outside, chill water inside. CFC, wort on the inside, chill water on the outside.

[SchwanzBrewer]

What you are doing is a variation on the Counter Flow Chiller (CFC) idea. Instead of running water over the exterior of the tube, you are placing it in a bath of ice water. If you do this. constantly move the chiller in the ice water. doesn't to be alot of movement, just enough to keep moving warm wate raway from the tube.If you are confident in sanitation issues, give it a try, I guess.Personally I would not do it. If you cannot see inside the tube and examine how clean it is. Then running wort through it has some risk.Maybe it is just more intuitive for me to pick one side of the copper tube and always use it the same way. Immersion chillers, wort on the outside, chill water inside. CFC, wort on the inside, chill water on the outside.

Its no more worrisome than a plate chiller, and that got clogged. I finally got my ingredients and the chiller from Austinhomebrew and I'm going to brew on Saturday or Sunday and test this bad boy out.I'll let you all know how it turns out. If it works I will hopefully have a lazier way of chilling that won't require a pump.Cheers,Rich

[djinkc]

Interesting idea, does anyone else do this? I gravity feed ice water through my wort chiller and never thought of doing it the other way around.

The only time I've had success with the coil in ice water was as a post chiller after the CFC with warm ground water. I tried to prechill tap water several weeks ago with the coil in a bucket of ice water and a stirrer running all the time - then it went to the CFC. And I found out again it just doesn't do the trick. I won't be trying it again.

[SchwanzBrewer]

The only time I've had success with the coil in ice water was as a post chiller after the CFC with warm ground water. I tried to prechill tap water several weeks ago with the coil in a bucket of ice water and a stirrer running all the time - then it went to the CFC. And I found out again it just doesn't do the trick. I won't be trying it again.

I used the chiller tonight. Using the chiller in ice water and gravity feeding the wort through it worked fine. Got it down to about 70 degrees the first run. I use a swamp cooler for my fermenting chamber so it will cool down a little more from that. The only problem I had with it was that I have too much hose and not the right size. I had to jury rig the hoses so it would fit the fitting on the kettle (1/2" or 3/8") and the chiller which is 1/4". So I stuck the hose from the chiller into the hose for the kettle fitting and clamped them together. Not something I recommend, but it worked this time. Because of all that I couldn't get a good siphon and it took a bit long to fill the carboy. I will get some fittings that match so the hose is shorter and less room for error in the line.I really want to make a brew stand, and get a pump so I don't have to rely on gravity. It shouldn't take 45 minutes to cool and collect the wort. Cheers,Rich

[djinkc]

Hey, glad it worked for you. Assuming that was 5 gallons it would take me 90 minutes for my usual 10 gallons. With a pump it will move faster and be less effective.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Hey, glad it worked for you. Assuming that was 5 gallons it would take me 90 minutes for my usual 10 gallons. With a pump it will move faster and be less effective.

Most of that time was spent just trying to get the damn thing to start a siphon. I filled it with starsan solution and then let that drain out to create the siphon. It didn't work very well so I ended up sucking on the end to get it going and then cleaned the end off and sanitized it while there was still sanitizer coming out. Starsan is very bitter, like acetic acid from an orange. Cheers,Rich