The quest for the ultimate cooling solution

[Mylo]

Alright, I have had enough. Clearly, there must be a better way to cool wort. I want to cool my 10 gallons of wort down quickly and easily.

I have been using a CF chiller and pump on my setup. I recirculate my pool water (a nice 60 degrees) as the coolant. Here is the problem. The spigot is as the bottom. I return the wort back to the kettle below the liquid level. The chilling was SO effective on the last batch that I created a thermocline at the halfway mark. The natural convection in the keg meant that I was continuing to cool the already cooled wort. I imagine the same convection would occur using Jamil's whirlpool immersion solution.

I have considered Jamil's solution, but I really don't think that I am getting enough flow out of my pump to keep (or generate) a whirlpool in the first place. Maybe it is my fittings and hoses - 3/8" ID.

#1) should I go to 1/2" ID fittings and hoses?
#2) should I put another spigot at the 9 gallon mark?


Mylo

[Thirsty Mallard]

Just FYI, Your poll is missing a "No Pants" option.

[Gucci Pilot]

I have been recirculating with my CFC. I also run a prechiller with another smaller immersion chiller in a cooler of ice water. I can lower the wort to 60 degrees in about 15 to 20 minutes. It works for me and I can get a really good break out of the kettle.

[beer_bear]

I've been doing a double IC type set up. I've got one that I put directly in the kettle. The other goes into a cooler full of ice. I get free ice so that's not a price issue. Most fire stations will have an ice machine and have no problems letting the public get ice if asked. It seems to do me pretty good. I can get my wort to pitching temp in about 15 to 20 depending on ambient temp.

[Gucci Pilot]

I've been doing a double IC type set up. I've got one that I put directly in the kettle. The other goes into a cooler full of ice. I get free ice so that's not a price issue. Most fire stations will have an ice machine and have no problems letting the public get ice if asked. It seems to do me pretty good. I can get my wort to pitching temp in about 15 to 20 depending on ambient temp.

Beer bear, how 'bout calling over to the Woodland Fire Department and hooking a brother up with free ice?

[beer_bear]

Gucci, I bet if you took the wort to 30k feet, it could chill pretty fast. lol
I'll see what I can do about getting you that ice Gucci.

[nahthan]

I like this method: Boiling wort through the Therminator, chilled ice water going the other direction through the therminator instead of hose water. It takes two pumps, but it's well worth it with lagers. 10gal down to low 50'sF in less than 10 minutes. Let the trub settle in the conical while you bring it down to 48F, dump the trub, and your good to go..

[slanted & enchanted]

mylo, i use jamil's method and it works pretty well (it took me 3-4 brew sessions to really dial it in, though). i use 3/8" id piping i believe. anyways, the whirlpool is not vigorous. it's actually pretty lethargic looking. it's not goint to look like a flushing toilet unless you upgrade to 4" hoses. anway, the purpose of that whirlpool is just to keep the wort moving around the coils and to hlep direct that trub to a mound in the middle of your vessel. it's pretty amazing with 6 gallons batches but at above ten it slows down quite a bit. i pull the water from the bottom of the keg and return it at about the 5 gallon mark, just so it works with both 5 and 10+ gallon batches. i have 50 ' of copper, and i think i could use another 20, that would probably help me chill those large batches at a faster clip. i pump ice water (as much ice and as little water) through the IC with a old crappy hot tub pump.