The Wort Chill

[thehollowhead]

I'm still new to the boil (making my second batch tonight), and I haven't had a chance to make or buy a wort chiller yet. I tried an ice bath for my first batch, but that melted on me almost instantly and didn't have enough to replenish it!

So I'm wondering if anyone has any tried and true ghetto chill methods. Or is more ice and plenty of stirring my best bet here?

[LiverDance]

With all this snow coming I would be inclined to put it in the sink with a cold water bath and keep feeding it snow and stirring to chill it. Save's from having to make or buy Ice.

[dexter]

I have a bunch of picnic freezer things that I use when I dont use my chiller ( smaller batches or extract brews) I find they help quite a bit

[thehollowhead]

I never even thought of using snow. Here's to hoping my third floor balcony will catch a lot of snow tonight! Maybe I'll stick a bucket out there.

Picnic freezers are a good idea too. Right now I just have some large freezer bags full of water hanging out, which I'm planning to use in the same way. Might try to freeze a few more.

[Houblon34]

...and stirring to chill it.

Aren't you supposed NOT to stir after a boil while it's still hot? I recall reading that in Palmer's How to Brew.

[LiverDance]

...and stirring to chill it.

Aren't you supposed NOT to stir after a boil while it's still hot? I recall reading that in Palmer's How to Brew.

Only if you believe in the hot side aeration boogie man some of the stuff in palmers book is dated. Lots of brewers and breweries and doing extensive whirlpooling with hot wort these days. Stirring your wort to cool is won't have any negative effect on your brew

[thehollowhead]

That's good to know.

Another question I was wondering about. If I do a partial boil, and add some top off water, is it fine to add chilled water to bring the temperature down? Or should I chill it, and then add room temp water?

[LeafMan66_67]

That's good to know.

Another question I was wondering about. If I do a partial boil, and add some top off water, is it fine to add chilled water to bring the temperature down? Or should I chill it, and then add room temp water?

Chilled water is fine as a top off to bring the temperature down.

[Houblon34]

Stirring your wort to cool is won't have any negative effect on your brew

Well, my normal brew day just got 10 minutes quicker then...

[thehollowhead]

That's good to know.

Another question I was wondering about. If I do a partial boil, and add some top off water, is it fine to add chilled water to bring the temperature down? Or should I chill it, and then add room temp water?

Chilled water is fine as a top off to bring the temperature down.

Excellent! Now I just have to hope this storm starts soon enough to get sent home early.

[spears104]

When I used to do partial boils I would put a carboy with 10 litres of water in the deep freeze for a couple of hours until shell ice formed. Then when the boil was finished I would pour the hot wort into the cool water. It worked pretty well to get the temperature down fast.