Wort Temps

[ntboozer]

I've been thinking of installing a bimetal thermometer (I have a spare sitting here) in the kettle with a weldless fitting to monitor wort temps after the chiller (circulate wort from kettle to kettle via march pump) - is this idea any good or am I just adding to the cleaning headache (having a probe out there collecting hops and break material)?
Cheers
nt
:beer:

 

[ntboozer]

bump
No comments / replies yet.
Am I wasting my time fitting a thermometer to the kettle?
cheers
nt
:beer:

 

[Doc]

Hey NT,

Build yourself an inline aeration assembly and use your thermometer there.
Checkout this topic

Doc

 

[Darren]

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No comments / replies yet.
Am I wasting my time fitting a thermometer to the kettle?
cheers
nt
:beer:

Nt,
I would suggest you don't recirculate with the pump as it will smash the cold and hot break into very small pieces and getting them to settle will take for ever.

Better to monitor the out-flow temps as Doc said.

cheers

Darren

 

[AndrewQLD]

bump
No comments / replies yet.
Am I wasting my time fitting a thermometer to the kettle?
cheers
nt
:beer:

You said it NT, probably a waste of time. As the others have said a thermometer on the output is much simpler. One in the kettle will also be a breakage problem when your washing out the boiler, and they don't like getting knocked around too much.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[ntboozer]

You guys are champions. Glad I waited before I cut the hole. I searched for everything on this site about kettle temps and thermos but not inline aeration - thanks heaps.
Doc - any update on your re-design? Would be interested in any new pics / hints.

This is going to get redesigned again tonight to design mod #3.
Been having a few issues with flow rate with the wort having to go round corners too many times in conjuction with the aeration stone reducing the flow rate.
I have a good idea on how I'll do it, but has anyone built one recently and have and pictures of your setups ?

Beers,
Doc

Cheers
nt
:beer:

 

[ntboozer]

Thanks to all who responded and to Doc for the explanation regarding the in line aerator/thermo. I'll be making one of those soon. :beerbang:

Now after 2 days of reading posts on this site about wort cooling I'm left a little confused :blink: - it has been suggested not to pump / recirculate the wort post boil through my CCFWC back to the kettle as this will 'smash' the hot and cold break material into small bits - My question - how do all those people who commented on recirculating the wort whilst using an Immersion chiller get on? Isn't the result the same (smaller break material resulting in longer settling times)? Now if this isn't the case then my next hairbrain idea probably isn't as bad as I think it is..................Given I'm still at the design stage my line of thinking is heading toward making an IM chiller for the kettle, recirculate / whirlpool the wort from/to the kettle with the pump to get the initial temp drop then pump the wort through the CCFWC into the fermenter while using a bilge pump (spare in shed for boat) to circulate chilled water for CCFWC (Darwin tap water temp. still pretty high on a cold (17C) morning). This should achieve wort temps of 18-20C (confirmed by Doc's in line set up) into fermenter, pitch yeast then into fermentation fridge (set at 20C, I only plan on brewing Ales only at this stage).
I'm open to suggestions .
Cheers
nt
:beer:
Edit - appologies for the long winded post due to many beers on this fine Sunday

 

[Stuster]

I don't think you need to worry about the 'smashing' of hot/cold break material. This link by a 'famous' brewer called Jamil Zainasheff who's made a whirlpool/IC setup might help. Lots of nice photos. Hope it's of some help.

 

[jayse]

Just read your thread NTboozer and my comment would be, your question should be restructured to ask 'Whats the best way to get your wort to a cool temp when your tap water is at darwin temp?'

Thats what I gather from your last post your trying to do, get the wort to lower than the tap water temp.
If this is the case then I'am sure if I pose this question 'how to'.. your about to get a million ideas out of AHB.

My intial ideas would be two counter flow chillers with the wort in series, the first one is feed with tap water and the second is feed with the chilled water with the bilge pump.
But that method would need you to chill at least 50 litrs of water for the second CFC, cold space could be better used for beer and fermentation. The other way would simply be with one counter flow chiller with the tap water for heat exchange in series with a imersion chiller in a bucket of ice slurry. This way I would think would be much more practical.


Horse called war.
Jayse

 

[AndrewQLD]

In the middle of summer here I use this method.
One IM chiller in the wort running tap water until the temp drops as low as I can get it usually <30c. Then disconnect hoses and attach chiller to a pond pump sitting in an esky full of water and ice, the pump then circulates the ice water through the chiller and back into the esky dropping the wort temp to <20c, works really well.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Ross]

Being on tank water & not wanting to waste valuable water. I use 50L of water straight from our dam initially, using a bilge pump. Then I use 50L of chilled dam water which I recirculate back into the 2 cubes I store it in & back into the fridge. I can get down to lager pitching temps with no problem at all.

cheers Ross

 

[Doogiechap]

I found my CFC didn't chill my last wort enough so recirculated it (Via my CFC) in my fermenter for another 20 mins to pull it down to 20 this also helped in aeration too It would be tough with your water temps so the bilge pump /ice bath scenario as a second stage sound like the go.
Cheers
Doug

 

[warrenlw63]

In the middle of summer here I use this method.
One IM chiller in the wort running tap water until the temp drops as low as I can get it usually <30c. Then disconnect hoses and attach chiller to a pond pump sitting in an esky full of water and ice, the pump then circulates the ice water through the chiller and back into the esky dropping the wort temp to <20c, works really well.

Cheers
Andrew

Ditto Andrew's method.

Actually can be more effective than you bargain for. I used this method to chill some stout a few weeks back and accidentally chilled the wort down to 13 degrees. :blink:

Was a little more careful today. Tap water down to 26 and recirc. Ice water down to 18 degrees.

Now if only I had of been on my game enough to realise I'd forgotten one of my 60 min. hop additions. Doh! <_<

Warren -

 

[stephen]

In summer I use my immersion chiller tyo get the wort down to about 30 then run the cooling water through a pre-chiller. This is a coil of copper pipe, approx 25 ft long in an esky full of ice. I have to reduce the flow so that the water coming out of the prechiller is at it coldest. Once got my brew down to about 11 deg.

Steve

 

[Darren]

Warren,

Surely it is cool enough to chill your wort in winter in Victoria without a pre-chiller?

I used CFC no pre-chiller and hit 15C with no troubles here in SA last weekend.

cheers

Darren

 

[Darren]

I don't think you need to worry about the 'smashing' of hot/cold break material.

Stuster,
The recirculate-to-cool idea does sound attractive and years ago did it routinely.
Took me quite a while to realise though, the break material was being turned to a very fine low flocculating substance from passing it around and around through the pump.

I noticed an increase in the clarity of my beers as soon as I stopped using my pump to recirculate to chill.

I also discovered that recirculating to cool first, then chilling into the fermenter, was no more effective at hitting my ferment temp or a time saving than a "once off" through the pump into the fermenter.

cheers

Darren

One good way to get a couple of extra degrees out of your chiller is to keep your hose (from the tap) off the ground and out of the sun. Particularly usefull in summer

 

[warrenlw63]

Warren,

Surely it is cool enough to chill your wort in winter in Victoria without a pre-chiller?

I used CFC no pre-chiller and hit 15C with no troubles here in SA last weekend.

cheers

Darren

Darren.

I use an immersion chiller. Gets 50 litres down to 25 degrees in about 30 mins. Even with cold Melb. weather it's about the same. Gets to the stage where you start questioning your water useage. h34r:

Bag of ice and pond pump from 25 downwards just seems to speed things up somewhat and saves a fair bit of water.

BTW Immersion chiller is 16m copper in an 80 litre ally brewpot. My hunch is the diameter of the pot makes things a little slower.

Warren -

 

[Darren]

Warren,
Do you "jiggle it"? The chiller I mean!! Used to help my old immersion no end.

cheers

Darren

 

[warrenlw63]

Not a jiggler Darren or a dangler either.

I've got an aluminium stirrier attached to a cordless drill that I give a blast with every now and then to stir the wort around. I still think it's pot diameter vs. chiller diameter.

Warren -

 

[ntboozer]

Just read your thread NTboozer and my comment would be, your question should be restructured to ask 'Whats the best way to get your wort to a cool temp when your tap water is at darwin temp?'

Thats what I gather from your last post your trying to do, get the wort to lower than the tap water temp.
If this is the case then I'am sure if I pose this question 'how to'.. your about to get a million ideas out of AHB.

My intial ideas would be two counter flow chillers with the wort in series, the first one is feed with tap water and the second is feed with the chilled water with the bilge pump.
But that method would need you to chill at least 50 litrs of water for the second CFC, cold space could be better used for beer and fermentation. The other way would simply be with one counter flow chiller with the tap water for heat exchange in series with a imersion chiller in a bucket of ice slurry. This way I would think would be much more practical.


Horse called war.
Jayse

Appologies to the Moderators for the vaugness of my subject title.
I guess I was trying to get answers to a number of questions all in one hit.
With water temps of 25.7C, from oustide tap this morning following 15C minimum overnight, I always expected to have to add some form of pre chiller.

My main aim was to get the pros / cons from those who have tried circulating the wort with a march pump after the boil, creating a whirlpool in the kettle to help settle the break material and whether this whirlpooling could aid with cooling.
I have all the gear but was hesitant to cut the holes in my SS kettle to find that it didn't work - so was hoping to learn from others experiences.

Cheers
nt
:beer: