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Speeding up immersion chilling through wort agitation.

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Just had a look at this video. At about 2 mins 20 secs, you'll see an electric stirrer being used to stir the mash. At 5 mins 20 secs, it is being used to stir the wort during the chill.

While I think continual electric stirring of the mash is a bit over the top, I've always wanted something to stir the wort while immersion chilling as it does speed things up a lot.

The only idea I've had is to add some sort of impeller driven by the water running through the chiller but I have never worked out how to make such a contraption easily.

Anyone have any ideas on an 'elegant' way of gently agitating the wort during the chill?
Last edited by PistolPatch on 19 Nov 2011, 07:05, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #2 made 14 years ago
by hashie
I've often thought of ways to make a cheap stirring device, so the mash can be continually agitated. The one in the video is very good, although I don't like the idea of having electricity so close to the wort.

PP, I think something like a small turbo charger would do the trick. The water would flow through turning the central rotor, enabling cooling and rotary motion. Although I think you would need a much higher flow rate to get the rotary motion happening than you would normally have through a chiller.
Last edited by hashie on 19 Nov 2011, 07:25, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #3 made 14 years ago
by Zelig
I use a copper immersion wort-chiller, and during chilling I just move it slightly up and down, just like a spring.
I've seen that just doing this, chilling time is reduced a lot. Last time, 16 lts (after cooling) of wort was cooled to 22 C in about 15 minutes!
(but maybe with bigger volumes the difference will not be so big)
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Post #4 made 14 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, PP, from my old chemistry class in high school, the saying was "agitation is the key to stop stagnation" or it is a way to stop density from forming levels, or pockets of density from forming, and it stops thermal levels from forming. It other words, it mixes stuff up.
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Post #5 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
hashie: I know what you mean by a turbo charger* but am having problems visualising how to implement it. Remember, I want something simple :lol:. Mains pressure water would drive the impeller I talked about above okay depending on the gearing. Whatever the gearing though, the more you turn the tap on the more circulation which would be neat!

Zelig: It's amazing how much of a difference agitating the coil makes. I can never be bothered though and, if I have a mate over 'helping' me, they are far more interested in drinking my beer than jiggling my chiller :evil:. I can see where they are coming from though :P.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 19 Nov 2011, 22:45, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #7 made 14 years ago
by joshua
Good Day PeteZa, a bit tooo complicated for my tastes, I'll still go No-Chill!
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Post #8 made 14 years ago
by Yeasty
PistolPatch wrote:The only idea I've had is to add some sort of impeller driven by the water running through the chiller but I have never worked out how to make such a contraption easily.
How about modifying a garden sprinkler, they all have water powered motors in them, there must be a model on the market that could be adapted.

Mind you PP I've heard they are taboo in WA so go shopping in disguise :cool: :whistle:

:peace:
Last edited by Yeasty on 22 Nov 2011, 04:39, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #9 made 14 years ago
by olaboss
I visited a cabin once where they used ducks to break up algae forming in the spring so it would float downstream. I guess that wouldn't work in this setting? PETA (people for eating of tasty animals)may not like it. :interesting:
How about just stirring with a paddle or long spoon? It isn't so hard, and you can drink a homebrew at the same time. :yum:
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Post #10 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Yeasty: LOL about shopping in diusguise. I'm amazed you've heard of the sprinkler ban. (Where do kids play these days? :)). I can't see how the sprinkler would work unless I wanted to chill and dilute simultaneously :lol:. In other words, where's the output water going to go? (Like the way you're thinking though Yeasty).

olaboss: I like to have both hands available for drinking :lol:. The tap water gets up to 28 C here in summer so anything that speeds up the process would be handy. And, I like to spend nearly all the chilling time looking for these two small bits of hose I use during transfer that allow the wort to aerate during transfer. I can never find those hoses :scratch:.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 23 Nov 2011, 06:09, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #11 made 14 years ago
by Yeasty
PistolPatch wrote:Yeasty: LOL about shopping in diusguise. I'm amazed you've heard of the sprinkler ban. (Where do kids play these days? :)). I can't see how the sprinkler would work unless I wanted to chill and dilute simultaneously :lol:. In other words, where's the output water going to go? (Like the way you're thinking though Yeasty).
Yea my thinking was a bit random on that idea. :headhit:

A normal pump will rotate if you just run water through it,I've seen it happen at work a few times. If you could find a suitable model without motor and a decent shaft to connect to I reckon it would work. Finding a suitable beast will be the problem.

Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 23 Nov 2011, 07:13, edited 4 times in total.
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