Best Wort Chillers for Swift Cooling [2019]
Most homebrewers tend to spend the bulk of their time and efforts in monitoring the temperatures. Most check to see if the boil is on target and if they are hitting the right mash temperatures. In as much as perfect temperatures are needed for the perfect brews, it is also imperative to dedicate some time and effort on the wort. The wort chilling is just as important as the temperature, and if ignored, you may fail to get the kind of quality you may have anticipated for your homebrew.
For successful fermentation, it is imperative to cool your worst as efficiently as possible before you go ahead to pitch the yeast. A few years ago, the chilling process featured slow and messy ice baths or dilutions which were never guaranteed to give great results. But this has since changed with the introduction of modern and efficient wort chillers and irrespective of the kind of beer you are brewing, or your budget, a simple search online will reveal to you a variety of wort coolers you can use to get exceptional results for your home brewing.
In homebrewing, the faster you chill your wort, the better the results. When the chilling process is slow, the wort becomes susceptible to yeast and bacteria attacks which will ultimately end eroding the quality of the overall product. Additionally, when the wort spends a lot of time in the “lukewarm” zone, there are increased chances for the production of dimethyl sulfide – a chemical compound that may make the beer have an objectionable canned-corn taste, and this will not be palatable to the tongue. By using a wort chiller, however, all these two problems can be avoided, and you can be guaranteed of having the wort chilled faster to gift you with a perfect brew at the end of the process.
TOP RATED WORK CHILLERS
1. NY Brew Supply Copper Wort Chiller
The NY Brew Supply Wort Chiller is one of the most super-efficient immersion chillers you will find in the market today. If you are brewing in batches of between 5 and 15 gallons, then this is a highly recommended chiller. It comprises of 50 feet of 3/8” copper tube that will easily chill your wort in a matter of minutes. It comes with a lot of vinyl tubing as well as stainless steel clamps, garden hose adaptor, and instructions on use.
Some of the notable features of this immersion chiller include the 3/8” copper, the 12” vinyl tubing, and the high-quality brass hose adapter.
Pros
• Very efficient
• Functions greatly without any hitches
• Good bargain for the price
Cons
• Shorter stems
• Not ideal for smaller batches of less than 5 gallons
Why should you buy it?
You should consider this wort cooler if you want to have an efficient and cost-effective way of chilling wort for batches of between 5 and 15 gallons.
2. HomeBrew Stuff 25” Copper Immersion Wort Chiller
The HomeBrew Stuff 25” is another super-efficient copper immersion chiller specially designed to keep the coils elevated for a faster chilling process. The design of the chiller also reduced the chances of infection and exposure to environmental threats that the wort may be faced with.
The chiller is made of copper which is 28 times more thermally effective than stainless steel. It is about 17” tall, with a diameter of about 9-1/4” round. Also included in the package is a braised garden hose fittings for easy setup. The chiller is ideal for 5-gallon batch sizes.
Pros
• Reduces the chilling time from 1hr to 10 minutes
• Comes with a great design and highly efficient
• Ideal for 5-gallon batches
Cons
• Experience leakages when not fitted properly
• Not suitable for more than 5 batches
Why you should buy it
If you want a decently sized chiller, ideal for 5-gallon batches, and one that can guarantee super-fast chilling, then this is just the right type of chiller
3. NorthernBrewer Copperhead Immersion Wort Chiller
NorthernBrewer is no stranger in the home brewing industry, and their immersion chillers are among the best you will find in the market today. It is a sleek copperhead 25-foot immersion chiller that efficiently cools your wort to the desired pitching temperatures in the shortest possible time. With this chiller, no sanitization is required since all you need is to drop the chiller into the kettle just a few minutes prior to the end of the boil, and you will be good to go.
The chillers feature a 25-foot copper tubing that guarantees the very best chilling results. It comes with drop angle connections that act as an added security against contaminations. With the drop angle connection, you will not have to worry about surprise leaks because they will be kept away from the kettle and way from the cooling wort. Also featured is a standard garden hose connection which makes it possible and more efficient to brew outside.
Pros
• Very efficient in operations
• Doesn’t have any leaks at the connections
• Ideal for small batches
• Ideal for brewing outdoors
Cons
• None registered so far by past users
Why you should buy it
Northern Brew is a trusted household name in home brewing, and if you are need of a reliable immersion wort chiller, you will not go wrong with the Northern Brewer Copperhead Immersion Wort Chiller.
4. Kegco’s Stainless Steel Counterflow Chiller
With Kegco’s stainless steel counterflow chiller, you get a chance to chill your wort twice as fast as when using the standard immersion chillers. It is designed with every feature needed for reliability and efficiency, and it is simply one of the best you will find in the market today.
This counterflow chiller features stainless steel construction for durability. The coils are approximately 6” in diameter, with tubing of 0.5”. With the stainless steel construction, the chiller is not only efficient but also easy to clean thus enhancing the further the sanitation of your home brewery. Just like with most counterflow chillers, the wort and the water flows in different directions, thus guaranteeing faster and efficient chilling.
Pros
• Efficient counterflow cooling
• Made with high-quality stainless steel for durability
• Easy to set up and use
Cons
• Relatively expensive
• Not ideal for novice brewers
• The tubing is not exactly 5/8”
Why you should buy it
Kegco’s Stainless Steel Counterflow chiller is a good choice if you are looking for an exceptional and durable counterflow wort chiller and you have a budget to go for the best. It is a fact that you will not be disappointed with this chiller.
5. NY Brew Supply Counterflow Wort Chiller
This deluxe counterflow wort chiller is super durable and super effective. Its ¾” hose can withstand high temperatures and will not get brittle like the common chillers over time. With a 25 feet long, and ½” diameter of copper tubing, this chiller guarantees an extremely efficient chilling process for your wort.
Also featured is heavy duty brass fittings that make connecting to a cold water source a breeze. The fittings also allow you to adjust the angle as well as the position of the output and the input hoses for better convenience. If you choose to, you can easily use it for outside brewing without any issues.
Pros
• Designed for efficient cooling
• Extremely durable
• Tubing doesn’t get brittle over time
Cons
• It may leak from the compression fitting
• Relatively expensive for small time home brewers
6. HFS(R) Homebrew Beer Wort Chiller
The HFS(R) Homebrew Beer Wort Chiller is made from high-grade stainless steel which has been further brazed with 99.9% copper for maximum durability and efficiency. With such a design in construction, the wort chiller offers maximum heat exchange, thus reducing the chilling time, while at the same time guaranteeing the very best results. Unlike other chillers, this homebrew will also help you save on water needed for the chilling process when you use a closed-loop cold water system.
Some of the notable features of this wort chiller include-: 304-grade stainless construction, ability to support temperatures of up to 392F and pressure of up to 145-psi. The chiller can comfortably chill up to 10-gallon batches from 212F to 75F in under 10 minutes.
Pros
• Very efficient cooling
• Made of high-grade stainless steel for durability
• Ideal for 10-gallon batches
Cons
• Small in size
• Not food safe due to the copper brazing
• May start leaking after being used for a while
Why should you buy it
This wort chiller is ideal for anyone who desires to have a durable plate chiller with the ability to cool up to 10-gallon batches in under 10 minutes.
7. Blichmann Therminator, Beer Wort Chiller
Bilchmann Therminator, Beer Wort Chiller may not look like your ordinary chillers, but surprisingly, it is one of the favorite plate chillers for home brewing. The design of the plate chiller helps to lower down the temperature of the wort quickly and more efficiently, than any traditional submersible chiller you could ever find.
The chiller features a compact design that not only makes it easy to use but also to clean one the brewing is over. The construction of the chiller features up to 316 stainless steel that has been brazed together with the help of pure copper, which further adds to the thermal conductivity of the unit.
Pros
• Compact in design
• Efficient in wort cooling
• Made from stainless steel for durability and efficiency
Cons
• Not as efficient as immersion coolers
• Relatively expensive
Why should you buy it
If you are in the market in search of the perfect leak-free wort cooler for rapid cooling, then you have every reason to buy this chiller.
Things to consider when buying a wort chiller
There are a number of factors worth considering when you venture out to buy a wort chiller. This is how you will ensure that you get the right kind of chiller that will guarantee you the best results in your home brewing process. If you are out shopping for a woot cooler, consider the following-:
The material of the chiller
With most of the chillers, there is always some aspect of heat exchange taking place, and this is why the material used in making the chiller matters a lot. Not every material have the same rate of heat conduction, and this implies that the wort chillers are not going to have the same rate of heat exchange.
The preferred materials for the chillers, especially for the tubing is usually copper. It is possible to find chillers made from other materials such as steel, but just know that you may not get very good results compared to using copper chillers.
The type of chillers that best suits your needs
All three types of chillers will get the job done, but you may find that one type will suit your needs and personality more than the rest. For example, immersion chillers are simple to use and easy to clean, but they take a long time to get the wort chilled.
Counter-flow chillers, on the other hand, are very efficient and can get the wort chilled in a very short time, but cleaning it is very difficult, and it has the potential of getting clogged, thus delaying the process. Therefore, take time to evaluate the pros and cons of each, and choose on the one that you feel best suits your needs.
Buy from the top and trusted brands
When it comes to buying a wort chiller, it is very important to consider where you get your chiller from. This is because the brand will have a direct impact on the quality of the chiller, and this will ultimately have an impact on the quality of your brew.
Ideally, it is recommended that you should stick to the top brand knowns to produce quality chillers. Additionally, it is important that you read reviews left by past purchasers on the specific models you are interested in so that you can know what to expect owning the wort chiller.
Compare prices online
Before you settle for a particular brand or model of a wort cooler, take your time and compare prices from different vendors or manufacturers online. This is to save you from spending a lot of money unnecessarily when you had a chance to get it a more comfortable rate from other places.
However, you should never let the price be your only guiding factor. Always remember that you will ultimately get what you paid for.
Types of Wort Chillers
There are three basic types of wort chillers in the market today. It is important for every homebrewer to have a good understanding of each so that you can make an informed choice when making your purchase decision so that you be hopeful of great results. They include the followings -
Immersion chillers
Immersion chillers are amongst some of the most cost-effective ways of rapid wort cooling. They are affordable, and normally seen as an easy upgrade from the ice baths. Immersion chillers feature long lengths of copper coils with a couple of hoses on each end. Its operation is also simple since all that is required is for you to attach one end of the coil to a cold water tap and the other end be placed in a bucket where the water will be drained.
Other than the affordability and simplicity in operations, immersion chillers can also be constructed at home, provided that you can have access to long copper coils. As such, it is an effective way to achieve faster wort chilling without breaking the bank. They are also easy to clean, and this will enhance the cleanliness of your home brewery.
However, these chillers use a lot of water, and they are also not as fast or as efficient as other types of chillers.
Counter-flow Chillers
Counter-flow chillers have the same operating principle as immersion chillers, only that it is the wort that runs through a copper pipe which is being cooled from the outside. A common set up used by home brewers with this kind of wort cooler is to run a copper pipe through a garden hose.
These chillers are known to have a great cooling effect, and they also make it possible for the wort to run directly from the boiler right through to the fermenter, where they will reach when they are cool enough and ready for pitching. If you are brewing larger batches, then you will find the counter-flow chillers to be extremely effective.
The downsides of these chillers, however, include the need to deal with two sets of connectors – one for the water and the other one for the wort. There are also potential clogging problems because the walls move through the interior of the coils and there are chances, and the flow may stop, compelling you to clear the clogs before you continue with the process. Finally, cleaning these types of chillers is also not easy.
Plate wort chillers
Plate wort chillers work in the same way as car radiators. They are fitted with copper lines, where water is made to flow in the opposite direction as that of the wort. While water and wort flow in the opposite directions, heat exchange takes place through the plates.
One of the admirable attributes of this chiller is that the cooling effect is achieved so quickly and it is also possible to reach the fermentation temperatures with just the first try. The major downside, on the other hand, is that a hot break may be experienced in the fermenter. Though this may not be catastrophic to the home brewing process, and recovery is always possible.
