Chiller question

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:28 pm

When using an immersion chiller, is it better to stir or not stir the wort? I would think stirring would be good as it should cool quicker, but then I wondered if that would maybe keep the break from forming as well? What do you do?

TappedOut · Post by **TappedOut** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:32 pm

STIR!
Otherwise you're just wasting time and water.

JimF · Post by **JimF** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:33 pm

I stir. I find it cuts my cooling time in half. I don't know if I should, but it seams to work for me.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:36 pm

Without a doubt stir. The stirring at the end of the boil is the homebrewer's form of a whirlpool. As you mentioned it will help cool faster. The main reason I always did it is so all the break and trub would be sent to the middle of the kettle to form a big cone of crap you don't need. I would stir vigoursly with a spoon that had been in the boil to sanitze to form as big a vortex as possible. Then with the chilling water already running just leave it alone. After 20 minutes most material you don't want will form a cone in the middle of the kettle. Rack nice clear wort off the side of the kettle. This is very similar to what I accompish now using my pump like the Jamil Z setup whirlpool immersion cheiller which I really like.