Brew Day on Sunday. First for 16 years! I'll try and do pictures.
Quick question:
Might seem odd to some, but I have a problem with dumping the IC in the boiler to sterilise it. I worry about where all the gunk goes.
If I carefully wash the IC in washing soda, rinse and then dunk the whole thing in a vat of Star San for a few minutes, will that achieve the same level of sterility as being dunked in the kettle?
Jonathan
Sanitising a copper IC
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
Immersion chillers don't need to be sanitized. Just make sure it's clean, and leave the rest to the boiling wort! 

- trucker5774
- Falling off the Barstool
- Posts: 3193
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 12:20 pm
- Location: North Devon
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
If you wish you can do as you say and rinse well for the first use, placing the chiller in 15 mins before the end. (no water running through it) After that just hose off any debris from the brew as you finish using it. The next brew just place it in 15 mins before the end of the boil. The boiling wort will kill off anything living on it.
John
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
Jim & Trucker, thanks for your replies.
My problem is that I don't want to put the IC into the boiler at all. I rack off the boiled wort into my cooling vessel and put the IC into that. I want to sterilise the IC without putting it into the boiling wort. Will a washing soda clean and Star San achieve the same thing?
J
My problem is that I don't want to put the IC into the boiler at all. I rack off the boiled wort into my cooling vessel and put the IC into that. I want to sterilise the IC without putting it into the boiling wort. Will a washing soda clean and Star San achieve the same thing?
J
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
To cut to the quick: I have cocked it up! I made my own IC and I am now the proud owner of a 45 litre IC but my typical brew length is 18L. The amount of boiling wort won't cover the IC...ever!
Don't want to cut the IC down in size as it's a nice 45 litre ICthat I made all by myself...that is in reality totally useless unless I can find a way of making it sanitised enough for its function.
J
Don't want to cut the IC down in size as it's a nice 45 litre ICthat I made all by myself...that is in reality totally useless unless I can find a way of making it sanitised enough for its function.
J
- trucker5774
- Falling off the Barstool
- Posts: 3193
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 12:20 pm
- Location: North Devon
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
I am assuming that the chiller is not so huge as to not actually go in the boiler. If it is very tall due to the length of tube used then there will still be enough copper submerged to chill the wort. I made mine in that manner so as to allow me to build a bigger boiler in the future.
If that is the case then just pop it in as suggested and allow it to sanitise up to the wort level. It may add a little time to the cooling if it is a standard length but with large spaces between the coils. The water at this time of year is colder so that will help.
If that is the case then just pop it in as suggested and allow it to sanitise up to the wort level. It may add a little time to the cooling if it is a standard length but with large spaces between the coils. The water at this time of year is colder so that will help.
John
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
I'm of the belief that firstly copper is such a good conductor of heat that it heats up to near boiling very quickly and at those temps the bugs are killed pretty fast, secondly I seem to recall that copper in itself is bactericidal. If you expose an agar plate to the air for 15 mins you will be able to culture bacterial colonies which have landed on it so I know that there are definitely some bacteria which get into your brew no matter how conscientious you try to be. My point is that I believe it is "colonies" of bacteria which one must prevent entering the brew such as those found in cracks and scratches in fermenting vessels. I think many people try to attain sterility when brewing but all that is required is "asepsis." Only my humble opinion!
Re: Sanitising a copper IC
Thanks for these answers. I think on balance I was just looking at the IC and panicking about nothing. You know how it gets sometimes? Need to brew some beer to calm down. I think I have been a bit enthusiastic on the IC design...but if I ever get up to 40L brew lengths it will rock!
As you all suggest, this thing has to go in bolier and it doesn't seem to matter too much that it won't be entirely submerged by boiling wort. Enough will be sterilised by submersion and heat transfer, and as long as the IC gets a good clean and perhaps some Star San on the top third, it will be fine.
Thanks for your input. I've moved away from the edge now.
J
As you all suggest, this thing has to go in bolier and it doesn't seem to matter too much that it won't be entirely submerged by boiling wort. Enough will be sterilised by submersion and heat transfer, and as long as the IC gets a good clean and perhaps some Star San on the top third, it will be fine.
Thanks for your input. I've moved away from the edge now.
J