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Broken Immersion Chiller

I have a question with which I hope you can help. I was making an all-grain oatmeal stout recipe yesterday. During the last 15 minutes of my boil, I hooked up my outdoor immersion wort chiller to the hose and tested it out. To my horror, I found a huge hole in one piece of the copper tubing spurting out water. Since I had no other option that I could think of, my buddy went to the store to to get lots of ice. We transferred the hot wort from the cut keg to a fermenting bucket and then put the bucket into an ice bath. Here's the problem -- it took 5 HOURS for the wort to cool to pitching temperature!!! Usually, I can get the wort down to 68 degrees in about 20 minutes with the chiller.

I ordered another immersion chiller last night for the next batch, but I am worried about what this exceptionally long cool-down time will do to my oatmeal stout. Any information or advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

M
Reply to
Melville
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It really depends, in a situation like that knowing whether or not your wort was contaminated is as scientific as playing the lottery. You really can't be sure. I would have to say, pitch your yeast and hope for the best.

I've used the ice bath method several times myself with 5 gallon batchs and it only took about an hour to cool it down, I used a sanitized spoon (nice big one) to stir the wort whilst it was in the ice bath, same principle as swirling your immersion chiller. If you didn't do that, that would account for the 5 hour cool down period. Interestingly enough, food service suppliers sell a chill paddle, you fill it with water, stick it in the freezer, sanitize it & stir your hot food/wort. I think the key here is to keep the wort moving for better contact with the cooling surface. So just for future reference....

My honest opinion, you really won't know until you take a sip of your finished product.

I know thats not very helpful, but really there is no way of knowing.

Kent

Reply to
blah

I have been putting my hot wort on the back enclosed porch over night to cool with a closed lid and air lock and never had any problems. As long as it is sealed you will not have any problems. After it is cooled in the morning I bring it back in and add the yeast.

Roy

Reply to
Roy Boy

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