In time, each beer lover reaches a point with his beer making when he should think critically about adding some new equipment to his bag of tricks if he wants to keep upping his game. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to choose what to purchase first.
If your beer has gotten to a milestone where it’s honestly exceptional, but not exactly where you’d prefer it to be yet as far as flavor and quality, then you might want to contemplate shopping for a wort chiller in the near future. They can boost the integrity of your beer by quite a lot more quickly than you really understand.
Wort chillers act to swiftly bring down the temperature of your cooked wort mixture to yeast pitching levels, helpping you to eliminate oxidation and providing you with a tastier beer hands down. This procedure also reduces the likelihood of organism growth that can spoil even the best crafted beers.
However, deciding you like the idea of purchasing a wort chiller and actually getting the correct option for you are two different concepts. Here’s what you should think about when shopping for one for your home brewery.
What sort of wort chiller best fits your desires?
Wort chillers come in two basic types immersion and counter-flow. Both types get the task accomplished and efficiently, but you may realize that one fits your routine than the other does. Immersion chillers are convenient, less expensive, and simpler to sanitize. Counter-flow chillers can be better at lowering the amount of time the brew spends in the temperature “risk zone” when it’s most vulnerable to bacteria introduction. They also get the job done more quickly than the other option.
Some homebrewers like to start with an immersion style wort chiller thanks to money concerns and because easier to get used to and then trade up to counter-flow chillers at a later time. However, you may come to the conclusion that counter-flow is the better style for you right from the beginning.
Only choose wort chillers from respected brands you know you can trust.
Regarding equipment like wort chillers, it honestly benefits you to go with well-known names that have built solid reputations for guaranteeing quality at affordable prices that won’t leave you penniless. For example, brands like Blichmann have been supplying the very finest homebrewing equipment money can buy for years and years, so you really can’t go astray with them.
Don’t forget to research customer reports too, especially regarding individual choices! Looking into what other homebrewers did and didn’t enjoy about a particular piece will help you determine what’s the best choice for you better than any sales pitch or commercial ever could.
Be sure to compare prices on wort chillers online before you make your decision.
While it’s likely that you’ll be able to to get your hands on previously owned wort chillers for terrific prices, you can just as easily buy new ones if you check out what’s available on the web. Online equipment providers don’t need to cover costly overhead costs as brick and mortar shops do, so they’re able to pass the savings on to the consumer.
When you really get what to look for in advance, even buying serious equipment like wort chillers is a snap, so don’t be intimidated! They mean the perfect chance to improve your homebrew and your only gripe will be that you didn’t make this decision sooner!
The author of this article, Peter Waterman, writes on his website HomeBeerMakers .com about his greatest hobby, making his own beer. Read his articles about a stainless steel wort chiller called the Blichmann Therminator.
