Vastly Diff Temps From Chiller to Ferm

[Yontsey]

So I finished my boil and ran my chiller on my G30. I ran it forever but got it down to 71° according to the Grainmaster. I transferred it to my SS Brew Bucket and tossed in my Tilt and it’s saying 90-100°. Wtf? Why are my temps so fucking different, and more importantly, is my yeast dead?

 

[Yooper]

How did you calibrate both of them? Do you have a regular thermometer to check?

 

[Minbari]

So I finished my boil and ran my chiller on my G30. I ran it forever but got it down to 71° according to the Grainmaster. I transferred it to my SS Brew Bucket and tossed in my Tilt and it’s saying 90-100°. Wtf? Why are my temps so fucking different, and more importantly, is my yeast dead?View attachment 29745

How long was the tilt in there? It takes mine a good 30 minutes to stabilize

Also, the tilt floats on top. Heat rises. My fermentor can be 10°F different from top to bottom. Temp stratification is real

 

[Yontsey]

How did you calibrate both of them? Do you have a regular thermometer to check?

I calibrated the Tilt prior in water. I didn’t calibrate the Grainfather but it’s always been spot on the last few brews I’ve done. Very strange.

 

[Yontsey]

How long was the tilt in there? It takes mine a good 30 minutes to stabilize

Also, the tilt floats on top. Heat rises. My fermentor can be 10°F different from top to bottom. Temp stratification is real

It’s been in there about 30-40 minutes. It’s coming down but still in the 90s. Will the yeast survive or should I try and repitch in a day or two?

 

[Minbari]

What strain of yeast is it? Most likely fine.

I always give it an hour or so in the fermentor before pitching just to make sure it cooled

 

[Yontsey]

Wyeast Kolsch 2565. Each 15 minute readout from the Tilt the temp is dropping. Still racking my brain why the temp is way off. Maybe had the pump flow on too high and didn’t get enough contact from the CFC.

 

[Minbari]

Give it time, should be alright, if might have a little more lag, but should get going

 

[Yontsey]

Give it time, should be alright, if might have a little more lag, but should get going

It's down to 84˚ this AM. Hopefully start to see some action within the next couple days.

 

[Donoroto]

Keep it all tightened up, wait 3 days for activity. If you can see inside, you might see krausen before airlock activity.

 

[Yontsey]

Keep it all tightened up, wait 3 days for activity. If you can see inside, you might see krausen before airlock activity.

It’s down to 81° already and I have action in the airlock. I think we’re gonna be ok…

 

[Minbari]

It’s down to 81° already and I have action in the airlock. I think we’re gonna be ok…

Most yeast won't really die til much warmer than the optimal temp, you can just get off flavors from it. Getting the temp down before it really gets going is important

 

[Bigbre04]

So stratification is a common problem. Your heat-ex probably took a few mins to settle down temp wise. Depending on the refresh rate on the thermocouple or thermometer(if digital) you could have been running hotter for a little bit and that hotter wort wont always mix in completely. I run into the same problem sometimes, my temp probes are really high in the tank and they will read higher then the overall knockout frequently.

Wit yeast is a beast, you shouldnt have any problems.

 

[Yontsey]

It's already down to 77˚ and having a ton of action. Already dropped .01 gravity point, from 1.053 to 1.043.

 

[Yontsey]

So after brewing again today, currently using the CFC, I’ve realized that it’s pumping water to the bottom of the tank and I wasn’t getting proper temp readings. Vastly different temps from the top and bottom. Hard with straight garden hose water running through the CFC so I took a chunk of the hose and coiled it in my yeti cooler and dumped cold water and ice and some frozen ice packs to cool the water down before it hits the CFC. Seems to be working.

 

[Minbari]

So after brewing again today, currently using the CFC, I’ve realized that it’s pumping water to the bottom of the tank and I wasn’t getting proper temp readings. Vastly different temps from the top and bottom. Hard with straight garden hose water running through the CFC so I took a chunk of the hose and coiled it in my yeti cooler and dumped cold water and ice and some frozen ice packs to cool the water down before it hits the CFC. Seems to be working.

You can take some soft copper tubing, coil it and put that in the cooler inline with the cfc. Will work ever more

 

[Craigerrr]

Are you sure that your beer and cooling water are flowing in opposite directions through the CFC?
Consider adding an online thermometer on the beer output side of the CFC.
You can also recirculate back to the kettle for a period of time to bring the kettle temp down until you see the out put temperature where you want it on the CFC outlet side.

 

[Yontsey]

Are you sure that your beer and cooling water are flowing in opposite directions through the CFC?
Consider adding an online thermometer on the beer output side of the CFC.
You can also recirculate back to the kettle for a period of time to bring the kettle temp down until you see the out put temperature where you want it on the CFC outlet side.

Well...this is awkward.....I just pulled up the Grainfather G30 manual and I think I had the CFC upside down. That would make total sense. I feel like an idiot but only 4 brews in, I'm learning more and more stuff each time. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

[Craigerrr]

Well...this is awkward.....I just pulled up the Grainfather G30 manual and I think I had the CFC upside down. That would make total sense. I feel like an idiot but only 4 brews in, I'm learning more and more stuff each time. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

There you go!

 

[Donoroto]

You are not alone in that. It is a bit counterintuitive, but the coldest water goes in where the coldest wort comes out - thus the term "counter-flow", Since the two liquids are flowing in opposite directions