I got a five gall batch down to 70 degrees in 15 minutes the other night. I have this ‘coil hose’ thing, which is just a 50’ garden hose that comes coiled up on a rack, from which I think you’re supposed to remove it. I made a big tub of ice water, hooked the coil hose to my immersion chiller, ran it long enough to fill it up, then set the hose and the chiller in the tub to pre-cool the water. When the time came I put the chiller in the pot and turned the water on at a low rate, than for the double effect I set my boil pot in the tub. I don’t know how much of the cooling was due to which, but it definitely worked. Fastest I’ve ever gotten a batch chilled. I could definitely see the difference in the cold break. My first 13’ batch (Amarillo hopped APA) is glugging away as I type, and the grain for #2 (my first mild) is crushed and ready. Full disclosure: I bought a $4 20 # bag of ice to make it work. I can actually see potential to get down to lager temps in a reasonable time this way.
