Topping up with ice

[dustytop]

I haven't brewed in a couple of years. The last time I did there was no mention of water charges. I don't like the idea of circulating water from a butt as I would be a little worried of my homemade chiller leaking some into the batch, especially around each end. Anyway, has anyone ever topped up post boil with ice? That is, say, reduce the water volume by 3-4 liters, then at flame out, drop in a 3 or 4 liters of ice (or whatever it takes to get the temp down quick). I'd pre-boil the water first, prior to freezing. I can't see any obvious problem with this. Any thoughts?

[Leann ull]

I know what you mean when I seen some of the wrigglers swimming around those butts but it's easier and less hassle to use. I've seen loads doing it now especially with the cheap lidl powerful submersible pumps , put a good bend on your pipes and no issues with drips into wort, lot less hassle than boiling and freezing 3 or 4 litres
Didn't somebody do a calc recently with water used from mains and it was 25-50c per batch for all the water used?

[irish_goat]

I've read about people in the likes of Australia using ice as a chilling method. Can't see why it wouldn't work as long as you sterilise your ice containers but as CH says, your effort would probably be better spent getting your chiller sorted as once it's done you'll not have to worry about it.

[armedcor]

There's really no worries about the water charge I mean it's fixed rate till 2019

Ive seen people putting boiled water into Tupperware and freezing to use at flame out to chill.

[beerfly]

One the ice goes in when it's very hot. Don't do it when near or below 60c Tried dropping it from 30c before by throwing in ice. there were other factors involved but I think that was the main cause of my first batch of vinigar

[Keg]

One the ice goes in when it's very hot. Don't do it when near or below 60c Tried dropping it from 30c before by throwing in ice. there were other factors involved but I think that was the main cause of my first batch of vinigar

Is there a reason why putting in the ice later would cause the vinegar flavour?  I find my chiller brings the wort to 30-50 range pretty quickly and it's at that point the ice would come in handy.

[armedcor]

because any bacteria or wild yeast in the ice won't be killed by the wort as it's beneath pasteurising temp.

[Keg]

Ok, I thought that boiling and freezing water would have made it suitable for this. I'm fairly sure I used some ice in the Kolsch I have in the FV at the moment so I'll see what effect that has.

[armedcor]

Yea dropping it in at flame out is fine.

[Tom]

It wasn't me who figured it out, but it's €2.22 / cubic metre (or 1,000 litres), so about 20c for 100 litres. Or free if you don't cough up. 

I wouldn't be confident using ice, but I don't see how it's more risky than making a starter. If you can make a sanitary starter, you could make some ice blocks.

There's the no-chill cube method, but I don't trust that because of DMS, but nobody has complained of it. That wouldn't use any water.

[irish_goat]

If you're worried about water wastage you can always keep the run off from the chiller in a spare fermenter or two.

[Tom]

If you're worried about water wastage you can always keep the run off from the chiller in a spare fermenter or two.

Right enough; nice and hot for cleaning.

[Pheeel]

I think it'd be more hassle than it's worth. The 'waste' water can be used for other things

[shweeney]

I used ice to cool my first 2 extract brews.  First one I made a load of bags of ice cubes, second one I used freezer bags to make large blocks of ice.  Both methods were a major hassle and neither got the temperature down enough.  At that point I bought a chiller.

[Archsnapper]

I tried with ice. I got away with it the first time. The second batch was b******ed. I bought a coil.