Plate Chiller

[alealex]

It was Garry who built counterflow chiller recently, I can think of 3 times when I used 'no chill method' or 'I'll worry about it tomorrow method' myself  finished boiling late at night so I wasn't bothered..

[christhebrewer]

What risks are we trying to avoid by chilling quickly?

[Jacob]

Wild yeasts and bacteria infection mostly.

At the end of the boil, it is important to cool the wort quickly. While it is still hot, (above 140°F) bacteria and wild yeasts are inhibited. But it is very susceptible to oxidation damage as it cools. There are also the previously mentioned sulfur compounds that evolve from the wort while it is hot. If the wort is cooled slowly, dimethyl sulfide will continue to be produced in the wort without being boiled off; causing off-flavors in the finished beer. The objective is to rapidly cool the wort to below 80°F before oxidation or contamination can occur.

Rapid cooling also forms the Cold Break. This is composed of another group of proteins that need to be thermally shocked into precipitating out of the wort. Slow cooling will not affect them. Cold break, or rather the lack of it, is the cause of Chill Haze. When a beer is chilled for drinking, these proteins partially precipitate forming a haze. As the beer warms up, the proteins re-dissolve. Only by rapid chilling from near-boiling to room temperature will the Cold Break proteins permanently precipitate and not cause Chill Haze. Chill haze is usually regarded as a cosmetic problem. You cannot taste it. However, chill haze indicates that there is an appreciable level of cold-break-type protein in the beer, which has been linked to long-term stability problems. Hazy beer tends to become stale sooner than non-hazy beer. The following are a few preferred methods for cooling the wort.

[UpsidedownA (Andrew)]

RE: Cold Break.

Has anyone actually ever avoided chill haze? The big guys chill their beer to freezing and filter it to get chill haze out. I'd love to hear form someone who has actually managed to avoid chill haze in their beer. (Of course, the easiest course is to drink your beer at cellar temperature 12C).

[christhebrewer]

I have had good results by chilling to 1c and pumping out through a 1u filter. No chill haze to my eye anyway.
With the plate (or any in line chiller) the cold break arrives in abundance in the fermenter. I let the sediment out of the bottom of the conical every day during fermentation and I suppose the cold break is some of the first to go.
I tried filtering after the chiller. Clogged the filter with cold break, blew a pipe and had another beer shower.
What I am wondering is how to avoid the problems associated with not chilling.
If I purge a container with CO2, put in the hot wort and seal it till its cool will I avoid the problems or is it more complex than that?
I have to say that chilling is the biggest pain in the arse in a brew day so if I can cut it out I would be keen.

[Rossa]

What about a monster pump and a vigorous whirlpool?

I don't suffer much from chill haze I have to say. I did a second runnings beer last year. It was very clear going into the kettle. Very clear coming out and with isinglass it was crystal clear coming out of the keg. Remarkable beer. The hop flavour was outstanding.
Then again, maybe some of my beers look a wee bit hazy and I just put it down to yeast.