The brain behind wort chiller systems seeks to whittle down boiling malt to yeast-pitching temperatures within the shortest space of time. Since their advent, wort chillers’ technologies keep pushing back the boundaries of home-brewing.
To do the trick, you have to simmer down your wort to less than 80 degrees at a fast clip after the boil. However, the wort falls prey to bacterial contamination at this juncture.
If you get the cold break down to a fine art, you’ll get clearer beer. A wort chiller provides a time-saving and cost-efficient device. You can sink bucks into for the lock, stock and barrel of a Midwest Homebrewing Toolkit.
The market creams off wort chillers into immersion, countercurrent and plate. Immersion chillers work without sanitization. Given that you immerse the chiller in vaporizing wort, it sounds the death knell for the bacteria present. Immersion chillers definitely make things easy as pie for novice or connoisseur brewers.
You only need to connect a faucet adapter to link it to your sink. Counter-flow chillers gobble up less cooling time and water sharply contrasting with their immersion and ice bath counterparts.
The counter-flow wort chillers integrate a smaller copper tube while water flows in a crosscurrent from the kettle via the smaller tubing and a larger one. On the flip side, counter-flow chillers require a ball valve, sanitization and sprucing up after every use.
Plate wort chillers refer to a compact sibling of a counter-flow device. Plate chillers’ cutting edge efficiency in water consumption and space-saving design fit the bill in a compact brewing configuration. Plate chillers guzzle less water and chill quicker than all other types. Our handpicked wort chillers hit the cold break spot without increasing costs.
Top 10 Wort Chillers in 2018 – Reviews and Comparisons:
| Picture | Name | Description | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Super Efficient 3/8″ x 50′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller |
Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply |
Excellent | |
 |
NY Brew Supply W3850-CV Super Efficient 3/8 x 50′ Copper Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 24 inches Color: Copper |
Excellent | |
 |
Coldbreak Brewing Equipment CB13812COV Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: Coldbreak Brewing Equipment 2X4-foot lengths of 3/8-inch vinyl tubing Dimensions: 15 x 9.2 x 7.5 inches Weight: 1 pounds |
Excellent | |
 |
Homebrew Immersion Wort Chiller – 25′ Copper Tubing | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Dimensions: 18 x 10 x 10 inches Weight: 3.8 pounds |
Excellent | |
 |
Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Dimensions: 16 x 10 x 10 inches Weight: 2.6 pounds |
Excellent | |
 |
Home Brew Stuff WC-25 HomeBrewStuff Super Efficient 3/8 x 25′ Copper Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: Home Brew Stuff Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 16 inches Material: Copper |
Excellent | |
 |
HomeBrewStuff 25′ Copper Immersion Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: Home Brew Stuff Dimensions: 10 x 18 x 10 inches Material: Copper |
Excellent | |
 |
NY Brew Supply Deluxe Counterflow Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 8 inches Color: Copper |
Excellent | |
 |
Super Efficient 3/8″ x 25′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Dimensions: 16.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches Weight: 3.04 Color: Stainless Steel |
Excellent | |
 |
Heavy Duty 1/2″ x 50′ Copper Immersion Wort Chiller | Manufacturer: NY Brew Supply Length of Coil: 50 feet Color: Copper/ Brass |
Excellent |
Our Picks of 10 Best wort chillers:
1. Super Efficient 3/8″ x 50′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller
This immersion Super Efficient chiller plunges into boiling wort deal a death blow to microbial colonies. The heat exchange takes place in the vinyl tubing rather than tiny passages while dismantling double-quick making cleaning a breeze.
It chills in a trice and renders water efficiency without extra costs to setup the connections. The Super Efficient chiller takes homebrewing to new heights with a corrosion-proof stainless device.
Unlike a crosscurrent chiller, immersion versions allow you to keep your finger on the pulse regarding temperature for hop extras and steeps at specific levels.
The chilling process takes less time and works with clockwork accuracy than other devices. The garden hose and connectors get off to a flying start while the generous length does the trick for all setups.
Features:
- Equipped with 2x the SS pipe of NY Brew lineup renders faster cooling for sizable batches of up to 15 gallons
- Engineered from thin seamed stainless tubing for optimum heat conductivity
- By elevating coils, brewers increase the surface area of the cooling process sifting out all proteins and tannins
- 12’ of vinyl piping lets you chill down the wort straight from the stove with 24” height and 9.5” diameter
- SS clamps freeze down the composition to enhance adjustability within the coil spaces
- Standalone heat exchanger for hot wort and cold water riptide outside the brew pot
2. NY Brew Supply W3850-CV Super Efficient 3/8 x 50′ Copper Wort Chiller
The Super Efficient immersion chiller gulps down 5 to 15 gallons with 50 feet of 3/8” copper tubing and it’s brass monkeys in your wort in the blink of an eye.
Made for homebrewers and experts, this copper chiller will cut back the temperature with precision after the boil for the perfect wort. It can enhance beer clarity and inhibit the risk of inauthentic flavors and contamination degrading your output.
With reliable sanitation and durability, the chiller offers a super-quality option. It does not require complicated assembly and connections while the tubing will not kink. The sturdy model serves up to 15 gallons full to the brim or a smaller five-gallon homebrew.
Features:
- Made from 50’ of 3/8” O.D. copper tubing to chill your wort in minutes
- Has twice the size of a standard 3/8” chiller cools massive batches more rapidly
- 12 feet vinyl tubing allows on-the-go chilling of your wort from the stove
- Vinyl tubing shipped in one continuous strand allowing you to simply slice to the ideal length of your inlet and outlet hoses
- Perfect tallness for compatibility with keg kettle
- Premium-grade brass hose adapter and instruction manual included
- Stainless steel clams ossify the structure for tweaking in the coil spacing
- Recommended for 5-to-15 gallon heaps
3. Coldbreak Brewing Equipment CB13812COV Wort Chiller
Go quick on the draw with this immersion wort chiller that yields even and consistent conductivity of heat. It does not go off the boil like ice baths giving a brewing-turning upgrade.
Its designed to make your wort frozen to the bone like blazes for the cold break. Start off by attaching the chiller to a hose or kitchen sink and switch on the cold water.
Water flows internally through the coils and submerged in the hot broth take it off the boil to pitching temperature in a couple of minutes.
The metal component conducts heat and expels it through the device’s outlet tube. No sanitization required while it rinses off thoroughly with hot water.
Features:
- Superior quality 12.5’ chiller made from 3/8” od USA copper tubing expertly crafted to inhibit bacterial infection
- Helps to make beer as clear as vodka by facilitating impeccable cold break
- 2X4-foot portions of 3/8” vinyl tubing does not flex out of shape
- Ultra-sturdy stainless steel hose clamps
- More robust and high quality garden hose fitting
- 75” coil diameter, 3” height and 13.5” inlet/outlet tallness
- Outclasses ice baths by making protein or tannin substrates insoluble as the temperature nosedives
- Homebrew equipment kit to bring boiling wort down to yeast-pitching temperature in the blink of the time taken by ice baths
4. Homebrew Immersion Wort Chiller – 25′ Copper Tubing
Homebrew Immersion Wort Chiller ravels out a workhorse designed to do the job faster and freeze down batches in a couple of shakes.
The ¾” female garden hose fitting fixes to a vast proportion of sink faucets while the copper tubing incorporates into the brewing setup like a dream. An outlet tube allows the water previously warmed up by boiling wort to ooze from the tube and offload to a sink without making a fine kettle of fish.
The homebrew design endows it with the pace of a plate chiller combined with the ease of sanitation of immersion devices. Say goodbye to hops or cold break choking things up.
Features:
- Chills wort to the marrow with no laborious back-flushing, sanitizing or baking to prevent the explosion of severe brew infections
- Hits excellent yeast pitch-able temperature and boiling sweet levels rapidly to save time
- Made from heavy-duty 25’ long copper and 3/8” copper coil diameter OD tube
- Sturdy garden horse connectors with lead free joints
- 5 feet vinyl outlet and 7 feet outlet hose
- Includes female ¾” garden hose fitting
- Easy setup for the fastest chilling to the “sweet spot” within the shortest time
- Seamless and quick cleaning procedure
- Compatible with a vast majority of brew pots
5. Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller
NYBREWSUPPLY made from solid stainless steel tubing pares your wort down to the bone in mere minutes. It comes with vinyl tubing and garden hose adapter, thus, no hidden or extra costs to nickel and dime you to reach the chilling points with precision.
Simply throw in the chiller, fire up the water to full tilt, and give it a whirl. No need to pay through the nose for a food-grade pump, accessories, and hoses required by a plate chiller to hit desired chill times. The durable construction resists brittle and braves the brewing elements for reliable chilling over the years.
Features:
- Super-fast chill times designed to freeze down 5 gallon batches in minutes
- Made from 25’ of 3/8” stainless tubing with raised coils for more rapid cooling
- Works without a food-grade pump or hoses to hit specified durations
- 12’ of vinyl tubing lets you to freeze out your wort straight from the stove
- Vinyl tubing continuous piece allows you to slice the ideal dimensions for your input and output hoses in dribs and drabs
- Premium-grade brass hose adapter included
- Helps retain authentic flavor, improves clarity and inhibits bacterial particulates
- 3/8” OD stainless steel for durability and longest-lasting longevity
6. Home Brew Stuff WC-25 HomeBrewStuff Super Efficient 3/8 x 25′ Copper Wort Chiller
The Home Brew WC-25 made from premium-grade 3/8” copper and 25’ ensures you ride the crest of a wave of homebrew. The immersion wort chiller design uses elevated coils in the kettle without gunging up with cold break.
Putting the chiller in boiling wort exterminates any microbes present instantly and seals off external contaminants. Most chillers handiwork comes from copper.
Copper possesses 28 times the thermal efficiency of stainless steel. Copper puts stainless steel in the shade due to superior conductivity.
But injecting trace minerals into the malt that act as catalysts for yeast is the icing on the cake. Attain maximum cooling effect with your water and WC-25 in nanoseconds.
Features:
- Made from high-grade and super-efficient 25’ of 3/8” copper tubing for the most ecellent equilibrium of heat conductivity or flow rate
- Copper immersion style creates a window opportunity to freeze down your wort and diminish the amount of squandered water
- 6” inlet and outlet hoses
- Improves the clearness and sharpness of your beer and helps shed protein and tannin
- Diminishes the chance of contamination and exposure of the brewing ambiance
- Diminishes volatile substances that trigger DMS and other off tastes
- Designed to crank up 5 gallon batches and chill your wort in a trice
- Detailed care and manual instructions provided
7. HomeBrewStuff 25′ Copper Immersion Wort Chiller
Throw together a stiff drink with the HomeBrewStuff 25” copper immersion model that keeps coils raised for maximum efficiency. Chilling your wort like lightning inhibits contamination and exposure to the external impurities.
The copper immersion wort chiller churns out crystal-clear beer. It also helps hive off cold break and diminishes volatile substances that create DMS and other soured flavors.
The chiller remains light years ahead of its rivals and chills a 5 gallon batch from boiling point to the bright spot within a couple of minutes.
The copper tubing renders an optimum and perfect balance of heat conductivity and flow rate to cool your wort and cut back the amount of dissipated water.
Features:
- Engineered from 25’ of 3/8 copper tubing bringing 28 times the thermal conductivity of stainless steel
- 9-1/4” round diameter x 17″ tall total height x 3/8” OD Copper
- Boiled on garden hose fittings-female Swivel on inflow and male on outflow
- Designed to gobble up 5 gallons batches and will chill down your wort in split minutes
- High-speed chilling of your wort diminishes the imponderables of infection and adulteration
- Improves the clarity, purity and tang for a clean and fresh drink as it promotes cold break subtly
- Diminishes volatile compounds that result in DMS and other foreign flavors
8. NY Brew Supply Deluxe Counterflow Wort Chiller
NY Brew Supply pendulum of immersion has swung back to counter flow chillers. The manufacturer places a premium on durability with a ¾” thermal-resistant and brittle-proof hose.
It’s designed to last longer at the coalface with 25 feet of ½” copper tubing which never brittles over time. The counter-flow device will do the trick in high temperatures due to the ¾” hose.
The unit constitutes of copper tubing for more efficient heat transfer. It keeps firing on all cylinders without hitting a snag in running water. You can readjust the position of your input and output hoses, unlike models with soldered connectors.
Features:
- Made from 25’ of ½” copper tubing for superior efficiency of heat conductivity
- The outer coil of the deluxe counter-flow wort chiller constitutes a super-durable, high temperature 3/4” hose for brittle-proof than the competition
- Heavy-duty and versatile brass fitting to tweak the location of the input or output hoses to a cold water source through garden hose connection
- Riptide stream of wort and cold water allows cooling in two shakes while it will garbage down less water
- Drops out substantial proteins or tannins from the solution as the wort cools and offloads into the pot
- Sterilizes and spruces up straightforwardly
9. Super Efficient 3/8″ x 25′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller
The Super Efficient chiller hits the store cheap at the price with 25’ of 3/8” stainless steel tubing. The immersion chiller allows you to freeze up 5 gallon batches of wort in mere minutes.
Thin wall stainless steel tubing improves heat conductivity and clarity of your beer. You can chill your wort without pulling it from the stove at the drop of a hat. Cleaning does not pose the sanitization difficulties associated with counter-flow chillers.
However, it comes with one hose adapter and may require extra ones for some setups. No need to handle stainless steel tubing with kid’s gloves to prevent bending or scratching like copper as it’s harder.
Features:
- Made from 3/8″ x 25′ Stainless Steel tubing to put on ice five gallons of hot wort in couple of shakes
- Thin-walled stainless steel promotes improved heat conductivity over conventional tubing
- Designed for five gallon batches and chill your wort like a can of corn
- Elevating coils enhances the efficiency of the chilling process
- 12’ of vinyl tubing lets you chill your wort on-the-go from the brew pot
- Premium-grade and sturdy brass hose adapter
- Stainless steel clamp ossifies the structure for flexibility in the coil spacing
- Comes with generous vinyl tubing , SS clamps, garden hose adapter and instruction sheet
10. Heavy Duty 1/2″ x 50′ Copper Immersion Wort Chiller
You don’t have to paint the town red as homebrew beer brings you the most exquisite taste in a coon’s age right at your backyard. The heavy-duty device gobbles up 10 to 20 gallon batches or chock-full-five gallon boils.
The leak-proof unit has soldered fittings alien to other models. Copper coil device will do the job even at intermittent fluctuations in temperature.
The whole shebang includes sturdy garden hose fittings to shield hoses against bursting at the seams. At a glance, the chiller paints a robust and top-quality picture. It has the capacity to cool 5 gallon batches in the shortest space of time.
Features:
- Heavy-duty immersion chiller suitable for 10 to 20 gallon batches for commercial purposes or 5 gallon homebrew broths
- Made from 50’ of ½” copper tubing that freezes down against the clock
- ½” copper tubing results in more water throughput to rapidly solidify more substantial batches for cost-and-time efficiencies
- Elevated coils enhance the efficiency of the chilling process
- Commercial-grade brass garden hose fittings
- Stainless steel clamps cool the structure, and permits flexibility in the coil spacing or height
- Instruction sheet captures everything from soups to nuts on how to use and maintain your wort chiller
Buying Guide – How To Choose the Best Wort Chiller?
1. Types of Wort Chillers-Immersion, Counterflow & Plate
Immersion chillers dominate the market due to copper’s thermal conductivity with extended tubes. The dip into the hot water annihilates microbial matter but it keeps you on the tenterhooks for up to one hour to cool.
Plate wort chiller’s works in a counterflow pattern but heat exchange occurs through plates across with generous gaps within the setup.
Plate wort chillers rapid chilling remain light years ahead of the competition. The versions design and functionality as different as chalk and cheese provide different chilling times, durability and versatility.
2. Copper vs. Steel
Immersion wort chillers tap copper as an excellent thermal conductor but it bends easily compared to stainless steel. Copper lacks the durability exhibited by steel which withstands the ravages unscathed.
But purists still value copper’s classic appearance of conventional kettles for brewing beer. Copper offered the grist for the mills until the prices started to steep sharply in the mid-2000s almost driving it out of the market. It also manipulates easily and allows seamless soldering, welding and brazed.
Copper creates a dull hardened oxide for anti-corrosive resistance. Trace minerals add flavor to yeast. Stainless steel offers superior rust resistance, easy cleaning, and durability.
3. Length and Tubing Size
Long immersion chillers cost more than shorter ones although they don’t list the length but dimensions of the unit. You can derive the length by computing the diameter of tubing, but standard sizes include ¼”, ½” and 3/8”.
The length and diameter of the tubing influences the surface area of the piping in exchanging heat with your wort. Work out the square footage of the chilling area of immersion chillers with different lengths and diameters.
Entry-level immersion wort chillers clock in at 25-foot with 3/8” tubing. The cheapest chillers cost per square foot of chilling surface area start from 18 feet length and ¼” tubing.
4. Chilling Capacity
The quantity of the wort frosted to pitching temperatures determines the time and capacity. If you have a gang of friends or kin who drink like a fish, upgrading to 20 gallon batches devices. The total volume (gallons) of your brew setup needed to drink someone under the table differs significantly.
Nevertheless, chiller capacities also vary by fluid temperatures, surrounding air conditions, type of liquid and setup. Extra-large capacities feed into any future growth plans as you’ll not cough up money for additional equipment. Substrates that eat up more surface area in the heat element than water require a properly sized chiller.
5. All Bells and Whistles
Based on the type of chiller, you may require branded or standard accessories such as brass fittings, hose clamps, vinyl tubing, connector, and compression fittings. Compression fittings create a leak-proof connection to the outlet or inlet of the chiller.
Counterflow chillers require a ball valve on the brew kettle. If you sink your cash into plate chillers, buy the whole shebang for all connections and a high-temperature pump to scrounge your wort down.
Final Verdict
Best wort chiller guzzles the least amount of water and chills faster to hit the most excellent cold break. Devices in the driving seat boast superior thermal conductivity, durability and corrosion-proof build.
Some devices pose cleaning challenges while others require sanitization after every use. Immersion chillers at the height of fashion in the homebrew segment perform excellent with the ideal hose.
Plate chillers rule the roost due to their unsurpassed chilling speed and efficiency. Copper and stainless steel determine heat conductivity as well as retaining their shape. Packaging bunching up the lock, stock and barrel such as adapters, brass fittings and hose offer the best bang for your buck.
Products engineered for homebrewing cool five gallon batches rapidly. Chillers blazing the trail speed up the brewing process, enhance clarity, and impart authentic flavors. Go for a device fashioned to make wort chilling a breeze with straightforward assembly.
Investigate the product to avoid a bad bargain from high costs, leakage and substandard hose clamps or fittings. Our cream of the crop top 10 chillers will clean into shipshape purity without any difficulties.