I just got a Grainfather G40 for Christmas and was able to use for the first time this weekend (had to wait for the electrician to install the 220v plug in the garage). Prior to now, I brewed using a Blichmann 10 gallon kettle and used a Jaded Hydra immersion chiller. The Hydra worked great and would get my wort down to about 80 degrees F while filling a 55 gallon trash can about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way up with the cooling hose water. I would cool the wort the rest of the way to pitching temperature in my SS Brewtech conical fermenters using a Glycol chiller.
This last weekend, I used the Grainfather counterflow chiller for the first time. While I was impressed that the wort was coming out of the chiller and into my fermenters at 68 degrees F, it took way more cooling water than I am used to. My 55 gallon trash can overflowed significantly.
I think I might go back to using my Hydra immersion chiller to save water since my Glycol chiller can finish the job of cooling the wort to pitching temperature once the wort is in the fermenters. Am I missing something? Has anyone else had to make a similar decision?
This last weekend, I used the Grainfather counterflow chiller for the first time. While I was impressed that the wort was coming out of the chiller and into my fermenters at 68 degrees F, it took way more cooling water than I am used to. My 55 gallon trash can overflowed significantly.
I think I might go back to using my Hydra immersion chiller to save water since my Glycol chiller can finish the job of cooling the wort to pitching temperature once the wort is in the fermenters. Am I missing something? Has anyone else had to make a similar decision?