Top 15 Best Wort Chillers

Brewing is a rather complicated production process, consisting of several stages, at each of which the technology must be clearly observed. This is the type of processing of raw materials, and the duration, and temperature, and the exact dosage of various components.

At one stage, a quick chilling of the beer wort is required after it has been boiled for some time. A wort chiller allows you to get a clear drink that does not contain bacteria and impurities.

A similar result is possible due to the fact that by quickly immersing the wort chiller, this liquid is cooled, after which the tannins and heavy proteins precipitate, and the likelihood of the wort becoming infected with bacteria and wild yeast is significantly reduced.

In this post I will help you to choose the best wort chiller! Without further ado, let’s go!

Why Do You Need a Wort Chiller?

Let’s think a bit, why a wort chiller is needed? I think it’s clear that the main task of the chiller is to cool the wort, accordingly its size and effectiveness should be justified, because to cool 14 gallons with a small chiller will be, to put it mildly, not easy.

At the same time, putting a chiller designed for 27 gallons into a 1-gallon pan will also be problematic. So the size of the chiller must be appropriate, and not only the size, but also its efficiency, is very important!

What Are the Wort Chiller Types?

There are three types of wort chillers. Let’s learn about each of them!

Immersion

The wort chiller with an immersion cooling coil is presented in the form of a long copper tube of small diameter, which is twisted in a spiral in accordance with the diameter of the boiler.

This device, shortly before the end of boiling, is immersed in a boiler with boiling raw materials, the fire is turned off and cold water is passed through it by the chiller itself.

As a result, the wort remains in the wort vat, acquiring the desired temperature during the cooling process.

The advantages of the wort cooler submersible chiller include ease of use, cooling efficiency, and the majority of the cold coagulation protein precipitated directly in the wort boiler.

At the same time, the wort cooler of the immersion chiller has a fairly simple design, which is easy to understand and even make operational repairs or adjustments if necessary.

Counterflow

A counterflow wort chiller is a beverage refrigeration unit operating on the principle of a reflux condenser. It is a PVC hose with an insulated copper tube inside. To cool the wort, it is passed hot through a copper tube, after which it enters a chilled receiving hopper.

The copper tube is cooled by cold water, driven through the hose in the opposite direction to the movement of the wort. The advantage of the counterflow wort chiller is its maximum cooling rate.

Among the shortcomings are a more complex design, difficulties in maintenance and disinfection, taking into account the fact that the protein precipitate falls directly in the wort chiller.

Plate

This is one of the most effective ways to cool the wort. It is also a popular cooling method among craft breweries.

The plate wort chiller consists of many metal plates that are in contact with each other. There is an entrance and exit for wort and for cold water.

Simply put, the wort passes through the chiller in one direction, and water in the opposite. Heat transfer is very efficient and cooling is very fast.

Plate chillers are of any size and shape and from various manufacturers. Depending on your brewing method and your brewery, you can choose the most suitable type.

Long plate chillers are most effective because they help cool a large volume of wort. This type allows the wort to cool very quickly from the boiling point to the temperature of the addition of yeast to the wort.

Why Do You Need to Cool the Wort Quickly?

After boiling with the addition of hops, yeast should be added to the solution. They will die from heat, so it is important to cool the wort. To do this as quickly as possible in the interests of the brewer, because…

• This will reduce the risk of bacteria and wild yeast infection. In a boiling solution, they have no place. And here the temperature drops to 80 ° C, then to 60 ° C, – and the microorganisms that have fallen from the air begin to multiply.
• This will make the beer fragrant. When boiling, the wort is secreted and dimethyl sulfide leaves it with steam. It is an organic compound with an unpleasant odor. It is formed for some time in the hot, but already cooling raw materials. Accumulated, dimethyl sulfide will give the drink a sweetness that resembles the taste of canned corn. This is considered a beer defect. The faster the temperature drops, the tastier the beer will be.
• It’s easier to filter the drink. The flakes of tannin and protein that form during boiling when quickly cooled, form large ligaments with each other and quickly settle to the bottom. This makes the drink transparent.

What Are The Best Wort Chillers?

After doing some researches, I came up with the list of recommended products that are considered as the best wort chillers on the market for now. Read brief description of each model and you may decide which one can be appropriate for you.

• Best Overall: NY Brew Supply 50′ Copper Wort Chiller
  Suitable for large batches, wallet-friendly, quick wort cooling, copper construction
• Best Budget: COLDBREAK 12.5′ Copper Wort Chiller
  Budget-friendly, small size, ready for pitching yeast
• Best for 5 gallons: ChilLex Counterflow Wort Chiller
  Counterflow type, flexibal, yellow and green, no leaks
• Best for 10 gallons: HFS 30’ Copper Wort Chiller
  No recirculation needed, superb heat exchange, plate type
• Best for Mash and Boil: Duda Energy Plate Beer Wort Chiller
  Time-saver, great price, easy cleanup and sanitization, plate
• Best for Keggle: E.C. Kraus Immersion Wort Chiller
  Faucet adapter for attaching, high grade stainless steel
• Best for Beer: HFS Homebrew Beer Wort Chiller
  UL listed, CE certified, thin copper tubing, great heat transfer
• Best for 1BBL: NY Brew Supply Deluxe Counterflow Wort Chiller
  Counterflow wort chiller, adjustable hose, great tightening
• Best with Pump: Exchilerator Flow Wort Chiller
  Easy to set up, rarely gets clogging, comes with temperature gauge
• Best with Fittings: Northern Brewer Silver Stainless Steel Wort Chiller
  Vinyl tubing, no sanitization needed, no contamination
• Best with Garden Hose Fittings: NY Brew Supply 50′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller
  Efficient, fast temperature reduction, brass hose adapter

Best Wort Chillers Comparison Chart

Now let’s have a look at this comparison chart where I included all products that I am going to review next. Also, here you can find main properties of each item, so that you can differ and compare the best wort chillers of between each other.

Top 15 Best Wort Chillers Reviews

Finally, you can read the best part of my article. Reviews! In this section I wrote detailed reviews about each product from the recommended list. Moreover, you will find out pros, cons and specifications of every model.

1. NY Brew Supply 50′ Copper Wort Chiller

(Best Overall)

If you are looking for the best copper immersion wort chiller on the market, check this one from trusted NY Brew Supply. It efficiently reduces to the needed temperature. The hollow copper coils that are meant to put into the beer are attached to rubbing hosing.

Therefore, it is convenient for you to connect them to different types of sinks and outdoor spigot. You can set or increase the rate of the wort cooling just by adjusting the water temperature.

When purchasing this wort chiller, you need to use larger buckets, because water runs out of the end of the hose. You will need a large bucket or a sink in order for water to run into. Or you can cool the wort outside.

Key features:

• Immersion wort chiller
• Copper material
• Garden Hose Fittings included
• Vinyl tubing

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	NY Brew Supply
Product dimensions	24 x 11 x 16 inches
Item weight	7.88 pounds
Color	Copper
Capacity	5 to 15 gallons
Type	Immersion

Find out how and why to chill wort fast:

2. COLDBREAK 12.5′ Copper Wort Chiller

(Best Budget)

For reasonable price, you can easily purchase the immersion chiller of the highest quality by COLDBREAK. COLDBREAK was able to create the compact size wort chiller that can boil wort to 75ºF within 20 minutes.

The COLDBREAK wort chiller will change the whole home brewing game! It saves your time. You can simply connect this wort chiller to any standard garden hose threading or any utility sink.

Key features:

• Heavy-duty
• Lead free
• Strong copper

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	COLDBREAK
Product dimensions	14.7 x 9.9 x 7.9 inches
Item weight	1 pound
Color	Copper
Capacity	2 to 3 gallons
Type	Immersion

3. ChilLex Counterflow Wort Chiller

(Best for 5 Gallons)

If you need the counterflow wort chiller for affordable price, you definitely have to choose the ChilLex wort chiller. The distinctive difference from other models of this wort chiller is that there is no leaking.

Also, the colors of this wort chiller are different from othere wort chillers from my article. The colors are vibrant. The ChilLex company managed to make the wort chiller that requires simple cleanup. This model worth every penny you are going to spend.

Key features:

• Counterflow wort chiller
• Colorful tube

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	ChilLex
Product dimensions	9 x 9 x 9 inches
Item weight	4 pounds
Color	Yellow and green
Capacity	Up to 7 gallons
Type	Counterflow

4. HFS 30’ Copper Wort Chiller

(Best for 10 Gallons)

The HSF wort chiller without any doubt can be considered as one of the best wort chillers ever, especially for brewers who prefer plate wort chillers over standard ones. In addition, this is the best option for you if you need only compact size.

In general, such plate wort chillers provide the best heat exchange. The HSF wort chiller has simple design. Compared to other plate wort chillers, this specific model has great price.

However, you should know that the plate wort chiller required longer and more tedious cleanup, so you should be ready to waste extra time on it.

Key features:

• It consists 99.9% of copper
• -321 degrees F to 392 degrees F temperature range
• 304 stainless steel body
• Plate wort chiller

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	HFS
Product dimensions	8 x 4 x 3.2 inches
Item weight	2.99 pounds
Color	Copper
Capacity	10 gallons
Type	Plate

5. Duda Energy Plate Beer Wort Chiller

(Best for Mash and Boil)

I recommend you to choose this amazing Duda Energy wort chiller if ‘brewing’ is not just the word for you. Also, if you prefer plate wort chiller over immersion one, then this is the best option for you to select.

This wort chiller is better to use if you are not a beginner in brewing, since it cools really quickly. Next advantage of this model is that the wort chiller is very simple to clean and sanitize which saves a lot of your time.

Key features:

• Lifetime warranty
• 304 stainless steel
• Plate wort chiller

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Duda Energy
Product dimensions	½ x 18.3 x 2.9 inches
Item weight	16 pounds
Color	Silver
Capacity	10 to 20 gallons
Type	Plate

6. E.C. Kraus Immersion Wort Chiller

(Best for Keggle)

For the best wort chilling, I am sure that you will appreciate the wort chiller from E.C. Kraus manufacturer. This model is made of highest quality stainless steel. However, the color of the wort chiller is not silver, it has copper color.

The E.C. Kraus immersion wort chiller is ideal for cooling from 5 to 10 gallons of beer batches. Thanks to the garden hose fitting, the wort chiller can be thread onto a laundry sink faucet or outside faucet.

In addition, faucet adapter is included for attaching to most kitchen faucets.

Key features:

• Stainless steel model
• Copper color
• Perfect size for cooling 5 or 10 gallons of beer

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	E.C. Kraus
Product dimensions	10.5 x 10.0 x 17.0 inches
Item weight	9.0 lb
Color	Copper
Capacity	5 or 10 gallons
Type	Immersion

7. HFS Homebrew Beer Wort Chiller

(Best for Beer)

You can describe the HSF Homebrew wort chiller in two words: compact and powerful. First of all, the wort chiller is made of high grade 304 stainless steel. With this product, you will efficiently do brewing.

You need only from 7 to 9 minutes to lower boiling solution to approximately 68 degrees Fahrenheit, depending also on the batch size. Before purchasing this wort chiller, you should decide how you are going to attach all components.

Key features:

• Plate chiller
• UL listed and CE certified

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	HFS
Product dimensions	8 x 4 x 3.2 inches
Item weight	2.99 pounds
Color	Copper
Capacity	10 gallons
Type	Plate

8. NY Brew Supply Deluxe Counterflow Wort Chiller

(Best for 1BBL)

NY Brew Supply counterflow wort chiller without any doubts has a lot of advantages that will be appreciated by all professional brewers. The counterflow wort chiller won’t ger brittle over time.

The material of it is very durable.

Due to heavy-duty brass fittings, you will be able to adjust the angle and the position of the input and output hoses however you need and like. Copper tubing provides superior heat transfer.

Key features:

• Counterflow wort chiller
• Copper tubing
• Black color

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	NY Brew Supply
Product dimensions	16 x 16 x 8 inches
Item weight	11.23 pounds
Color	Black
Capacity	4 gallons
Type	Counterflow

Be blown away by the quality of this wort chiller watching this wonderful review:

9. Exchilerator Flow Wort Chiller

(Best with Pump)

Exchilerator counterflow wort chiller worth to be called legendary in the brewing world. First thing that catches your eye when unpacking is its unique design and red vibrant color. The model chills the wort very fast, almost like in 5 minutes.

Only in short times, you will see the impressive result. So, for clearer beer and cleaner flavor, this purchase will definitely be a must. Additionally, this specific wort chiller is less prone to clogging.

Key features:

• Red vibrant color
• Counterflow wort chiller

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Exchilerator
Product dimensions	55.90 x 55.90 x 66.04 cm
Item weight	12,43 kg
Color	Red
Capacity	5 gallons
Type	Counterflow

Click here to watch an informative YouTube video:

10. Northern Brewer Silver Stainless Steel Wort Chiller

(Best with Fittings)

I can tell you that the Northern Brewer wort chiller is one of the most sanitary class-leading wort chillers on the market for a long time. Without contamination, you will be able to cool your wort quickly. The wort chiller is very easy to clean.

You do not have to sanitize it. Just put it into the kettle for a few minutes before using. Due to standard garden hose, you can brew outside. This wort chiller is made of great quality stainless steel that the metal won’t corrode.

Key features:

• Stainless steel immersion
• Vinyl tubing
• Hose clamps to secure tubing

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Northern Brewer
Product dimensions	20 x 10 x 10.5 inches
Item weight	4.29 pounds
Color	Silver
Capacity	10 to 15 gallons
Type	Immersion

Click here to watch how to chill the wort with Silver Serpent:

11. NY Brew Supply 50′ Stainless Steel Wort Chiller

(Best with Garden Hose Fittings)

This wort chiller is different from other models from NY Brew Supply by its metal. The wort chillers from this manufacturer is generally made by copper. This specific model is made of food grade 304 stainless steel.

Since the wort chiller has a large size, it can be able to chill large batches. Even though, the manufacturer claims that is should be used for 10-20 gallons, you still can use it for 5 gallons. The wort chiller is attached to laundry sink or outside spigot.

Key features:

• Stainless steel construction
• Assembly required

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	NY Brew Supply
Product dimensions	24 x 14 x 10 inches
Item weight	8.3 pounds
Color	Silver
Capacity	10 to 20 gallons
Type	Immersion

12. YUEWO 304 Stainless Steel Wort Chiller

With the help of the YUEWO immersion wort chiller, you can quickly cool the wort to the temperature necessary for making yeast. This will require significantly less time than cooling in an ice bath, in addition, you will not need ice.

The chiller tube is made of stainless steel, which makes it an order of magnitude more reliable and durable than copper. There is also no need to sanitize it before brewing.

Also, the wort chiller is ready to use and comes with tubing, barbed fittings and hose clamps.

Key features:

• Made of stainless steel
• Fully assembled
• For easy and fast brewing

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	YUEWO
Product dimensions	9 x 15 x 0.3 inches
Item weight	2.2 pounds
Color	Silver
Capacity	5 gallons
Type	Immersion

13. Home Brew Stuff Compact 8″ Copper Immersion Wort Chiller

Home Brew Stuff immersion wort chiller is the greatest option for efficient home brewing. In my opinion, even a beginner will be able to handle this wort chiller right. A lot of people prefer stainless steel construction for wort chillers.

However, this wort chiller is a great proof that copper construction is more efficient to use. This wort chiller is constructed for 5 gallon batches. You will cool your wort in minutes. Copper tubing provides perfect balance of heat exchange and flow rate.

Key features:

• Copper tubing
• For 5 gallon batches

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Home Brew Stuff
Product dimensions	9 x 9 x 16 inches
Item weight	5 pounds
Color	Copper
Capacity	5 to 10 gallons
Type	Immersion

14. Brewers Best Immersion Wort Chiller

If you really are interested in home brewing and want to purchase wonderful immersion copper wort chiller, I think you should look at the wort chiller by Brewers Best. It is not the cheapest option on the market.

However, the price is still mid-range. The product is full assembled and ready to use at once. The wort chiller ensures quick wort chilling without a lot of pressure and wasting your time.

Key features:

• Copper coiled construction
• Complete construction

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Brewers Best
Product dimensions	1.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 inches
Item weight	4.2 pounds
Color	Copper
Capacity	16 gallons
Type	Immersion

15. Kegco 50’ Immersion Wort Chiller

If you are a professional home brewer, you will manage to work with such a great wort chiller as the one by Kegco. This specific model is made of highest quality stainless steel that is not harmful at all.

Speed up your beer chilling with this wonderful brewing tool! This is the best large size for 14-30 gallon batches. The cooling can be done in 20 minutes. The price is quite expensive compare to other models from the article.

However, the quality of this wort chiller absolutely worth it!

Key features:

• Durable stainless steel
• For 14 to 30 gallon batches
• Standard garden hose

Product Specifications:

Manufacturer	Kegco
Product dimensions	16 x 16 x 26 inches
Item weight	9.13 pounds
Color	Silver
Capacity	14 to 30 gallons
Type	Immersion

Factors to Consider Before Buying the Best Wort Chiller

Material

The material must conduct heat well. The material must be food grade. The material for the manufacture of the chiller can be processed at home. The material for the chiller must not be brittle.

The material for the chiller must withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees.

Good options are made of glass, but at home we just won’t be able to process it, so we discard it. Silicone hoses do not withstand high temperatures, and heat transfer is not very good. The best option is metal.

Metal

• Stainless steel
• Aluminum
• Copper

Stainless steel is expensive and its heat dissipation is not the best. Aluminum is oxidized, and indeed it is harmful. The copper tube has good heat dissipation and bends easily.

Types

There are three types for you to choose on the market right now: immersion, counterflow and plate. Before choosing any of these types, learn about each of them carefully.

Size

Before choosing a wort chiller, you have to decide for how much gallons do you plan to use a product. Some wort chillers are able to chill certain sized batches.

Anyway, you should know that for 5 gallons it is better to choose 25 feet x 3/8 inches. For 10 gallons you better use 50 feet x ½ inches.

Warranty

When buying a product, everyone wants it to be of high quality and to serve you for a long time. One of the ways to insure yourself against possible troubles is the product warranty, which we receive at the time of purchase.

That is why before choosing a wort chiller, pay attention to the manufacturer’s warranty.

Best Wort Chiller Brands

NY Brew Supply

This manufacturer offers highest quality wort chillers. Home brewing stuff and draft equipment. Making beer and wine with NY Brew Supply is more fun and meaningful. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, brewing will be easy and enjoyable.

Northern Brewer

The founder’s name of this manufacturer is Chris Farley. First it was a small shop of brew’s supplies. The shop was opened in 1993, when there was no craft beer, phones had cords and wine coolers were actually cool.

Home Brew Stuff

This wonderful brand was created in 2007. The mission of Home Brew Stuff is to give the world the best products ever, especially for the greatest brewers. The manufacturer is located in Boise, Idaho.

FAQs

In this section I answered most-searched questions about wort chillers, the importance of them, their functions and some other stuff, connected with them.

How to Chill the Wort

When the glass is filled with home-made beer, the first impression is formed from the well-carbonized, brilliant purity of beer, which makes a smile on the face of the brewer.

And many brewers are sure that the key to tasty and clean beer is the quick and proper cooling of brewed wort.

How to use a wort chiller in brewing? After brewing beer in a brewing kettle, it must be cooled to load brewer’s yeast at the right temperature for fermentation.

To do this, the wort chiller is immersed in the beer must, after connecting and supplying cold water to the inlet pipe.

Before immersion the wort chiller in beer must be rinsed with boiling water for disinfection, since the introduction of even the smallest amount of bacteria in the beer must can have negative taste consequences in the final foamy drink.

My Top Pick

Now I guess everything is clear for you after reading my article. I hope the article helped you to make the good purchase for your successful brewing. I want to share with you my own choice. My top pick is NY Brew Supply 50′ Copper Wort Chiller.

Are you a professional or just an amateur in brewing? I would love you to share some useful tips about brewing. Leave them in the comment section below.