[jimmykx250]

This may seem like a silly question but how do you make sanitary ice? Why cant i just pull  bunch of cubes from my ice maker? Thanks,

[mbalbritton]

This may seem like a silly question but how do you make sanitary ice? Why cant i just pull  bunch of cubes from my ice maker? Thanks,

Because ice makers are full if bacteria.

[jimmykx250]

This may seem like a silly question but how do you make sanitary ice? Why cant i just pull  bunch of cubes from my ice maker? Thanks,

Because ice makers are full if bacteria.

Then how are you supposed o make "sanitary ice"? You cant mean to boil then freeze way too much work--

[Philbrew]

I made my wort chiller for $40 from supplies at Lowes. Copper tubing, some fittings and walla. Same as the $150 ones at the brew shops.

Good idea.  I might have to try that in future.  I'll go the ice route for the first couple batches until I have time to make a chiller.

[mbalbritton]

I made my wort chiller for $40 from supplies at Lowes. Copper tubing, some fittings and walla. Same as the $150 ones at the brew shops.

Good idea.  I might have to try that in future.  I'll go the ice route for the first couple batches until I have time to make a chiller.

Good luck

[mbalbritton]

This may seem like a silly question but how do you make sanitary ice? Why cant i just pull  bunch of cubes from my ice maker? Thanks,

Because ice makers are full if bacteria.

Then how are you supposed o make "sanitary ice"? You cant mean to boil then freeze way too much work--

You don't. That's why this isn't a recommended route. Why reinvent the wheel?

[a10t2]

Then how are you supposed o make "sanitary ice"? You cant mean to boil then freeze way too much work--

You don't have to boil necessarily, you could just hold pasteurization temperature.

I don't really view it as work since the stove does it for me, but to each his own.

[morticaixavier]

Some commercial ice companies sanitize with UV at various points in the process. For that matter, I buy ro water that is UV sanitized at the spigot. I'm going to put a gallon of that into a sanitized pot and freeze.

[Philbrew]

OK, I did the ice chill thing.  Here's the method/results.

I'm doing 6 gal. batches with extract and steeped crystal grain (crushed).  I'm using RO water from machine at Walmart with UV light at spigot.  Initial TDS = 12-16.  Adding gypsum, Epsom salt and non-iodized salt.  Final TDS = 210-240.  Freeze 5 one qt. Zip Lock sanitized plastic containers of brew water.
Bring 3 gal. water to 170 dF and steep grain.  Bring to boil and add 8 lb. extract and do hops schedule for 60 minutes.
Put boil pot in 5 in. deep cold water bath and add 5 one qt. ice blocks to pot.  Stir.  Wort comes to 75 dF in less than 5 minutes.  Add wort to fermenter and top up with brew water.

I'm doing lager so it will be a couple months before I can tell you how it turned out.

[Footballandhops]

This is simple, the day before you brew just clean and sanitize your fermenter, pour 2 gallons of bottled distilled or spring water in it, close the lid and cover the airlock hole then put it in the freezer

The next day when your wort is done you just pull your fermenter out of the freezer, open it up and pour your boiling wort over top....it will be down to 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes

[Philbrew]

This is simple, the day before you brew just clean and sanitize your fermenter, pour 2 gallons of bottled distilled or spring water in it, close the lid and cover the airlock hole then put it in the freezer

The next day when your wort is done you just pull your fermenter out of the freezer, open it up and pour your boiling wort over top....it will be down to 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes

I see some potential problems.
1)  My fermenter won't fit in my freezer.
2)  It's plastic and I would worry that the boiling wort would deform it before cooling enough.
3)  A glass fermenter might crack from the thermal shock.

[erockrph]

Freeze plastic water or soda bottles full of water. Cut them open and drop the ice in your fermenter.

[tommymorris]

Freeze plastic water or soda bottles full of water. Cut them open and drop the ice in your fermenter.

When I was a kid my father was obsessed with freezing margarine tubs full of water.  We used those big ice cubes for all kinds of things, but, mostly in the ice chest. I am guessing this would be a nice way to cool wort. Haven't tried it myself.

Fill the tub 2/3 full, place lid, freeze. You can stack them in the freezer. When it's time to use; pull the lid, pull on the sides to free the ice, and dump the cube.

[Philbrew]

Freeze plastic water or soda bottles full of water. Cut them open and drop the ice in your fermenter.

When I was a kid my father was obsessed with freezing margarine tubs full of water.  We used those big ice cubes for all kinds of things, but, mostly in the ice chest. I am guessing this would be a nice way to cool wort. Haven't tried it myself.

Fill the tub 2/3 full, place lid, freeze. You can stack them in the freezer. When it's time to use; pull the lid, pull on the sides to free the ice, and dump the cube.

Yup.  That's essentially what I'm doing, only I'm using one quart Zip Lock food containers from the store.  They're cheep, reusable and easy to sanitize.