FAQs

Q: How do I clean my JaDeD Brewing copper wort chiller?

A: Initial Cleaning

For the initial cleaning, we recommend doing a quick soak in any cleaner (PBW, B-brite, dish soap and water, barkeepers friend, etc.), thoroughly rinse with clean water, and dry with a soft towel and store your chiller in a dry area.

Ongoing Maintenance Cleaning

For routine cleaning and maintenance, we recommend that you rinse off the coils of your chiller with water directly after each use (save the first 5 gallons of chilling output water in a bucket to dip the chiller in immediately out of the wort), empty the chiller of any excess water, dry with a soft towel, and store your chiller in a dry area.

While some normal oxidation of the copper will occur, proper cleaning and maintenance will help protect your chiller against excessive oxidation, or verdigris (a bright bluish-green encrustation or patina formed on copper or brass by atmospheric oxidation).  If verdigris does start forming, we recommend boiling the chiller in a water & vinegar solution, scrubbing it with a stiff bristle brush, steel wool, scotch pad or similar and then drying it off until no more greenish powdery oxidation remains. For more stubborn spots, you could also rub the green areas with a solution of ammonia and salt using a thin cloth or shoelace. These stubborn spots are very uncommon, however. 

Q: What’s the difference between a copper and stainless steel wort chiller?

 Using copper vs. stainless in your brewing system usually comes down to personal preference.

Copper is a much better heat transfer material and will provide the optimal chilling speed.  The thermal conductivity of copper is 20 times greater than stainless steel.  Copper also provides a yeast nutrient for healthy yeast production during fermentation and is naturally antimicrobial.

Stainless has become quite popular lately.  Stainless is more rigid and durable and will stay shiny longer.  Also, if you happen to be a low dissolved oxygen brewer (LODO), you will want copper out of your brewing system. 

In terms of maintenance, we believe both our copper and stainless steel chillers are simple to maintain and clean.  For both copper and stainless, regular maintenance includes rinsing off the coils with water directly after each use (best practice is saving the first 5 gallons of chilling output in a bucket to dip your chiller in for rinsing), emptying the chiller of any excess water, drying with a soft towel and storing in a dry area. 

Q: Do you ship to APO addresses?

A: We sure do!  Just enter your address in the shipping at checkout like normal.  No special instructions required.

Q: What should I consider when choosing the best chiller for me?

A: The best chiller for your system should be chosen to allow for all coils to be in the wort during chilling and be appropriate for your chilling water source and brewing process.  You’ll want to be sure the chiller you choose is appropriate for the circumference and height of your kettle, the height of your typical batch size and the amount of free space in the bottom of your kettle free of thermometers, pick up tubes, hop blockers, etc.  In addition, you’ll want to consider your chilling water source whether it be a kitchen sink faucet, utility sink faucet or garden hose spigot.  Check out the descriptions of our chillers as certain products are designed specifically for certain water sources.  If you’re brewing using a heating element, check out our e-Mmersion series chillers.  As always, we understand that choosing the best chiller for your needs can be confusing, so contacting us with questions is always an option.  We’re always here to help.

Q: Do you ship to Hawaii and Alaska?

A: Yes, we do ship to Hawaii and Alaska!  Please just send us an email (jadedbrewing@gmail.com) with your order and shipping address.  We will share with you the best shipping rates available and then when you’re ready to order, we’ll send you a custom invoice with a link to pay through our secure checkout. 

Q: Do you ship internationally?

A: Yes, we do ship internationally!  If you are having trouble finding shipping information to your location through our online checkout, please send us an email (jadedbrewing@gmail.com) with your order and shipping address.  We will share with you the best shipping rates available and then when you’re ready to order, we’ll send you a custom invoice with a link to pay through our secure checkout.

Q: Do you have a return policy?

 A: Yes, We accept all returns through our Money Back Guarantee.  If you receive one of our products and are unhappy with it for any reason, you can return it for a full refund of the purchase price within 30 days of shipping date (excluding the Grainfather). Just contact us prior to shipping the product back. The product must be returned in an undamaged condition.  

Q: What should I do if I have warm groundwater?

A: For customers in locations with warmer groundwater, we recommend some specific best practices to help with your chilling efficiency. Our testing for the below recommendation was done using 82F groundwater.

Start by adding 12lbs of ice to 5 gallons of tap water and give the water a couple stirs as the ice melts.  Run the chiller off of a garden hose spigot fully open to 10F above your tap water temperature (92F in this example). Then switch over to a utility pump submersed in the ice water that you have ready and run the bucket dry. We recommend a utility pump because the pump needs to have enough head pressure to push a large volume of water through the chiller, whereas a pond or aquarium pump typically won’t have enough head pressure to push water through when a restriction, such as a wort chiller, is put on the end.  Our testing with this setup was able to chill 5 gallons of wort to 70F in 5 minutes using 82F tap water. 

Also, remember to only pump the ice water through once in order to have the largest temperature differential between your chilling water and the wort.

Q: Can you customize a chiller for me?

A:  Yes, just send us an e-mail with your brewing method, kettle/keggle dimensions, and groundwater temperature and we will design the best chiller for you. 

Q:  When will I get my order?

A:  Order fulfillment time varies depending on current demand, but generally takes between 1 to 4 business days to ship after ordering.  

Q: Does the cold water hookup to the male or female fitting?

A: We manufacture our chillers so that the cold water enters the top of the coils first (female swivel garden hose fitting), where the hottest wort is located. That being said, we also recommend constant agitation of the wort for the best chilling efficiency. Constant agitation breaks up the thermal stratification that occurs during chilling (again leading to the best chilling efficiency). So really it doesn't matter if the cold water enters the bottom or top of the coils as long as you are constantly agitating the wort during chilling.