This may sound like overkill, because I pretty much do what the Major does for my lagers after going through a ZChiller counter flow chiller, but I may try using both that and the recirc immersion chiller in tandem. I bet I can get down near my well water temp (low 50’s) in just a few minutes. Then I should get it to pitch temp in a short time, even for lagers.
What I had been doing is using the immersion chiller till it hit it’s limit, usually around 80. Then I would put the kettle in an ice bath and give it an occaisional stir. This worked well till I got a new kettle that doesn’t fit in the cooler I use for the ice bath. With the cooler winter weather it doesn’t matter but in the spring I am planning on switching to the pond pump with ice water method.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that does this. I can get it to 80F with the immersion chiller then I open the kettle valve to gravity feed splashing thru a fine mesh strainer into the fermenter which gets it down to the 70F range. The basement does the rest.
I put a chiller wand, which is a food grade plastic thing with a handle that you fill with water and keep in the freezer. I put it in the middle of the coil of my water chiller. Brings 5 gallons of wort to 70 in about15 min, maybe less. Easier to clean than a pump. You can get them a restaurant suppliers. I let the worth get the last few degrees to pitching temp overnight.
I have 2 chillers attached in tandem. Hose water goes to the first chiller that is in a bucket full of ice, then the chilled water travels to the second chiller in my kettle. This chiller also now has a whirlpool arm with March pump. I can now get 6 gal of wort from boiling to 62deg in 12 min in SoCal summer. Took 20min to get to 48deg for recent lager. I also use the pump to move strike and sparse water and to move chilled wort into fermenter. Saves my back.
Here was a simple technique that shaved another 10 off the chill time on my second boil a couple weekends ago. I opened the drain about 1/2 way before putting the kettle in. Then, I ran the output water from the immersion chiller into the sink around the kettle…when the sink filled up it then ran over into the second sink. This seemed to grab a little extra heat from the outside of the kettle. Total time went from about 30 min to 20 min…and it was an easy thing to do. Not sure of the water temp.