Author: Marshall Schott

I recently received The Hydra immersion chiller by JaDeD Brewing, it’s already been used 3 times on 2 different systems. I could blowhard about my experience with other types of chillers, how I don’t like using pumps because they’re a pain to clean, or how I was first introduced to this badass company… but I’d prefer not to beat around the bush.

The Hydra is basically made of 3 strands of 1/2″ copper tubing. The water coming into the chiller is split just after entering into each of these strands, meaning more surface area and increased contact time with cool water. It’s similar in idea to the King Cobra IC I use often, just not as squat.

For its maiden voyage, I used this beast to chill 12 gallons of Dunkel wort.

Since receiving The Hydra, groundwater temperatures where I live have been rather warm, which means I’ve not been able to chill wort to my target pitching temps. I understand I could use a pre-chiller or another setup and have plans to play with that later. However, in my opinion, a good IC is one that chills to 5°F or so above groundwater temp in a short amount of time. For the following sets of data, groundwater temperature was measured prior to the wort being chilled, at which point a timer was started and a time documented once the wort was chilled.

TRIAL #1: Munich Dunkel on My System

Groundwater Temp (GT): 82°F

Method: Constant stirring

Wort Volume: 11.5 gallons

Time to Reach GT + 10°F: 5 min 45 seconds (92°F)

Final Wort Temp: 87°F

Time to Reach 87°F: 6 minutes 32 seconds

TRIAL #2: Munich Helles on My System

Groundwater Temp: 83°F

Method: IC moved up/down in wort, occasional stirring

Wort Volume: 11.5 gallons

Time to Reach GT + 10°F: 5 min 38 seconds (93°F)

Final Wort Temp: 88°F

Chilling Time: 6 minutes 18 seconds

TRIAL #3: American Pale Ale on Friend’s System

Groundwater Temp: 82°F

Method: IC moved up/down in wort, occasional stirring

Wort Volume: 6.5 gallons

Time to Reach GT + 10°F: not measured

Final Wort Temp: 85°F

Chilling Time: 6 minutes

Not too shabby, eh? I was damn pleased, that’s for sure. If you’re wondering why my buddy’s chilling time is fairly close to mine for a smaller volume of wort, it’s due partially to the fact his volume wasn’t high enough to cover all the coils of The Hydra, resulting in some loss in efficiency. Also, he chilled his to within 3°F of his measured groundwater temperature rather than 5°F like I aim for… still pretty damn impressive.

The Verdict

I wouldn’t be writing this review if I didn’t think this product was amazing. It’s incredibly well constructed and does as it promises, plus it’s a hell of a lot easier to clean than a pump and plate chiller. For those looking to improve their chilling times, move away from clunky CFC setups, or impress your friends, I couldn’t recommend The Hydra more. One thing to keep in mind is the issue of exposed coils and how it impacts chilling efficiency– if you, like me, tend to use your larger kettle often to make smaller batches, consider the King Cobra, as it is designed specifically for this purpose. For those who primarily make 10+ gallon batches, The Hydra is the way to go.

If you have any questions about my experience with this IC, or if you’d like to share your personal experience using JaDeD chillers, please don’t hesitate to comment! If you have a question for JaDeD, contact them via their website, they’re usually very quick to respond. Cheers!

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