Cool the wort

It's time to cool your wort from boiling to fermentation temperature. We want to get the wort as close to 65°F (18°C) as possible.

If you're using an ice bath, carefully remove your brew kettle from the burner and place it in the ice bath. You may want to gently stir the wort (with a sanitized spoon!) from time to time to promote heat transfer through the kettle walls. Move the ice around in the bath to reduce hot spots, and add more ice as needed.

Brewers with immersion chillers can start the flow of cold tap water into the chiller. Make sure the outflow end is directed somewhere safe, as the effluent will be very hot for several minutes. Don't direct it onto any flowers or plants, as the hot water can kill them. Many brewers collect this hot water and use it for cleaning up at the end of the brew day.