What Temperature Should My Chiller Be Set To?

Because industrial chillers can be used for such a wide variety of applications, it can be hard to know the right set point to use to achieve the ideal temperature for your needs. Especially when you are renting a chiller and haven’t used one before, you may have questions about the proper temperature or temperature range.

Each industry and product can vary, so it’s a good idea to do your own research and talk to us about your individual needs. However, there are some standards to keep in mind for common applications that may help you decide on the right chiller model.

Breweries and Wineries

Chillers are commonly used in the beer and wine industries to keep beverages fresher for a longer time. The cold temperature can help the fermentation process and preserve the taste in storage.

In brewing, oxidative reactions won’t make the beer go bad, but they can have definite effects on the flavor. You can’t keep oxidation from happening, but keeping beer cooler will slow down the reaction and preserve the intended flavor for longer. Most breweries set chiller temperatures between 28 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit, but a low gravity beer that has less fermentation may begin to freeze at this setting. You’ll need to check regularly to ensure that your beer is cool without any ice formation.

Wine requires the proper temperature for fermentation so the process can be made consistent throughout several batches. Varied temperatures during fermentation can lead to vastly different results — never a good thing for a winemaker. Typically wineries use temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees for fermenting and can go even lower for cold stabilizing.

Agriculture

Many companies in the food and dairy industries use chillers to cool water for processing, preserve milk and other easily spoiled products for longer life and keep produce cooler after harvesting.

Food-related applications generally require temperatures of anywhere from just below freezing (31 degrees) to properly freeze produce to between 32 and 55 degrees for cool storage of fresh fruits and vegetables.

In the dairy industry, rapid cooling of milk and milk products is an important need. Milk comes out of the cow at over 95 degrees and must be cooled to and stored at around 38 degrees for ideal quality and low bacteria counts.

Medical and Pharmaceutical Industries

Medical researchers use chillers to maintain consistent, low temperatures during experiments. Temperatures can range from a few degrees below room temperature to extremely low — up to -40 degrees.

Expensive medical equipment that can easily get overheated also can use chillers as a primary or backup cooling mechanism. Temperature setting depends on how often the equipment is used and for how long, how it is housed and what the ambient temperatures are. Generally, temperatures of between 45 and 50 degrees are suitable for cooling equipment.

Pharmaceutical uses include use of chilled water in manufacturing and cool storage. Usually, 35 to 46 degrees is the recommended temperature for refrigeration during transport and storage of most cold-chain medications.

Data Centers

Maintaining expensive servers and other computer equipment is easiest if temperatures are consistent. To cool these heat-producing machines and keep them at peak performance, temperatures between 68 and 71 degrees are ideal.

The size of the room and the number of servers will help you determine the best temperature. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers recommend that 81 degrees is the absolute highest that temperatures should reach.

Other industries can utilize chillers to keep expensive equipment cooled to a specific temperature, to cool liquids needed as part of processing or in the manufacturing process, such as to cool plastics. Whether you want to purchase or rent a chiller for your needs, we can help. Contact us for more information on the best temperature range and options for your application.