Wort Chiller Post-Chilling

gallagherman · 03-20-2008, 05:32 AM

I just used my new immersion chiller yesterday for my 5gal brew. How the heck do you guys get all the water out that is in the 30 feet of copper when you are cleaning up? I don't want the copper on the inside to rust!

thooper41 · 03-20-2008, 05:49 AM

copper doesnt rust...

hold horizontal with both ends facing close to the ground blow into one end till water comes out the other then turn it vertical and it should start a siphon getting most of the water out.

gallagherman · 03-20-2008, 05:52 AM

Awesome thanks! I thought copper can rust - turn green, like the statue of liberty and old pennies.

Edit: looked it up - copper only oxidizes (forms Copper Oxide). Rust is limited to iron oxide.

vmpolesov · 03-20-2008, 07:40 AM

I personally would avoid putting wildly dissimilar metals (like fittings) on any part of the chiller that will be submerged, look up 'galvanic corrosion' if you're curious.

denimglen · 03-20-2008, 11:37 AM

Yeap, rust is just the term for the oxidization of iron.

I've used my immersion chiller quite a bit and had no problems so far with corrosion.

Remember that a lot of water pipes are made from copper amd we don't worry about them...well I don't haha.

I still drain mine though otherwise I knock it over and water spills out over everything.

Funkenjaeger · 03-20-2008, 01:21 PM

I just turn mine upside down and practically all the water comes out - once it starts coming out one of the tubes, it siphons all the rest right with it. Never had to resort to blowing into it or anything.

If I had an air compressor handy, I'd give it a few blasts afterward to dry it out a little more just for good measure, but it doesn't even seem necessary.

Alemental · 03-21-2008, 12:40 PM

The output hoses from my chiller are a bit long and run a little downhill. If I disconnect the input hoses first, the output hoses siphon the chiller until almost empty. I follow with a blast from my air compressor.