I have been contemplating making one for sometime. Especially with winter around the corner. I used a 500 GPH bilge pump that is connected to a 2/6 amp battery charger. I use an immersion chiller on the garden hose until down to 100F which takes about 10 minutes while stirring. Then I switch to the Bilge. I put this is in a cooler with frozen water bottles and water of course. From there it only takes about 15 minutes to get me to about 60-65F.
I have another cooler that I can use too as I imagine in the winter when I use this system exclusively, that the water will heat up too much in the first cooler, and rather than add more water bottles, it would be faster and more efficient to put the bilge in the other cooler that already has cold water in it.
My hopes are that this will make the usage of water drop drastically. Who knows, with a 2 cooler setup I may never need the garden hose again.
I brew on mu back porch which is not heated nor air conditioned, so I can leave the water in the coolers and mother nature will keep the water cold for me during the winter months.
The brass 3/4 garden hose adapter fittings were the most expensive part of this endeavor. I already had some hose and the bilge from a livewell setup for my boat.
I have another cooler that I can use too as I imagine in the winter when I use this system exclusively, that the water will heat up too much in the first cooler, and rather than add more water bottles, it would be faster and more efficient to put the bilge in the other cooler that already has cold water in it.
My hopes are that this will make the usage of water drop drastically. Who knows, with a 2 cooler setup I may never need the garden hose again.
I brew on mu back porch which is not heated nor air conditioned, so I can leave the water in the coolers and mother nature will keep the water cold for me during the winter months.
The brass 3/4 garden hose adapter fittings were the most expensive part of this endeavor. I already had some hose and the bilge from a livewell setup for my boat.