Hauntedyards

Recipes 

I was just thinking this... since I converted from copper in my house to one piece PEX homeruns and eliminated all those elbows I have way better water flow now...

xxllmm4

Recipes 

Well I figured I would just go ahead and do it. It cost me about $10 since I had the pipe, a couple fittings, the flux and solder. So this is whats in it.

1/2" X 19' copper pipe schedule M
20 elbows
2 Tee's

Dan

Recipes 

Looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Have you had a chance to run water through it yet? Does it matter which part of the chiller you use for inlet or outlet? Looking at the photos again I suppose it doesn't really matter. I like the idea that instead of running to one inlet and one outlet the water in your chiller is split so spends less time getting heated before exiting the chiller. I've always wondered how many feet into a standard chiller the water has already reached the wort temp and is just passing through without much cooling effect.

Sorry if my post doesn't make sense.. it's 3:14am and can' sleep.

__________________

xxllmm4

Recipes 

I haven't had a chance to run it yet. I need to pick up some 1/2 tube and an adapter for my faucet. I don't think it would matter what way you run it but I will probably boil up some water in the next few days and see what she can do

Dan

Recipes 

I think you might be on to something with your split input and output plumbing!

__________________

MaxOut

Recipes 

Looks good! Something that wasn't mentioned that should be is that pipe is measured I. D. not O. D. like most soft tubing. 1/2" pipe is comparable to 5/8" tubing 1/16 wall. So flow through this chiller should be overkill and a non issue. In fact you will probably have better results slowing the flow even with the elbows. The time it takes to cut and sweat this together is Nothing compared to the time we spend in this hobby and making use of pipe on hand is a bonus. Test it out and post results..

__________________
MaxOut Brew Station on HBT

MaxOut Brew Station on AHA

AnOldUR

Recipes 

Trying to visualize the dynamics of this split method. I have nothing to back it up, but what I'm seeing is water taking the path of least resistance and mostly going through only one side of the chiller. Seems like if the pipe size had been reduced down when branched the volume in each section would be constant, but the way it is wouldn't one side be relatively stagnant while the bulk of the water went the other way? It looks like the two sections aren't equal lengths, so that would contribute to lack of efficiency in the longer section. I really don't know. Any plumbers or engineers care to chime in?

__________________
It’s best to brew dark beer at night, because that way the darkness gets into the beer. —Bohuslav Hlavsa

MaxOut

Recipes 

I think your right..

Like the pipe not sure about the split design even with equal lengths.

__________________
MaxOut Brew Station on HBT

MaxOut Brew Station on AHA

res291que

Recipes 

IMO I don't think there will be any issue with one side becoming "stagnate", I think this design is genius and will work well for the guy. I give him props for thinking out side the box ... that's what DIY is all about using what you have and developing a way to do the same thing cheaper or even better. Just a thought!!!

AnOldUR

Recipes 

Yeah. I think that IC efficiency is about the volume of water going through the pipe and the surface area. If those two things are the same, I don't think that splitting or a single run would change the end result.

__________________
It’s best to brew dark beer at night, because that way the darkness gets into the beer. —Bohuslav Hlavsa