ShelterPupsBrew

Recipes 

I use to drain the hot wort through the CFC into the fermenter without a pump. This also worked pretty well and was ready for yeast in approx 20 minutes. It's a good way to go if you are not using a pump. The advantages that I have found using the pump/recirculating method is that I get a better cold break (clearer beer) and the finish product retains more hop aroma and maybe more hop flavor.

The recirc/whirlpool/transfer process takes 20-25 minutes depending on how much whirlpool you want.

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Beer has Food value, but Food has no Beer value.

bwoodworth

Recipes 

I am thinking of making a CFC based on this great guide and have noticed there is a big difference in price for hoses that are made specifically for high temperatures. How necessary is it to have a hi-temp hose? It seems to me like the hose isn't actually touching the hot wort, but rather has the cool water barrier. Has any measured the cooling water temp after it has gone through the chiller to see how hot it gets?

JoeyChopps

Recipes 

I use an el cheapo hose with no problems. My hose doesn't feel overly warm when cooling. But one thing I see now that I didn't when I built mine is if/when my hose dies I would be pretty screwed on a easy fix the more expensive hoses probably last longer

nate456789

Recipes 

I recirculate the last 20 to 30 minutes of the boil to kill off any bad stuff. So the hose gets pretty hot with no water running thru it.
I used the good year high temp hose. 50 ft was $35 at home depot. Not much more than the other stuff.

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Primary:
Secondary:
Bottled: Honey Wheat, American Wheat, Kolsch, Chocolate Porter, Oatmeal Stout
Kegged: Falconer's APA, Honey Brown Ale, Guinness Draught

JoeyChopps

Recipes 

Oh I forgot to mention I santatize mine by circulating star san for 20 mins that's probably why mine doesn't get as hot. I never run liquid through mine without the cooling water running

cincypilot

Recipes 

Try heater hose from an auto parts store, I bought 5/8 inch for less than a dollar a foot. Works great. Good luck with your chiller Stefan

Xtant

Recipes 

Mine's pretty much the same as everyone else's. I used MoreBeer's 1/2" male quick disconnects for my wort in and out.

I had some problems sweating the reducer the inside tube passes through. I guess I did not get it cleaned well or applied enough flux. I had to take it back apart and resweat those joints. I cleaned the crap out of them and slathered the flux on to make sure there was still plenty once it was slid into place. No leaks

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"Make sure that the beer - four pints a week - goes to the troops under fire before any of the parties in the rear get a drop." -Winston Churchill to his Secretary of War, 1944

CraigT

Recipes 

thank you bobby m

i just made this tonight. i got 33 ft of the copper for free at work and i bought the rest of the stuff i needed. i just got done testing this with water and it brought 5 gallons of boiling water down to 55 degrees with my 3/8 kettle valve wide open! good thing my other kettle has a half inch valve so maybe i won't hit so low of a temp next time. i goess my ground water is cooler than i thought

carter840

Recipes 

I debating between this or a 50' immersion chiller. I do not have a valve on my kettle. I typically use a funnel and a mesh strainer. I do not have time right now to DIY so I would either buy this or an immersion chiller. I would need to hook these up to my facet and also use gravity feed my beer through it. Could I use a CFC given considering these things?

nate456789

Recipes 

immersion chiller for your setup. You could always use the copper later to make of these when you get a valve installed and move to a pump.

__________________
Primary:
Secondary:
Bottled: Honey Wheat, American Wheat, Kolsch, Chocolate Porter, Oatmeal Stout
Kegged: Falconer's APA, Honey Brown Ale, Guinness Draught