Chiller Variation

Up to now I have been carrying hot wort downstairs to sit and cool for about a day (regular chiller requires undesirable kitchen modifications). I was looking for a way to move it and chill it quickly, safely and inexpensively.

The Internet had enough detailed description of everything from industrial to personal operations to make me feel informed about systems but nothing that would solve my problem. I contacted the helpful folks at NY Brew Supply who offered to do an economical, custom unit to fit in a cooler as demonstrated in the photographs. Ice and water were just added to the cooler. One section of tubing goes down through the basement stairs.







I ran a large pot of boiling water through it before and directly after using it but that or something similar has been standard procedure with tubing.

After a couple of tweaks I can do the whole thing safely and quickly.

Tweaks

First run used what I guessed to be about two bags of ice which wasn't enough. It was completely melted at the half way point (temperature finished at ~42C/105F directly from boil) so three or four would be ideal. Shovels of seasonally available snow will be perfect.

A nylon bag to filter at the pot and just carry the last litre/quart to get all the final bits. There is a potential to clog the 50' 3/8" SS pipe.

Small pieces of 1" tubing to run the 3/8" silicon tubing through for corners between the pot and the chiller. The heat makes it flatten out too much. I do that successfully with the 3/16" silicon pipe used for sparging.

Do you not have any ability to hook up a hose, there are tons of adapters for most faucets to use this as a traditional immersion chiller.

There is insufficient space under the sink to add a connection and I was unable to find anything for my faucet, even sending emails to potential suppliers.

How would the transfer to the basement work? Would I just go back to carrying the bucket downstairs?

Edit:

The choices as I saw it were to pay the extra and get a proper chiller, tap into the water supply (one way or another), use electricity to run the pump (no city water) and maintain the three functions - cooling, transfer to primary fermenter, move to basement - as separate steps or use gravity and free snow to make it into one step using slightly less time (greater drop) than the single step of transferring to the primary fermenter. Being parsimonious made the choice easy.

This method would have no benefit for those in other circumstances.

Not sure I completely understand but....

If your sink has an aerator you should be able to remove it and get a garden hose adaptor, they are pretty standard

You shouldn't need to buy another chiller, just get some tubing and garden hose ends and slip them over the SS end and clamp them

If you have a wash basin in the basement you can hook up to that sink

Are you doing partial boils and topping off? The addition of a couple gallons of cold tap water should knock the temp down for you once you get to around 100

Sorry, running out of ideas.......

OK duboman, thanks. I will investigate more thoroughly before doing the next batch.

A lot of pull down faucets can't accommodate a hose adapter. Our "fancy" kitchen faucet can't. I have to run a hose from our wash basin in the basement to the kitchen. Luckily there was a pre-existing hidden hole in the floor that I could use to run the hose through.

I think this is a pretty clever way to chill your wort...similar concept as a counterflow chiller. Since you're using gravity, you might even be able to find a second chiller that you could use on the floor in another cooler.

Is your tubing rated for near boiling temperatures?

Neat idea to get your wort to the basement without heavy lifting and while cooling it at the same time.

lactardjosh said:

A lot of pull down faucets can't accommodate a hose adapter. Our "fancy" kitchen faucet can't. I have to run a hose from our wash basin in the basement to the kitchen. Luckily there was a pre-existing hidden hole in the floor that I could use to run the hose through.

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We have fancy kitchen fat head as well. Works well in the sink and pulls out far enough to do buckets on the floor. That's good fortune on the hole and good thinking to realize it's hidden value.

lactardjosh said:

I think this is a pretty clever way to chill your wort...similar concept as a counterflow chiller. Since you're using gravity, you might even be able to find a second chiller that you could use on the floor in another cooler.

Click to expand...

Two extra scoops of snow or ice should get it to ideal temperature next time. I didn't expect to hear so much immediate activity in the ice. After the wort started hitting the primary, the ice lasted for about three gallons. I'm doing 5 gallon batches and the cooler was only about a third full so there is lots of room to add the very plentiful coolant. It's satisfying watching snow working...although this may require ice. Soon enough there will be no shortage of either.

lactardjosh said:

Is your tubing rated for near boiling temperatures?

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It is. 3/8" I.D. Silicone Tubing - Temperature Rated to 500F

lactardjosh said:

Neat idea to get your wort to the basement without heavy lifting and while cooling it at the same time.

Click to expand...

I love watching work happen.