Brewer3401
Well-Known Member
Anyone have any tech data on the difference(s) ?
Is 50' of 3/8" better than 25' of 1/2"
Is 50' of 3/8" better than 25' of 1/2"
thebikingengineer said:You'll probably have better luck with the 3/8". You'll never really max out the flow rate of the 1/2" tubing, and that extra 19' of area is pretty significant. To be more exact than this, you'd need to set up a thermodynamics problem, it would most likely be quite complicated, and it would only work in theory. Get your wort moving (via gentle stirring) while you're cooling to get down to temps very quick.
Bobby_M said:Stirring is essential of course, but how long it takes to reach pitching temp is very much coupled to the tap water temp. If it's 85, you will NEVER reach pitching temp (70). Que the discussion of icewater pumping and prechillers, etc... ;-)
Hawkie333 said:It seems crazy that 25' of 3/8" coil has more surface area than 50' of 1/2". Ya gotta show me those calcs. I can tell you that, empirically, my 1/2" cools in like 10 mins where the 3/8" took 30 mins. That's just my $0.02
Sea said:It might make more sense if you didn't have the numbers backwards!
Ar you doing 5, or 10 gal boils? If you are, or are ever going to, do tens, you'd be better off to use the 1/2, and add another 25' to it. These two peices can either be soldered/brazed together with a coupling, or stacked one on top of the other, and teed together outside the pot fairly easily.
As previeously posted, Surface area/volume and temp of tap H2O are very important, but also necessary, is the correct flow rate. If the water slows down too much (there's a lot of pressure drop through 50' of 3/8" (1/4" I.D.)), then it will accept too much heat before it leaves the chiller, and be useless as a transfer medium for the rest of the pipe length.
Therefore, 1/2" (of the same length) more surface area, AND a much higher flow rate = much quicker cooling.
Sea said:It might make more sense if you didn't have the numbers backwards!
thebikingengineer said:To be more exact than this, you'd need to set up a thermodynamics problem, it would most likely be quite complicated, and it would only work in theory.
Brewer3401 said:Using a 240 gph pump, and it delivers a medium circulation (about 1/2 of what faucet is wide open).
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