Making a Jamil chiller and questions on pipe diameter

Jukas · Jan 3, 2013

So I currently have a 50' 1/2" IC that works mostly ok during the winter, and is pretty lack luster in the summer. I've been considering making the switch to a plate chiller, but since I already have the IC I've also been considering making the Jamil style whirlpool. To make that look even more attractive I have a roll of 3/8" soft copper pipe in my garage left by the previous owner.

My concern is that if I have a 1/2" silicone tubing coming from the kettle to pump to a 1/2" fitting -> 3/8" ID tubing will it A) be effective for whirlpooling B) be too much pressure for the tubing?

If I can use the 3/8" tubing it's a cheap experiment, but if I have to go buy 1/2" copper the price jump would be substancial. I figure if I can get away with the 3/8" and it works for a whirlpool, I could continue to use it even if I decided to swap to a plate chiller.

worxman02 · Jan 3, 2013

I'd guess that it would still be pretty effective for whirlpooling. It will introduce some restriction into the system and create a bit of backpressure on your pump. I'd give it a shot since you already have the copper and I'm assuming the pump. Someone else will have to chime in on the impact of the silicone tubing and pump wear/stress.

Are you currently stirring the wort during chilling? Just stirring with a spoon helps to prevent temp stratification.

What size batch are you trying to chill? I just used my 50ft 1/2" IC on a 10 gallon batch yesterday and my Oregon tap water got the batch down to 65ºF in 20 mins. I did use a paint mixer chucked in a drill on very slow speed as a cheap way to create a whirlpool since I don't own a pump. I had my thermometer in the wort the whole chill and I could see a distinct difference in temps when I had the drill running and when I did not. It evened out the temp so much which really helped to chill it fast. I got down to below 140 in about 5 mins or so.

What is the temp of your water going through your IC during both seasons? That might also be why your chiller is not working as well as you would like. You might want to use your pump to recirculate ice water through your IC if your ground water temps are high, especially in the summer and use the paint mixer method like I did to create a whirlpool.

Jukas · Jan 4, 2013

worxman02 said:
I'd guess that it would still be pretty effective for whirlpooling. It will introduce some restriction into the system and create a bit of backpressure on your pump. I'd give it a shot since you already have the copper and I'm assuming the pump. Someone else will have to chime in on the impact of the silicone tubing and pump wear/stress.

Are you currently stirring the wort during chilling? Just stirring with a spoon helps to prevent temp stratification.

What size batch are you trying to chill? I just used my 50ft 1/2" IC on a 10 gallon batch yesterday and my Oregon tap water got the batch down to 65ºF in 20 mins. I did use a paint mixer chucked in a drill on very slow speed as a cheap way to create a whirlpool since I don't own a pump. I had my thermometer in the wort the whole chill and I could see a distinct difference in temps when I had the drill running and when I did not. It evened out the temp so much which really helped to chill it fast. I got down to below 140 in about 5 mins or so.

What is the temp of your water going through your IC during both seasons? That might also be why your chiller is not working as well as you would like. You might want to use your pump to recirculate ice water through your IC if your ground water temps are high, especially in the summer and use the paint mixer method like I did to create a whirlpool.

I'll be putting a ball valve on the outlet of my march pump. From everything I've read you can throttle down the output with no ill effect, so I guess in retrospect that will be fine.

I'm currently doing 6gal batches and my water ranges from 62f (now) to 72-74F (summer) so cooling can take 15-20min easily. I do stir, but I'd like to automate that process to free me up from constantly stirring. If I was going to add a per chiller, I'd probably just go straight to a plate chiller and keep the IC as a per chiller.

I guess assuming there isn't enough pressure when going from 1/2" silicone down to 3/8" copper to rupture the silicone I don't have much to lose by trying..

Dr_Jeff · Jan 4, 2013

have you considered turning you IC into a CFC?
I use a CFC in a bucket and can cool 10G in 30 minutes or less.

worxman02 · Jan 4, 2013

Jukas said:
I'll be putting a ball valve on the outlet of my march pump. From everything I've read you can throttle down the output with no ill effect, so I guess in retrospect that will be fine.

I'm currently doing 6gal batches and my water ranges from 62f (now) to 72-74F (summer) so cooling can take 15-20min easily. I do stir, but I'd like to automate that process to free me up from constantly stirring. If I was going to add a per chiller, I'd probably just go straight to a plate chiller and keep the IC as a per chiller.

I guess assuming there isn't enough pressure when going from 1/2" silicone down to 3/8" copper to rupture the silicone I don't have much to lose by trying..

Sounds like you have pretty warm ground water temps. With water temps at or above your pitching temps your temperature differential is almost nothing so that is why it takes you a while to cool your wort. Since you already have a pump, I think that your best bet would be to pump ice water through your chiller and manually stir your wort, either with a spoon or using the paint mixer method. With the near freezing water going through the chiller your chilling time will be reduced significantly so you won't be waiting so long to get down to pitching temps.

You did say you had roll of 3/8" copper pipe that you could make into a pre-chiller but it would reduce the flow rate due to the smaller diameter. Just throwing that option out there if you wanted to use your pump for whirlpooling.

Jukas · Jan 4, 2013

Welp this idea may be a bust. Went to lowes and hd and neither had smaller than 1/2" sweat solder fittings and I don't feel like buying a 10' roll of 1/2" refrigeration copper at $2+ a foot.

I'll check one of the local hardware stores to see if I can find 3/8" fittings (I know they make them) locally. I have no plans at this point to hack up my current IC.

phoenixs4r · Jan 4, 2013

Jukas said:
Welp this idea may be a bust. Went to lowes and hd and neither had smaller than 1/2" sweat solder fittings and I don't feel like buying a 10' roll of 1/2" refrigeration copper at $2+ a foot.

I'll check one of the local hardware stores to see if I can find 3/8" fittings (I know they make them) locally. I have no plans at this point to hack up my current IC.

Ya HD and Lowes doesn't normally stock fittings that small. I picked mine up from an Ace hardware store. Regarding flow, you don't need that much flow to make the whirlpool chiller to be effective at all, any movement at all will greatly increase IC chiller efficiency at sub 150* temps

Making a Jamil chiller and questions on pipe diameter

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

Jukas

Supporting Member

worxman02

Well-Known Member

Jukas

Supporting Member

Dr_Jeff

Supporting Member

worxman02

Well-Known Member

Jukas

Supporting Member

phoenixs4r

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Making a Jamil chiller and questions on pipe diameter

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

Supporting Member

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Supporting Member

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!