Formula for coil size on wort chiller?

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MikeInCtown

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I am using a 32 quart pot currently for brewing but will be getting a 60 quart pot for 10 gallon batches.

I also have 50' of 3/8" copper tubing in my posession to build a coil chiller. My problem is that I don't know what the proper size of coil I should make. If I wrap it around a corny, I would have about 5" around the edges once I get my 60 quart. if I make it bigger, then I have a huge spot in the middle with no chilling.

Should I really be trying to make a dual coil setup and figure out a way to split the lines from the faucet?
 
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My 50' x 1/2"OD IC. The inner coils were done around a corny, the outside coils were done free hand, using a spring for hand-bending tubing. I laced 12 ga. copper wire around the coils to provide a bit of free space for 360* wort contact. Plus, the wire helps hold the thing together when adding or removing the IC to the kettle. I can't remember off hand which way the water enters/exits, but it is all one coil. During the cooling, I will bounce it up and down and swirl it a couple of times to mix up any hot spots. I haven't actually timed it, but I know it is less than fifteen minutes from boiling to pitchable temps.

The other pic shows it in my 60qt. kettle.
 
Yep, an $8 copper tank float, a bit of AL round stock, 3/8" I believe, left over from a hot rod carb linkage project I had, and a 1/4" ( I believe) stainless screw. The bracket uses the round stock, and some pieces of AL I whittled out to hold the float rod. It mounts just below the kettle lip with two #8 stainless screws. I punched in some marks on the float rod, works like it should!
 
The other option is to make the coils as large as possible for the pot, and whirlpool your wort by hand or with a pump. It HUGELY cuts down your chilling time, particularly if your coils are close to the pot wall.
 
I say that if your going to invest in a wart chiller a counterflow chiller is where it's at by the time your hot wart reaches the end of the counterflow it has reached perfect fermantation temp. and is inexpensive to make too. if you need instructions let me know
 
I say that if your going to invest in a wart chiller a counterflow chiller is where it's at by the time your hot wart reaches the end of the counterflow it has reached perfect fermantation temp. and is inexpensive to make too. if you need instructions let me know

I just looked at the counterflow chiller tutorial. Looks doable and probably easier for me since I will be using different size pots.

Is your design any different? One thing that I am a little confused on is how you hook up the CFC to the pot (you place a hose going inside?) and then how you run the hose/copper to the firmentation bucket. I don't plan on adding a valve at this time, so I'd have to siphon out somehow. How do you guys do that without a pump? :confused:
 
CFC is for sure the way to go.
Also, make a method of whirlpooling. I used some copper and threaded ends so I could have an intake-and-return whirlpool device to hang on the pot (pump powered). Whirlpooling and having a copper tube inside your kettle on the inner part of the spigot to take wort from low down on the side, will leave your hops and hot break in the kettle while you gently run your wort out through the CFC.

You actually want the cold break to make it to the fermenter, as it is more desirable as yeast food, so whirlpooling hot is more desirable.
 
I'm a bit lost as to what you are saying. It was my understanding that you pull the hot wort from one pot and as it runs through the CFC it cools to temp. Upon exit it just runs into the fermentation bucket all cooled off. If I am reading your post correctly, you pump it from the pot, run it through the chiller then let it drain right back into the pot???

Can you link to a few pictures of your setup or otherwise show me what you are saying? I need to figure this out quick as I have two lager yeast starters going right now and have milled the grain already for a Saturday session. I used to use lots of ice in a big tub but the ice machine is down right now.
 
Did you get an answer MikeC? Nathan, or anyone else... Is there a thread that explains the best way to use the CFC? Point me in the right direction...

How do you move the wort from the pot to the fermentor?

Thanks!
 
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