I've been reading a lot about DIY counterflow chillers lately and I'm seeing that the marks for efficiency definitely come with the convoluted type, but the price tag is a bit of a hang up. And it seems like the 3/8" copper-in-garden-hose is the cheap, useful alternative.
But looking at prices, you can get 50' of 3/16" copper tubing for about the same price as 25' of 3/8" tubing, and if you twist the 2 x 3/16 together, you'll get a convoluted flow with more surface area exposed than a manufactured 3/8" convoluted copper tube.
I can see the downside is having to rig a "Y" gate at the front and back, but that's easy enough with some basic brazing skills.
And yes, if you're worried about cloggage from hops, etc. that could be an issue, but you would just have to put a strainer in front of the chiller line, right?
Looking for more opinions on this one before I lay down the cash (which should still only be ~$70)
But looking at prices, you can get 50' of 3/16" copper tubing for about the same price as 25' of 3/8" tubing, and if you twist the 2 x 3/16 together, you'll get a convoluted flow with more surface area exposed than a manufactured 3/8" convoluted copper tube.
I can see the downside is having to rig a "Y" gate at the front and back, but that's easy enough with some basic brazing skills.
And yes, if you're worried about cloggage from hops, etc. that could be an issue, but you would just have to put a strainer in front of the chiller line, right?
Looking for more opinions on this one before I lay down the cash (which should still only be ~$70)