Wort Chiller

I have read some on this boards about making and buying wort chillers, but I am still curious if I should buy one, or make one. So I am wondering as far as money and my time go what is better. If you think I should buy one, then let me know what you recomend. I am sick of making an ice bath and having it take forever to cool down 5 gallons, and I am about to start brewing 10 gallon batches.

Thanks for any help.

I built one for around $25-30 in less than an hour cools 12 gal in 25 min.
I used 1/2 copper tubing
JJ

You won't be able to build one that cheaply these days. Prices of copper are astronomical. I'm building one because I like building stuff (and because Home Depot gave me a great deal on tubing when they couldn't tell how much it should be priced for), but it looks to be a lot cheaper to buy one (certainly no more money to buy).

HOLY $#!^ I just called OSH $95.00 for a fifty foot roll!! My god man buy one. buy one quick!!!!
JJ

I buy stuff when I can't save a decent amount of money doing it myself. I ended up buying mine at morebeer. Looks like the price has gone up a little, but it's still a decent deal IMHO.

I just purchased 13.5 feet of 1/4" and it was $17. About triple from last year.

Will it piss you off if I tell you my 50 feet only cost $30?

the_bird said:

Will it piss you off if I tell you my 50 feet only cost $30?

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Nope, cuz my 25ft was $0.00.

A friend of my dad is a plumber and I asked him if he could get me a deal on 25ft of 3/8in tubing. He reaches into the truck and says "sure, how's free sound?"

In all, mine isn't pretty, but it cost <$4.00 for the vinyl tubing and the hose-clamps and garden hose connector. I used it twice, and it takes 5.5gallons from a boild to ~85F in 15~20min.

-Todd

Think you owe him a home brew or six!

the_bird said:

Think you owe him a home brew or six!

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Oh, don't worry, he got a few good ones. He was quite fond of my Trippel....and he's usually a bud drinker.

For the cost of copper, plus fittings and screwing around with the right diameter buying one from the LHBS for 10bucks more than materials was worthwhile.

As the chillers in the homebrew shop were probably made before the price of copper went through the roof, it could easily be cheaper to buy a ready made one, and save a bit of money and time.

-a.

If you have to buy the copper tubing at today's retail prices, it is going to be cheaper to buy one readymade than to make one.

I made a wort chiller 11 days ago out of a 25 foot coil of 1/2 inch ID 5/8th OD copper tubing. With the high cost of copper these days it ended up being about $85 dollars, fittings and all. I bought a 50 foot chiller from More Beer for $71. Now, they call it 1/2 inch, but it's actually 1/2 inch OD, but 3/8th inch ID. Still, that is double the size chiller for $71 versus the one I made for $85.

Only reason I spent that kind of money to make one when I already had the longer and cheaper one on order is that I wanted to brew before the one I ordered could arrive. At least I now have an expensive pre-chiller.