NateSpringfield
Active Member
This summer I started kegging and converted to whole grain. My original mlt was a converted water cooler, but only 5 gallons. I upgraded quickly to a chest cooler b/c there just wasn't enough room to brew some recipes in 5 gallons. I also have used a counterflow wort chiller, but I bought it second hand from a guy that made it, and it isn't as efficient as I'd like. So when considering a new wort chiller I thought about my 5 gallon water cooler that is doing nothing.
My idea is to install a tap, instead of a ball joint, on the cooler. Connect it to a coil of copper on the inside. Cut a hole in the lid of the water cooler and run the copper out of the top. I am then hoping to be able to fill this w/ ice and water and run my wort through to chill and/or use it as a jockey box when needed. I am fairly new here so I don't know if this is a new idea or not - probably not, but a quick search didn't turn up a hit - but if it is what are the problems I'm going to run into, or haven't thought of?
My idea is to install a tap, instead of a ball joint, on the cooler. Connect it to a coil of copper on the inside. Cut a hole in the lid of the water cooler and run the copper out of the top. I am then hoping to be able to fill this w/ ice and water and run my wort through to chill and/or use it as a jockey box when needed. I am fairly new here so I don't know if this is a new idea or not - probably not, but a quick search didn't turn up a hit - but if it is what are the problems I'm going to run into, or haven't thought of?