Immersion Chiller - Under $30

Next brew is coming up and I needed a better way to chill my wort (read: sticking pot in sink full of ice is lousy).

So I checked out this thread and this thread and got some ideas.

I went and picked up some copper, some tubing and some misc hardware. Turns out all I needed was the copper and tubing.

Copper - $19.68.
Tubing - $6.88.
Worm Clamps - Had some laying around.

The copper i got was already coiled, so I found the midpoint, stretched it out a bit and then spaced the coils. I then bent the pipe up a bit at the end. I cut the vinyl in to about two 7' and a 6'. I attached the two 7' lengths to the pipe with worm clamps.

At this point I thought that I would need to wait until I found some more parts (lowes was missing the bushing), and then I took apart the sprayer on my sink, to find a 3/8th barb!

Connected the tube to the barb with another worm clamp and bam! working chiller. The whole thing took about 15 minutes.

Ill update once I actually use it and let you know how it works.

John

Full setup:


Water in/out:


Ribs:


Sprayer Connection:


IC Connected to Spayer:


IC/Sprayer Connection Closeup:

I like how you have two loops. That should help with distributing the cooling.

johnnybrew said:

I like how you have two loops. That should help with distributing the cooling.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I forgot to credit this thread as well.

I stopped by lowes on the way to work today to pickup another 5' coil of copper (about 4 bucks) to make a pre-chiller. My idea is to make a new coil that will sit in an ice bath that my tap water (67-68deg) will run through before hitting the main coil immersed in my brew kettle.

Not sure if it'll actually make any difference, but for 4 bucks I was willing to try.

John

sounds like a good idea to me. i'm interested to see if it works out. seems like the temp of my tap water has gone up a few degrees. last summer I was getting my wort down to 65 deg no problem, Sunday I couldn't get the sucker past 71-72. a cheap and easy, pumpless prechiller would be great

i would think sitting the pot in an ice bath would chill the wort quicker than a prechilled immersion chiller?

A five foot coil is probably too short to really make much of a difference, but it did drop the water temp by about 1-2deg. but i haven't really tested it too much. my piping was way too long as well.

I think im going to try to rig up some sort of container that will sit as close to the chiller as possible with as little tube in between as possible. Also let the prechiller coil sit in the ice bath to cool when i pop the IC in the wort 15 mins before the end of the boil.

i should be brewing in the next week or so and take some times.

john.

I am thinking about making this for my next batch. Which would be better:

1/4" @ 50' ($40) or 3/8" @ 20' ($24)

I am thinking of using a spare aquarium pump that would cycle ice water through the tubing.

If I can make a suggestion... Bend the ends where your hoses attach downward and away from your pot like /| so if you get a leak in a hose it doesn't drop into your wort. In my very complex diagram in the previous sentence your hoses would attach to the bottom end of the / and the | represents the side and lip of your pot.

KrayzieVanh said:

I am thinking about making this for my next batch. Which would be better:

1/4" @ 50' ($40) or 3/8" @ 20' ($24)

I am thinking of using a spare aquarium pump that would cycle ice water through the tubing.

Click to expand...

the more cooling surface area the better, right? That's the logic I would use, but im sure theres someone here that can give you a more scientific reason.

i went with 3/8 because it was cheaper, thats the only reason.

Are you going to be circulating water or just pushing ice water through? if circulating, wouldnt the return water be hot and make circulating less effective than running tap through (unless you keep adding ice)? same sort of deal with pushing ice water, you'll have to keep adding water to the ice pool. with the water cool faster than you push it through?

just some thoughts.

john

Cheaton said:

If I can make a suggestion... Bend the ends where your hoses attach downward and away from your pot like /| so if you get a leak in a hose it doesn't drop into your wort. In my very complex diagram in the previous sentence your hoses would attach to the bottom end of the / and the | represents the side and lip of your pot.

Click to expand...

i dont plan on having any leaks.

seriously though, thanks for the complex diagram. it hadn't occurred to me.

john.

KrayzieVanh said:

1/4" @ 50' ($40) or 3/8" @ 20' ($24)

Click to expand...

Longer is generally better.

You are pumping cold water into the tube, and the tube lays in your pot?

Here is an mad idea, Y not pump your wart thru the copper pipe, and stick the copper pipe in sink full of ice, Im sure youl get MUCH better results.

As it is, im researching how to make an chiller myself when seeing your thread.

Let me know if this idea is completely ridiculous.

Ironwave said:

You are pumping cold water into the tube, and the tube lays in your pot?

Here is an mad idea, Y not pump your wart thru the copper pipe, and stick the copper pipe in sink full of ice, Im sure youl get MUCH better results.

As it is, im researching how to make an chiller myself when seeing your thread.

Let me know if this idea is completely ridiculous.

Click to expand...

sounds kinda like a hybrid CFC/IC to me. I think Palmer had some sort of design for one of those in his How To Brew book, but it's been a while since I read that section so I'm not sure.

I Did something similar but instead wrapped the coil around a Corny and mine turn out good except my diameter is a little big and I would like allot more coils...I would highly recommend checking out Bobby_M's Thread on this...He uses allot of copper but this is by far the best DIY build I have seen...Once I make a better one i will be using my original as well as the new one...the old one will sit in an Ice Bath while the new one is emerged in the wort...But first my brutus build!

Ironwave said:

You are pumping cold water into the tube, and the tube lays in your pot?

Here is an mad idea, Y not pump your wart thru the copper pipe, and stick the copper pipe in sink full of ice, Im sure youl get MUCH better results.

As it is, im researching how to make an chiller myself when seeing your thread.

Let me know if this idea is completely ridiculous.

Click to expand...

As to this...Im curious what would come in contact with the beer...you say put the copper in an ice bath I get that but then what is going to chill the beer if nothing is in the Brew Kettle...Maybe Im not understanding this? Anyone else (In order to chill the beer it has to come in contact with something) whether its a CFC, PLate Chiller, Immersion chiller ETC.

Just read it again and I think I know what you mean, Would you be recirculating because I am positive one run through an IMC, sitting in an Ice bath would not drop your Boil Down to a Sufficient Pitching Temp.

Yes, I would recirculate.

Basic setup,
Pot with wort inside.
Plastic tubing from inside pot to pump/auto siphon.
Tubing from pump/auto siphon to copper coils, immersed in cooler box foll of water and ice.
Tubing from outlet side of copper coils back to pot.
Taking temperature at pot, and pump away till chilled.

Think it will work?

I don't have an auto siphon yet, so Im not sure if it will work yet.

That seems to me like allot more work than dropping in a Immersion Chiller...You dont want to sit there pumping wart with an auto siphon for a half hour....even (15) minutes...If you had a pump i'd say give it a try...This sounds like a poor mans immersion chiller. No offense, but if it works it works Id say give it a try but i think you will soon realize having a tube draining with wart back into your BK while trying to pump with the auto-siphon is no easy task...It just sounds time consuming

mm, Ill think a bit more, but im sure it will work faster because ill be able to have very chilly water.

Ill do a search and see if someone have used aquarium pumps before.

I have red up till my eyes bleed these past days, on this here excellent forum,
searched a LOT of stuff, but please.

What is CFC and BK.

Yes I did read FAQ and Acronyms, even Abbreviations.
If I did see it, I cant remember it.
Still Much to learn and make.

Ironwave said:

mm, Ill think a bit more, but im sure it will work faster because ill be able to have very chilly water.

Ill do a search and see if someone have used aquarium pumps before.

I have red up till my eyes bleed these past days, on this here excellent forum,
searched a LOT of stuff, but please.

What is CFC and BK.

Yes I did read FAQ and Acronyms, even Abbreviations.
If I did see it, I cant remember it.
Still Much to learn and make.

Click to expand...

BK=Brew Kettle, CFC= Counter Flow Chiller...I have also been thinking about a pump I have a bran new one to pump an old fountain but never used it! Now you have an Idea thats worth something. I to spend way to much time on these forums Im surprised my chick hasn't bailed...then again she lives with me : )

Also if your going to use an aquarium pump you might as well Submerge the thing in freezing water...then again you would quickly drain that even if you had other water making up for the loss, it wouldn,t be could enough...Shot down my own Idea~

Thanks for help

No worries i want to figure a cheap method as well...Pumping wart through a pump other than a food grade one (march 809) pump or something similar is the only way to go...ONly pump cool water through an aquarium pump or fountain pump...just FYI. let me know if you find a solution...later