radiator chiller

just wondering if anyone has used a radiator or automotive transmission cooler to cool wort and use a fan in front, it seems that it could cut the water bill down. Im talking a brand new radiator copper style

2 problems with that

1. 95% of all new radiators are aluminium
2. even if you can find a new copper/brass radiator the flux and solder used in them are still toxic to humans.


edit: i know this well since i work in a factory that makes said aluminium and still does an occasional copper/brass for oem

I think there is concern about the solder used in the radiators and if it has lead in it. If it is a copper radiator with lead-free solder it could probably work.

Ah I stand corrected, looks like the flux is also an issue. I'd just get some copper and make a chiller, it will generally be just as effective.

I have a buddy of mine who owns a radiator shop. He has told me a couple of stories on how bootleg distillers used to use radiators in the distilling process. Its a wonder why some of the moonshiners went crazy...
-Me

If you're thinking of running the wort through a radiator, in addition to the other concerns it seems like there would be no way to keep it from getting plugged up with debris. Plus it would be very difficult to sanitize.

already made a imersion chiller. just an idea i had today I think and transmission cooler would work it has a solid piece of copper no solder.

Even if you find a radiator/cooler that you're sure is going to be food-safe, simply putting a fan in front of it is a terribly inefficient way to cool wort.

www.transmissioncenter.net/Fan2.jpg
in bucket of water?

millerkiller said:

just wondering if anyone has used a radiator or automotive transmission cooler to cool wort and use a fan in front, it seems that it could cut the water bill down. Im talking a brand new radiator copper style

Click to expand...

Not sure, but I think it would take a long time to cool wort that way. If I were looking to to cut down on water I think I would circulate ice water through my wort chiller. As a matter of fact I have been thinking about this a little bit and I think this is how I would go about it, with a immersion chiller any way. I would fill a cooler about half to 3/4 full with cold water and put a pump in it that was hooked to my chiller. When I was ready to start chilling I would turn the pump on and put the discharge line from the chiller in the sink and pump water from the cooler to through the chiller into the sink (keeping the water to clean with or what ever else you might need it for) until the bulk of the heat was gone from the wort. This way you are not only saving water but saving BTU's as well. At that point I would dump a bag of ice into the cooler, top up the water level if need and put the chiller line into the cooler so as to capture and recirculate the ice water back into the cooler. Now the cost of the ice would add to the cost of the beer but would not be that much if you made your own as apposed to buying bagged ice, maybe even freeze some 1/2 gallon milk jugs full of water. Now I know this is not exactly what you were asking about and there is more than one way to skin a cat but this is what I have ben considering to save a little water.

To answer you original question, I think it would work but it would be slow and hard to get those last few degrees to pitching temp. I also would be very leery about using and kind of radiator that was not intended for food use, no need to poison your self over making home made beer. just my $0.02 worth, well ok maybe it's more like $0.04 worth but who's counting hope this helps.

There are brazed joints at each turn. Still a no-go.

A quick look at Summit's G4966 transmission cooler it's a one piece of copper tubing 1/2" diameter i've been told with aluminum fins on the outside. The fins cover 14" x 7" x 1 1/2" thick on the cooler for plenty of surface area to remove heat. Remove the barbed aluminum stepped down to 3/8" barbed fittings and add your own 1/2" copper fittings with lead free solder. Instead of air cooling I would have it sumerged in a barrel of cold circulating water, water that is exchanged or water with ice added. I see no health problems with this solid one piece copper tube cooler as well any blockage problems. Better than flowing thru any flexible tubing that has size reductions and steps to barb fittings to snag matterials on. There may also be bigger full flowing copper tube tranny coolers but I didn't have the time to look deeper into this thread question any deeper. Damn back injury allows only short sitting times. I'm 100% with the OP on this thread topic unless copper has become a health hazard with the short time the products passing thru it?

I think its possible for this to work Im just looking for water saving solution, even if you had it hooked to a imersion chiller and water circulated though and closed system. the transmission cooler in a bucket of cold water, a pump, the imersion chiller in the brewpot.

Do you know how much water you use now with your current IC set up? I don't know for sure how much I use. I have never measured it but I will the next time I brew, that will be in a couple of weeks. Do you use city water or are you on a well?

Water can't be that tight unless you cart it in, look how many gallons and times a day the average toilet in a household is flushed with two to 4 people not counting showers, the washing machine or dish washer? You up in the Space Station where they must recycle water?
I have city and well water, run the well by the hour at 8.7 gallons a minute with only the electricity bill to worry about. The savings of using well water for toilets and the cold side of the washing machine is a big savings.
For my 50' of 1/2' chiller I used to run 3 gallons a minute thru it preventing the well from reaching its max shutoff pressure. The well water was cooler than the tap water in the summer.