IC in Bucket

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Beerzrus

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So, I used a IC when I brewed extract but when I made the switch to AG I was using gallons, gallons, and more gallons of water to get my temp down. I tried no chill... That didn't really work out and I give credit to those that can do that and get good results, way too much dry hopping for me.

I wanted to do something a little outside the box and came up with this.

ChillerBiucket1_zps94e1cdff.png


ChillerBucket2_zps584e5259.png


I whirlpool for about five minutes them pump my wort through this IC Bucket filled with ice water. W/ 5 gallon batches if the bucket is completely filled with ice I'm able to chill down to 76 by the time I've filled the carboy to about my desired 5.5-6 gallons. With a bigger bucket/container I'm sure I could get the temps even lower. When I'm finished pumping the ice is all melted and the water temp is equal with the carboy temp.

This works great for me but I'm always looking for improvement ideas if anyone has any...
 
Maybe add a drain valve so that you can remove some of the water and add more ice to get the temp even lower?

Looks nice.
 
i like the bucket idea.

i was thinking an old garage sale 40qt cooler but buckets store better.
BTW rock salt that ice to make water at -7.5 degree will cool fast!!
have to keep the water flowing or it'll freeze.

GD51:mug:
 
I was thinking about a drain too. The salt is a good idea, I will try that next time. -Thanks.
 
Rock salt works great. Cools a 5 gal batch down in the 60s as fast as I can pump it in the carboy.
 
A very experienced brewer in my club has been doing essentially this exact method for YEARS! Possibly even decades. He love this method because it uses very little water and is not dependent on pumps and electricity. It all works off gravity feed. He machined some plastic spacer fingers that hold the coiled tubing apart at a set distance, but he is just A-R like that.
 
Great idea. The downside to this, vs the standard IC, is that you have to sanitize the inside of all of that tubing.

I suppose you could keep the tubing filled with santizer during storage.
 
Great idea. The downside to this, vs the standard IC, is that you have to sanitize the inside of all of that tubing.

I suppose you could keep the tubing filled with santizer during storage.

NO!
Just a quick soak with StarSan will do the job. OR... Run boiling wort though it for a few minutes prior to chilling.
You would not wan to store star-san in copper.
 
NO!
Just a quick soak with StarSan will do the job. OR... Run boiling wort though it for a few minutes prior to chilling.
You would not wan to store star-san in copper.

Isn't copper kind of copper colored?
 
Haha... Oops. Yeah, when I got to thinking about the other chiller I mentioned, it got me stuck on the copper train of thought.
Still... why would you want to store Star-San in anything? It gets all slimy and nasty feeling if you leave it sitting too long in anything...
 
Really? I store star san in an unused corny - it never gets slimy, it's always acidic. (inside of the corny always looks bright and shiny too) - get some pH test strips and keep up with it, but it should stay acid.
 
Just out of curiosity, why didn't you put the outlet at the bottom of the bucket? Wouldn't that make gravity feeding easier?
 
Beerzrus,
You must have at least one pump... I assume that is what the cam-lock fitting is for. Do you have another? You could put a fitting in the bottom, sidewall of the bucket and recirculate the ice water. This will keep it all stirred up and help eliminate thermal sleeve from forming around your chiller coil.
 
Thanks for the comments.

-Gravity fed was not an option (single tier electric brewer) for me so putting both cams at the top was easier access since I sit the bucket on the floor when chilling.

-I have hot o2 cleaner in my HLT to clean my BK when I near the end of the boil. When I'm done chilling I circulate that through the chiller for a few minutes. Then I circulate the left over star san from cleaning the carboy. Finally I blow the coil out with a air compressor. Sometimes I leave the star san in.

-I make ice at home, usually about 15lbs.

-Yes, it is really surprising how quickly the 'thermal sleeve' starts. Right now I just use a spoon to circulate the ice water. Near the end I take water out with a pitcher and add ice.
 
Thanks for all the notes to everyone that has replied to this. Tonight was the second time I used this for a 10gal batch. A larger bucket would be nice, maybe one of those larger wine buckets...I went through all my ice and only cooled into the 80s.
 

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