Counterflow Chiller Tutorial

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Does anyone know if there is a good reason to not use reclaimed copper refrigerant line from my old AC unit? We got our HVAC system replaced and the copper from the previous AC is just hanging there unused. Should I be concerned about running precious wort through something that once contain freon?

Because it has had freon in it.
I would be pissed if someone served me beer made with contaminated equipment.
 
Supposedly freon goes away completely. Just for the record, this was not anything I was considering seriously. It's always better to get the scrap money.
 
I'm not sure about home HVAC but in automotive AC systems oil is mixed with the refrigerant gas to liberate the compressor, it would be impossible to determine if ALL the oil had been flushed from the lines.
 
Supposedly freon goes away completely. Just for the record, this was not anything I was considering seriously. It's always better to get the scrap money.

I'm not trying to smart A$$ but I wouldn't risk any chance introducing bad chemicals in my beer. I would feel bad if someone got sick from drinking it.

Maybe the lubricating oils in the freon can be washed out. Maybe not.
I would scrap it and get some fresh copper.
 
I'm glad this discussion was had on this forum. I read on a distilling forum where a few individuals said yeah go for it.(not to me, just on the thread) I think what started my thought process is someone mentioned using scrap copper they found. Is it really possible to clean the inside of a copper pipe that well? Prob not.
 
Copper is Not that expensive to risk messing up a log brew day and or potentially getting someone sick.
 
I'm glad this discussion was had on this forum. I read on a distilling forum where a few individuals said yeah go for it.(not to me, just on the thread) I think what started my thought process is someone mentioned using scrap copper they found. Is it really possible to clean the inside of a copper pipe that well? Prob not.


If i was looking at saving thousands of dollars, then MAYBE i'd put some weight behind possibly cleaning it.

But your saving $30. Just get 1 less coffee a day and your there in a week.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
If i was looking at saving thousands of dollars, then MAYBE i'd put some weight behind possibly cleaning it. But your saving $30. Just get 1 less coffee a day and your there in a week.

One less coffee....mmmmmm NOW those are fighting words.
 
Loved Bobby_M's idea and Beer Canuck's "whole works in a bucket" approach. It's 70ish and sunny today which is a lovely day for DIY, but is also a harbinger of impending summer and the mid 70s groundwater temps it brings here in the south. I was worried about reusing the copper from my first homemade immersion wort chiller (already had some kinks started and figured more bending wouldn't do any good on that front). But, it was still plenty fine for a pre-chiller for that dang-near-already-steaming water we get coming out of the tap. Since I planned to put the whole works in a bucket a-la Beer Canuck, why not have that bucket full of ice water and pre chiller? No good reason I could think of.

So, tap water goes into the bottom of the bare coil (red hose) and exits the top of the coil into the counterflow chiller. I'm sure there's a more elegant and/or effective way to do this, but ran the wort out tube through a hole in the bucket and scooged the thing shut with silicone. A hand tubing bender was essential (about $16 at lowes) to make a couple of tight bends to line everything up without kinking. Yes, there's pretty nearly a kink near the top of the pre-chiller. Don't judge me.

Haven't tested with ice water, but 200deg wort in (water for test) comes out 65 with 59deg tap water and valve on the kettle about 2/3 open. Hooked the output to a lawn sprinkler. I've named it Ghostface Chillah...

I'm thinking of adding a thrumometer to the output along with some sort of venturi apparatus. By thrumometer, I mean a cheap stick on fermometer stuck to something suitable.

CCC1.jpg


CCC2.jpg
 
I am using these reducers http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LEHDLY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 but I can only get the copper tubing through the small end of the reducer so that an 1/8 of an inch is sticking out before the whole copper assembly jams. The big end of the reducer slips inside the T fitting, it is the same diameter as the copper pipe. I tried reaming it out with a 3/8" drill bit, and the bit goes clear through the reducer. Any suggestions?
 
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I finally got the copper tubing through the adapter. Part of the tubing wasn't perfectly round so I cut off part of the tube and with some twisting and extra muscle I got the adapter on far enough. Use a hacksaw or bandsaw to cut the tubing, the tool used to cut copper pipe will just kink the soft copper.
 
Sweet, three posts in a row. Thanks to Bobby M for the design and tutorial. As I mentioned above the reducers that I used slip into the T fitting so I had 2 lengths of copper left over. I needed four 1/2" couplers, which are the same diameter as the T fitting and elbows, to attach the garden hose fittings to the copper pipe and also the second reducer to the threaded copper fitting (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O1DTRQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). I also added some Bobby M parts: thermometer, stainless T, and the thermometer compression fitting. I am no expert at soldering, but this was an easy project to finish in an afternoon.
ImageUploadedByHome Brew1397102242.683703.jpgImageUploadedByHome Brew1397102273.050091.jpgImageUploadedByHome Brew1397102320.529453.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
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This thread should be a sticky. Bobby, is a great contributor to the home brew community. He's pretty humble about it which makes him even more appreciable. No way to say to much thanks to Bobby_M.
 
I know this is an old thread but I can't seem to see the photos of how its made. It's just a small blue box with a "?" in it. Just wanted to give a heads up if anyone else is experiencing this.
 
Sweet, three posts in a row. Thanks to Bobby M for the design and tutorial. As I mentioned above the reducers that I used slip into the T fitting so I had 2 lengths of copper left over. I needed four 1/2" couplers, which are the same diameter as the T fitting and elbows, to attach the garden hose fittings to the copper pipe and also the second reducer to the threaded copper fitting (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O1DTRQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). I also added some Bobby M parts: thermometer, stainless T, and the thermometer compression fitting. I am no expert at soldering, but this was an easy project to finish in an afternoon.
View attachment 192201View attachment 192202View attachment 192203


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Do you remember where you got that thermowell? I would like to add one to a t but they all seem to long to fit.
 
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Hey everyone. Just went out and bought almost all of the items. Just wanted to clarify, I saw in another thread that instead of the 1/2 to 1/4 reducers he used 1/2/ to 3/4 reducers. Which of the two would be more advantageous?

Also I can't seem to see any of bobby's pictures of the build. I can see everyone else's pictures on the thread except his? would anyone know where i could view them to make the build go easier?
 
Tutorial images no longer work. I just ordered the parts and now I can't see the tutorial!!
 
Just to balance out all the post whoring, I thought I'd actualy put something a little more substantial together.

This is the cheapest way to put a CFC together and doesn't use any pricy compression fittings. It requires soldering, but you ought to know how to do that already. No? Shame. Here's what we're building:

cfc.jpg


Part list:

(1) 12" x 1/2" copper pipe
(2) 1/2" copper TEEs
(2) 1/2" x 1/4" copper reducers
(1) 25' x 3/8" OD soft copper tubing
(1) 25' x 5/8" ID rubber garden hose (make sure it's rubber. It will be the only one that does NOT say "do not use with hot water".)
(4) hose clamps.


cfc3.jpg



You'll also need some emory cloth (sandpaper), a round wire brush, flux, solder, tubing cutter, and a propane torch.

The first step is to create the end assemblies:
Completely clean the 1/2" copper pipe by sanding it with emory cloth, then cut it into six 2-inch pieces with the tubing cutter. Clean the insides of the Tees and reducers with the round wirebrush. Apply a liberal amount of flux paste and assemble to look like this:


cfc1.jpg


Apply the propane flame and keep it moving but focus mostly on the Tee. Keep testing the temp by removing the flame and touching solder to the joint. If it doesn't flow, apply a little more heat. Don't overheat. You should see the solder being sucked into the joint. A solder joint does not seal due to an apparent bead on the outside of the fitting so don't build it up too much. Once it starts dripping out and falling on the floor, you have more than enough in the joint.

Before moving on, you must drill out the stops inside the reducer fittings with a 3/8" drill bit. There's a nub sticking out inside there that is meant to stop the 3/8 tubing from going all the way through the reducer. This is precisely what we WANT to happen.

Any chance you could fix the images for these? Or are they gone now?
 
Gents, I want to build one of these, but alas, the photos are gone. Is there any way to get them working?
Thanks,
Dan.
 
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