chiller question

I'm going to get my first kit and I want to get an immersion chiller because I read palmer's book and it stated it's better to use chillers instead of an ice bath.. There are two types, stainless steel and copper I was just wondering which type would be recommend.

I believe copper. I think it would transfer the heat more quickly.

I've used both and I believe my copper one works slightly faster.

Copper is less expensive in most cases and is a better conductor of heat/cold. Keep in mind though that it's effectiveness is strictly dependent upon the temperature of your water. If you have water warmer than 70F you may still want ice to get it colder. For example, in the winter I can chill down to 57 degrees but this summer in Chicago with the drought and heat I was hard pressed to chill down past 75F and had to use a pre-chiller set up submerged in ice and that got me to 68F (I use a CFC)

Copper is more efficient but will require more maintenance due to having to clean and maintain the finish on the metal. If left alone the copper will oxidize and turn green, which is not good to be used for brewing and must be cleaned. Copper is also more expensive than stainless steel.

Stainless is easy to clean and maintain. Works very well, almost as well as copper. Is cheaper to buy. Lasts for a very long time. And from what I have read is the easier option, recommended perhaps.

It's all up to you on the level of work you want to put into it and your experience as a brewer.

Another little tidbit: copper is supposed to impart some favorable characters and flavor to the beer. I am not so sure how much an immersion chiller would impart into your beer since it won't be cooking it but rather cooling it.

I hope this helps.

V/R,
BrewTech

Get copper!! Copper cools down your wort faster.

My copper works fantastic. Usually get about 5.5 gallons from boiling to 90ish in about 12 minutes. Water temp here is pretty high too..

Copper is easier to bend/fab into the shape you want.

just my 2c.

I use a copper IC. Love it, and it works incredibly well. Especially with 55deg well water in August.

I'd recommed forgoing an immersion chiller and going with a plate chiller. I got the B3-23A-30 plate from DudaDiesel and it cooled my wort from 205F to 83F on one pass(~ 4 minutes). This was with a gravity fed system and 72F hose water. Obviously, either the immersion/plate chiller will be dependent on the cooling fluid inlet temperture, but plate chillers are much less work and cool faster than an immersion.

I will say that plate chillers benefit from a ball valve on your kettle so you can throttle your wort flow through the pc. Also, you'll need to do a whirlpool and allow 5-10 minutes for the trub to settle in the middle of the kettle, so you don't flow debris through your chiller.

Honestly I'd go with whatever you can afford. I use a 25' copper immersion chiller and it works great. When I brew I just dunk it in my StarSan and it totally cleans it, let air dry and put it in the brew pot 15 min before you cut the heat bounce it up and down a bit or swirl it around. Simple is better, no need for a plate chiller of your just starting out.

My recommendation is to get a big copper IC and a submersible pump if you have warm tap water at all. I live in Phoenix and I use tap water to get 5.5 gallons to 110 degrees then recirculate icewater with the pump to get it down to 65 degrees. All in 12 minutes even in the middle of summer. Plus the pump saves some water.

Jaehnig said:

Copper is more efficient but will require more maintenance due to having to clean and maintain the finish on the metal. If left alone the copper will oxidize and turn green, which is not good to be used for brewing and must be cleaned. Copper is also more expensive than stainless steel.

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Hmm, I don't know what kind of environment you would keep your copper chiller in for it to turn green. I know it can/will happen if stored incorrectly. However, I've been using copper as a chiller for a number of years.. many of those years have seen no brewing.. and it NEVER turns green. It does get a dusky looking oxide on it.. but, far from green.

If there are any fears about it, soak it in a mild acetic bath like vinegar and the copper will be "new penny" clean. However, after you use it, the oxide will return. As long as you rinse the outside well and store it dry, you should never see a green oxide. The dusky/blackish oxide, which is very thin, will cause no troubles. It'll be the same color as a "not new" penny.

HbgBill said:

Hmm, I don't know what kind of environment you would keep your copper chiller in for it to turn green. I know it can/will happen if stored incorrectly. However, I've been using copper as a chiller for a number of years.. many of those years have seen no brewing.. and it NEVER turns green. It does get a dusky looking oxide on it.. but, far from green.

If there are any fears about it, soak it in a mild acetic bath like vinegar and the copper will be "new penny" clean. However, after you use it, the oxide will return. As long as you rinse the outside well and store it dry, you should never see a green oxide. The dusky/blackish oxide, which is very thin, will cause no troubles. It'll be the same color as a "not new" penny.

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+1
My chiller sits in a kettle in my garage and while it doesn't look new it's perfectly fine, I use a CFC now and really only use it as a pre chiller but a little scrub and rinse and 10 minutes at the end of the boil and it looks brand new again.

Just common properties of oxidized copper all. I'm no professional on copper. Only giving what I
Know. Tryin to be helpful and spread what I
Know and have read.

Not a problem Jaehnig... as mentioned.. while it can be a problem, it would have to see something ugly to make it turn green. If rinsed well after use and stored in a dry environment, one should never see the green. I'd think it would have to be left outside for an extended period for this to happen. If it is used for brewing a couple of times a year.. the mild acid in the wort should keep it pretty dern free of the oxide.. which in time could turn green.