after 8 years...

... I'm finally getting an immersion chiller.

A lot of people here know I am a cheap-skate and a minimalist, and a wort chiller is something I have never desired to own. I've always used an ice bath, cold bottled water, and frozen bottled water for cooling my partial boil.

However, my cousin got me a $40 gift certificate from a homebrew supply store in MO for Christmas, and I had to use it for SOMETHING, so I ordered a small scale and copper chiller last night.

I considered getting some hops or grain from them, but their prices are higher than the local shop, so it wasn't worth it. The chiller was the same price, so that's what I ordered.

Time will tell if I like it or shelve it.

-walker

I did my first couple batches with the sink/ice bath and then made an immersion chiller. I will NEVER go back.

that's exactly the kind of thing I want to avoid, because if the thing eventuially breaks or something like that, I don't want to feel that it is ESSENTIAL to buy another one. I was quite happy cooling my wort poor-man's style, but this might spoil me I fear.

Other things that have spoiled me and I can't go back to what I used to use:
good beer
good tequila
good coffee
high speed internet
real maple syrup
high thread count sheets

-walker

Yeah, it is kind of like being a slave to technology. However, having done ice baths before successfully, I know that I could go to the store and back in a couple minutes and cool the wort in case something happened to the chiller.

Agreed on your other points, too, though the sheets thing is SWMBOs dept. I know that it makes a diff, just not sure what it is. I sleep like the dead anyway, so the sheets could be burlap for all I know.

Truble said:

I sleep like the dead anyway, so the sheets could be burlap for all I know.

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I'm a very light sleeper. I'll wake up if one of the neighbors sneezes in their kitchen.

-walker

I'm a Flannel Man myself.

I took advantage of the warmer weather yesterday and aired to house out. Forgot to turn the heat back on. It was 28F outside and 59F inside when I woke up at 5:30. Best night's sleep I've have in weeks, maybe I'm on to something.

Keep the chiller clean. Any copper oxides, not just the green & black stuff dissolves in wort.

david_42 said:

I'm a Flannel Man myself.

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Ditto. I like flannel sheets year round. My wife keeps trying to talk me into regular sheets during the warm months, but I'd rather turn the AC on a little more and stick with the flannel. They're just too comfy and I'm a light sleeper, too. My three year old breaks wind down the hall and I'm up.

Walker... isn't a chiller a one-hit-wonder? What would Alton say?

Your beer will be better for it, Walker.

DrewsBrews said:

Ditto. I like flannel sheets year round. My wife keeps trying to talk me into regular sheets during the warm months, but I'd rather turn the AC on a little more and stick with the flannel. They're just too comfy and I'm a light sleeper, too. My three year old breaks wind down the hall and I'm up.

Walker... isn't a chiller a one-hit-wonder? What would Alton say?

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yes, it's a one-hit-wonder, and alton would tell me to use store bought ice to cool my wort (he *did* do a show on brewing and suggested exactly that.)

But, like I said... I pretty much have all the gear I need already. I spent about 2 hours on their online catalog trying to decide what to spend my $40 on.

I could have spent it on ingredients, but they were too high priced.
I could have bought another fermenter, but I don't need one.
I could have bought an auto-siphon, but that gets me nowhere (hooray, carboy caps).

I settled on the chiller because it could at least become essential in the future if I ever go AG. I wouldn't want to chill 6 gallons of wort in an ice bath.....

believe me... it was a VERY tough decision. I just kept thinking to myself, "Why can't these guys sell vacuum sealers, damnit!"


-walker

Dude, your icon's Dude. Been waiting for that one

You'll certainly get better cold break and shorten your brewday, in any case. As far as minimalism, I consider buying some copper coil and a few fittings at HD minimalism!

Walker said:

believe me... it was a VERY tough decision. I just kept thinking to myself, "Why can't these guys sell vacuum sealers, damnit!"


-walker

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because they suck.

(couldn't resist)

BeeGee said:

As far as minimalism, I consider buying some copper coil and a few fittings at HD minimalism!

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yeah, but this place didn't sell that stuff either. if i went AG and never had this gift card, I would have built my own chiller for sure, but I was trying to figure out how to spend the $40.

in reality, I probably SHOULD have bought ingredients. those are things I need without a doubt.... I just had trouble convincing myself to overpay for the stuff with my gift card.

-walker

BeeGee said:

You'll certainly get better cold break and shorten your brewday, in any case. As far as minimalism, I consider buying some copper coil and a few fittings at HD minimalism!

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The problem is that the roll of copper coil sold at HD is 50ft and is as expensive as buying a 25ft chiller. Unless you can find someone to split it with you, it won't be cheaper.

This said, I bought the 50ft coil (it was easier for me to justify an expense at Lowes than at MoreBeer etc.) and used all of it in my immersion chiller. In a turkey fryer pot, the chiller reaches all the way from the bottom to the top of the wort.

Kai

Walker said:

I'm a very light sleeper. I'll wake up if one of the neighbors sneezes in their kitchen.

-walker

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The neighbours are politely trying to hint. Go home when this happens.

I didn't buy 50' I bought 20' or 25', can't remember which at the moment, and with the fittings it was definitely cheaper than all the store options I researched.

Caplan said:

The neighbours are politely trying to hint. Go home when this happens.

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LMAO! I got kicked out of a friends house a few months ago at 2am. I didn't know when you have an 18 month old you need to sleep instead of party

BeeGee said:

LMAO! I got kicked out of a friends house a few months ago at 2am. I didn't know when you have an 18 month old you need to sleep instead of party

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it's not the partying that is a problem... it's the waking up at 6:30am when the child decides that the day is ready to begin.

I remember one time when I partied a bit too much (twas my 29th birthday), and my wife woke up truely sick with the flu in the morning. I felt like I had had a car parked on my head all night, but I had to get up with my son at 6:45am (after a nice 4 hour 'nap').

I despise using the TV as a babysitter, but on THAT particular morning, my son got to watch 2 movies while dad slept on the couch and occasionally handed out another bowl full of cheerios.

-walker

I think you made a wise investment there Walker. Plus, I think it's better to get something of the equipment nature with a gift certificate, rather than ingredients.

I built my counterflow chiller for about £30 (an immersion chiller would have cost around £10-£15 to make). I still haven't used it...this weekend though...plans are afoot...

BlightyBrewer said:

I think you made a wise investment there Walker. Plus, I think it's better to get something of the equipment nature with a gift certificate, rather than ingredients.

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yeah, that's kind of what my cousin wanted me to do with it. He got me a 6.5 gallon carboy and the gift card. I thanked him and he said, "Maybe you can get some fancy new equipment with that."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't want fancy equipment.

-walker

Walker said:

it's not the partying that is a problem... it's the waking up at 6:30am when the child decides that the day is ready to begin.

I remember one time when I partied a bit too much (twas my 29th birthday), and my wife woke up truely sick with the flu in the morning. I felt like I had had a car parked on my head all night, but I had to get up with my son at 6:45am (after a nice 4 hour 'nap').

I despise using the TV as a babysitter, but on THAT particular morning, my son got to watch 2 movies while dad slept on the couch and occasionally handed out another bowl full of cheerios.

-walker

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The best is when they have a friend over. if you can train them not to trash their room that is. Otherwise, you only see them when they need something to eat or drink.

I've got a couple things to add to your list:
Caller ID
DVR

immersion chiller = best equipment purchase ever!

from boil to pitching in less than 10 minutes - worth every copper cent!

billybrew said:

I've got a couple things to add to your list:
Caller ID
DVR

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I'll agree with the caller ID. I can finally avoid answering the phone when my mother in law calls. I either take the ringing phone to my wife, or I let the answering machine take the call.

The DVR, though? I actually am starting to hate the damn thing (got it as a gift for Xmas '04).

I (happily) lived for 11 years without any sort of television reception. I had a TV and a DVD player to watch movies, but no antennae, satellite, cable, etc. This was fine. My wife talked me into getting directTV, and now all she does in the evenings is watch TV. Plus, with the DVR, there is always something available that she wants to watch.

I hope the damn thing breaks soon so I can pitch it. I'd like to cancel the TV service, too, but I think my wife would get a little ticked off.

-walker

I know what you are saying Walker! My wife seems to spend her life in front of that stupid goggle-box (and I spend mine in front of this computer). All in all, a very healthy relationship.

I don't think I would mind it as much as long as she was watching something worthwhile or quasi-educational.

However, she likes to watch American Idol, medical/cop dramas, and f*cking Oprah Winfrey.

The only thing that makes we want to continue TV and DVR usage is football, but as of last weekend, football season is over (not counting the pro bowl this weekend) so I have no use for the thing until fall.

-walker

You've made a good choice!

I cobbled mine together with hardware store materials. But if I had a $40 gift cert at the time, I'd have done the same as you. In fact, if I was handed a $40 gift cert from an LHBS right now, I'd probably by another, bigger (more power) chiller!

if I had $40 for the LHBS, I'd probably buy Laaglander DME. They don't move it very fast and will sell it to me for 50% off the regular price.

I wouldn't use it very often (b/c it's high in dextrin... only about 65% fermentable), but it's hard to pass up a deal like DME for under $1.90/pound.

-walker

Walker said:

I don't think I would mind it as much as long as she was watching something worthwhile or quasi-educational.

However, she likes to watch American Idol, medical/cop dramas, and f*cking Oprah Winfrey.

-walker

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I feel your pain!! My wife loves anything "reality" - Bachelor/Bachelorette, American Idol, Survivor, Temptation Island, Real World, Road Rules, etc. - if it's reality she watches it. I think she loves the drama and that's exactly what I hate about it. I swore off all reality TV two years ago and never looked back. Now if it comes on and she wants to watch I leave the room. Then she complains that we never hang out. Do we ever watch Discover channel? History channel? No way - you'll never catch her learning anything from the TV.

AHU

Do you all suspend your chiller in the kettle, or do you let it sink all the way to the bottom...I'm going to be building one in the next week or two, and I'm trying to come up with ideas. I was tempted to build the coil as a detachable part of the keg as I'm already going to TIG some bungs into the keg, but it might be a mess to clean if I have to take a wrench to it every time that I want to clean the coil. Ideas, anyone?

I just made an immersion chiller the other day, my bro in law is a plumber so he hooked me up with 3/8ths and 1/2 copper tubing, I was going to go for the counterflow chiller but I had all the stuff to make the immersion. I always chilled 3 gallons in our laundry sink, I now will use (havent got to use it yet) the chiller and the pot will sit in the sink and the water will create a bath as well. I am hoping for double chill if you know what im saying

AllHoppedUp said:

I feel your pain!! My wife loves anything "reality" - Bachelor/Bachelorette, American Idol, Survivor, Temptation Island, Real World, Road Rules, etc. - if it's reality she watches it. I think she loves the drama and that's exactly what I hate about it. I swore off all reality TV two years ago and never looked back. Now if it comes on and she wants to watch I leave the room. Then she complains that we never hang out. Do we ever watch Discover channel? History channel? No way - you'll never catch her learning anything from the TV.

AHU

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The only reality TV I watch is Dukes of Hazzard and A-Team! Knight Rider is totally fake, (except for the Bonnie season.)

Oh, and ummm... chiller, good purchase.

Cheyco said:

The only reality TV I watch is Dukes of Hazzard and A-Team! Knight Rider is totally fake, (except for the Bonnie season.)

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Finally a man after my own heart!

AllHoppedUp said:

I feel your pain!! My wife loves anything "reality" - Bachelor/Bachelorette, American Idol, Survivor, Temptation Island, Real World, Road Rules, etc. - if it's reality she watches it. I think she loves the drama and that's exactly what I hate about it. I swore off all reality TV two years ago and never looked back. Now if it comes on and she wants to watch I leave the room. Then she complains that we never hang out. Do we ever watch Discover channel? History channel? No way - you'll never catch her learning anything from the TV.

AHU

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Are you sure it's not my wife at your house?

This is a great hbt segue!

I cooled the wort on my first brew by sticking it in a snowbank. My chiller is much better. By the way, when it comes to brewing, you NEVER have all the gear you need!

ahhh the joy of snow banks... I remember walking out on the desk and seeing my brew pot on it's side almost spilt sinking in 3 feet of lake erie joy snow belt fun!

immersion chiller = best money I ever spent!

mine sinks to bottom - in and out are a few inches taller than pot and use screw clamps on hose - and watch out for the in and out I have a nice burn from it this weekend! they get hot real quick in the boiling gold wort.

Walker, If you can break or mess up a immersion wort chiller, I don't want to be around you.

Then you better stand way back. I've done some pretty stupid stuff before.

Sweet... I checked my UPS tracking number a few minutes ago. My chiller and scale should be arriving today. Plus, I just picked up 25 lbs of DME yesterday.

Now I KNOW I'm going to have to brew something this weekend.

-walker

nice- gotta love the internet for tracking shipments. you'll like the chiller. I agree with your minimalist approach to things, but sometimes gear is good, and this is one of those times. I love being able to hook mine up, get it going, and leave it be. In 10 minutes or so, I got me some cooled wort. Normally, that is enough time for me to clean any mess up in the kitchen. Perfect!

I also discovered that it works great for quick cooling broth when I am making soup. that then allows me to skim off a lot of the coagulated fat, which my doctor says is not good for me.