Whats your chiller?

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Islandboy85

Islandboy85

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I'm contemplating moving from an IC to a CFC to help my whirlpool work better. Im not very interested in a plate chiller because of the fact that I've heard too many stories about them clogging. i know a 3/8 CFC can clog too, but it'd be way easier to clean out. Ialso will be able to mount the chiller permanently out of the way so I don't have to store my IC flopping around. I have a few questions.

1. How much water do you use to chill your brew with your CFC?
2. If you could do it all over again, would you build a CFC from 1/2" or is the 3/8 sufficient?
3. How long is your CFC?
4. Is the copper tube in hose holding up long term, or is it worth the investment to do copper tube in copper tube?

Pictures more than welcome!

Thank
 
Subscribed.

I am still using a huge IC, but want to speed things up and have been looking at the parts for this as well. Anything to cut out chill time.
 
If the 3/8 is voted as good to use vs 1/2, then it'll save me lots of money since ill just a roll my IC. I figure that going this rout it'll take about $80 by the time I get all the camlock fittings, gate valve for controlling water flow, etc.
 
Your house-water temperature should be a part of your decision making process
for CFC tubing diameter and length.

Higher water temp could dictate larger diameter tubing or longer tubing runs.

With heat exchanger chillers, it's all about tubing surface area, cooling water temperature, and rate of flow for wort and the cooling water.

I am using 3/8" ID copper tubing @ 15' length in my CFC, and have not experienced any clogging issues in over 12 years, but I use a filter screen on my kettle outlet.

My well water temperature is about 57 degrees F, so I can get by with smaller tubing dia. and lower cooling water flow rates.
 
processhead said:
Your house-water temperature should be a part of your decision making process
for CFC tubing diameter and length.

Higher water temp could dictate larger diameter tubing or longer tubing runs.

With heat exchanger chillers, it's all about tubing surface area, cooling water temperature, and rate of flow for wort and the cooling water.

I am using 3/8" ID copper tubing in my CFC, and have not experienced any clogging issues in over 12 years, but I use a filter screen on my kettle outlet.

My well water temperature is about 57 degrees F, so I can get by with smaller tubing dia. and lower cooling water flow rates.
Click to expand...

Right now it's about 70.
 
Chillhog Super 20 plate chiller, small fountain pump recirculating ice water, small march pump moving the wort. Never had a clog or an infection. Never had a problem cleaning it, just flushed after each use. Just did a 9oz pellet hop in 5 gallon IPA using a hop spider and could not clog it. Wort straight from the kettle at flame out into my carboy at less than 58º, Blichmann Thrumometer only reads down to 58º and it was off the bottom of the scale. 10 minutes for a 5 gallon batch.
 
We have pretty warm water here in Florida, so I originally had a 50 ft IC, but then I got a 40 plate chiller and I am now using the IC as my prechiller to chill the water going into the plate chiller. I just put it in a bucket of ice water and I have no issues in going from boiling to 70ish in 15 minutes..
 
Islandboy85 said:
I'm contemplating moving from an IC to a CFC to help my whirlpool work better. Im not very interested in a plate chiller because of the fact that I've heard too many stories about them clogging. i know a 3/8 CFC can clog too, but it'd be way easier to clean out. Ialso will be able to mount the chiller permanently out of the way so I don't have to store my IC flopping around. I have a few questions.

1. How much water do you use to chill your brew with your CFC?
2. If you could do it all over again, would you build a CFC from 1/2" or is the 3/8 sufficient?
3. How long is your CFC?
4. Is the copper tube in hose holding up long term, or is it worth the investment to do copper tube in copper tube?

Pictures more than welcome!

Thank
Click to expand...

1. No idea. Imagine a garden hose running for 20 minutes, and that's how much water I use. I do 10 gallon batches, btw.
2. I have a 3/8" chiller. I'm perfectly satisfied with it. I get the wort down to the temp of the tap water in a single pass.
3. My chiller has about 45' of copper in it. Which is probably why I'm satisfied with it. Go big or go home!
4. Yes, it's held up for about 15 brews now, but I do wish that I had bought a high-temp garden hose instead of just a regular garden hose. If the hose says "not for use with hot water" then it's not a high-temp garden hose.
 

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