Can I make a wort chiller with no tools?

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RogueVassar

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I've searched through a number "building a wort chiller" threads and I'm wondering if I can do it with no tools. The biggest question is attaching the hose adapter. I would hate for it to be a poor job and start spraying water in the wort but buying tools would make it too expensive to consider (since the copper is majority of the cost).

Thanks!
 
If you buy the correct length of copper so you don't need to cut it, I guess all you would need is a couple of worm clamps. I suppose you can use a quarter to tighten those if you don't have a screw driver, but you have to have a screw driver!
 
I don't know what part of Michigan you're from, but if you're in the West Michigan (esp. Holland Zeeland) area and honestly don't know anyone with a screwdriver or hacksaw(if you want to cut the copper), I have some tools you could borrow.
 
Well the small chiller I bought from Morebeer.com was nothing more than copper and vinyl hoses with worm clamps. The hose fittings had barbs on them. THe only issue with worm clamps is that you MUST check them often. Hot boiling wort heats up the copper quickly and soften the tubing, so you need to make sure the clamps are on securely and no leaks before turning on the faucet full blast. Then check again. never leave it unattended.
 
whoneedsabeer said:
If you buy the correct length of copper so you don't need to cut it, I guess all you would need is a couple of worm clamps. I suppose you can use a quarter to tighten those if you don't have a screw driver, but you have to have a screw driver!
Click to expand...

Okay, I have a screwdriver. :) I was worried more about soldering, cutting, etc.

How would the vinyl tubing connect to the hose? I'm picturing a large jump in size from the 3/8 tube to a garden hose size adapter. Where and how does that occur?

Thanks for all the responses!
 
You connect to the hose with something like this. Though you'd probably want a female instead of a male as most garden hoses are male.
 
RogueVassar said:
Okay, I have a screwdriver. :) I was worried more about soldering, cutting, etc.

How would the vinyl tubing connect to the hose? I'm picturing a large jump in size from the 3/8 tube to a garden hose size adapter. Where and how does that occur?

Thanks for all the responses!
Click to expand...

If you select the right sizes for your copper tubing and vinyl tubing, you can just slide the vinyl tubing straight onto the copper and then use a hose clamp to keep it sealed and in place. On the other end you can use a barbed hose fitting with another hose clamp, and adapters as appropriate to connect it to whatever you need.
 
I just sat at the store fitting the hose to the copper until I found the tightest fitting one. Then bought a few o-ring clamps. I did buy the tool to bend the copper, but returned it once I was done with it. Screwdriver is the only thing needed. Just make sure to bend over the inlet and outlet so if the Orings leak they do so down the out and outside of the pot.
 
If you had a couple of wrenches you could use compression fittings like this:
http://www.fastfittings.com/product/30051
Should have them at any hardware store, male and female.:mug:
Whatever you use make sure you have enough copper line to bend them over the lip of the pot like mosquito says above because eventually anything that isn't soldered may leak.
 
My chiller is just 3/8 copper and a cheap garden hose. I cut the garden hose in the middle and connected each side to the copper coil with hose clamps. It's not the prettiest out there but it works well. I get a little leaking on the "out" connection, but I left the copper long enough that it drips on the ground rather than back into my kettle.
 
I went to home depot, bought 20 ft of Refrigerator copper, and some rubber tubing, some clamps and then found a faucet adapter ... The only time I needed a tool was a flat head screwdriver that I used when tightening the clamps.

Bend the copper around something, like a smaller pot or a corny keg.
 
My copper wort chiller used nothing more advanced than a pliers, and that was to attach the spring hose clamps.
Wrapped 50 feet of tubing around a cylinder and bent up the ends. Attached the vinyl tubing right to the copper using a spring hose clamp. on the other end of the input tube, i used a barbed brass hose connector
I've used it 4 times, no leaks.
 
RougeVassar, soldered elbows look really good. . .more importantly, if you do the 2 elbows at the top of the rig at the same time you can solder the elbows together which makes the whole coil a lot more stable. (no "slinky")

Since you don't have to tools to solder (sweat) the fittings. . .maybe find a plumber (or a pal with basic plumbing skills) and trade beer for sweating the fittings together?

FWIW I would steer away from compression fittings. IMHO (as a former plumber) compression fittings don't like side-to-side movement/vibration - they develop leaks. Normal chiller handling would definitely put side torque on them. Just my opinion.

Oh yeah, +1 for use a threaded fitting to attach to the faucet with a "hose barb" end and just push the vinyl tubing on the barb.
 
ILuvIPA said:
RougeVassar, soldered elbows look really good. . .more importantly, if you do the 2 elbows at the top of the rig at the same time you can solder the elbows together which makes the whole coil a lot more stable. (no "slinky")

Since you don't have to tools to solder (sweat) the fittings. . .maybe find a plumber (or a pal with basic plumbing skills) and trade beer for sweating the fittings together?

FWIW I would steer away from compression fittings. IMHO (as a former plumber) compression fittings don't like side-to-side movement/vibration - they develop leaks. Normal chiller handling would definitely put side torque on them. Just my opinion.

Oh yeah, +1 for use a threaded fitting to attach to the faucet with a "hose barb" end and just push the vinyl tubing on the barb.
Click to expand...

I think my biggest fear when making this is putting a kink in the pipe at the top. I've seen ones that are bent like a hook and hang onto the side of the pot that looks pretty nice (and doesn't have soldered (sweated? Thanks for the new term!) elbows). Maybe I'll even make it and keep an eye out for a sweaty-looking guy (okay, I better stop with this term) to solder the pipes together at the top to strengthen it.

I'm new to Michigan (and not in Western Michigan, but thanks for the offer from the earlier post) so I don't know a lot of people in the area. I'll ask around though...

Thanks to everyone for the information, I'm definitely going to do this and will report back with an update on how it went.
 
Wanted to update everyone that helped me on this. I ended up going to Home Depot and got everything I needed for about thirty bucks and it couldn't have been easier. It looked great prior to me deciding to run the pipe inbetween the coil to give it a bit more structural support. (I also think that separating the coil exposes more surface area unlike the store bought wort chillers I've seen).

I've made a couple batches of beer with it and I love how easy it is. I just occasionally would check the temperature and throw the run off water on the garden. I also am pleased to find that the bottle opener I carry is the perfect size to make sure the clamp is tight. And that is one tool that I always make sure to have :)

Thanks!
 

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