Adding valve to inflow side of chiller (IC)

[TravelingLight]

I'm going to build an immersion chiller. I've been using a buddy's but I need to go ahead and have my own. I'm doing a simple design that everyone else does with copper tubing, vinyl tubing, and a garden hose attachment on the inflow side. Here's my issue...

I typically brew on my back deck. The spigot for my water hose is around the side of the house. Also, it's not convenient to get there from my back deck short of jumping over the railing and then climbing back over. I like to be at the chiller when the water starts flowing so I can control the outflow and make sure nothing gets knocked over and all that. I was wondering if it would be feasible to add a ball valve or something to the inflow side. This way I can have it closed, go turn on the spigot, then come back to the chiller and turn on the flow while I am monitoring everything directly.

Now that I am thinking about it I am about to have a migraine. Because I am also in the middle of a kitchen renovation and this past weekend I spent a total of about 3 hours in Lowe's looking at plumbing pieces for my dishwasher install. Ugh all those different types of valves and connections.

 

[tmendick]

Just get a standard garden hose shut off and put it between the end of the hose and beginning your chiller, they are about $5-$10 and by the hoses at Lowes and Home Depot.

 

[TravelingLight]

Just get a standard garden hose shut off and put it between the end of the hose and beginning your chiller, they are about $5-$10 and by the hoses at Lowes and Home Depot.

Sonofabitch. That is much simpler than what I was planning. I didn't even think of that! Good call. Thanks.

 

[krazydave]

I spent the extra money on a 3/4" ball valve and adapters to garden hose threads for the end of my hose. I started with the cheap shutoff valves, but had several of them break on me. The ball valve, however, has lasted me over 10 years now. Just have to be mindful to not beat up the brass threads by dropping it on concrete...

 

[Jwin]

Get a shutoff splitter combo unit and some drinking water safe hose
Then you can pull your brewing water wi the out moving any hoses around and even setup another hose for cleanup if you wish