Gravity Drain through CFC

[Martin30R]

Hello Everyone -

First off let me state that I'm very new here (though I've lurked for quite some time) and that this is my first post. I've tried to search this topic out on the forum, and I couldn't find any hits for previously had discussions. Chances are I'm not familiar enough with the search functionality and that I'm missing something, but know that I've tried.

Now on to my question ...

I am looking for any advice I can get about how I can effectively use my CFC without a liquid pump. For the record I have a 10 gallon Blichmann Boilermaker (thanks to the groomsmen) and a NY Brew Supply "Deluxe Counterflow Wort Chiller" (again, thank you groomsmen). I am able to use the CFC and it does work ... but it takes near 45 minutes as the flow is so horrible. It only partially fills the line/tubing, and it generally takes forever.

Generally speaking my beers come out very good, and I think that I've got everyone fooled into thinking that I know what I'm doing (5 gallon all grain, btw). I just am not satisfied how this is working.

My thoughts for improving this aspect of my brewing are as follows:

1.) Figure out what I'm doing wrong and stop doing it (or find out if it takes this long for everyone), and learn how to use the CFC effectively (without a liquid pump ... I don't want one because I want to be electric independent - I am brewing in my back yard away from the house).

2.) Find someone who wants to buy a discounted CFC and replace mine with an immersion chiller.

Out of these two choices, I'd prefer #1. Any help out there?

Thanks!

 

[KevinW]

I found this link and photo, something you may want to look into!
Something called the wort wizard! (it is that orange valve looking thing connecting the hoses)

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=8606

Good luck!

 

[befus]

Looked it up and don't see anything after 2008. Wonder if it's a gonner?

 

[Martin30R]

It has a website ...

http://www.wortwizard.com/

No explanation how it works, though ... I'll see what I can find out about it.

Any other advice / or interest in the CFC?

 

[Martin30R]

I have emailed the maker of the Wort Wizard to see if he is still up and running. No reply yet (it has been 2 hours ... I am not an impatient man, lol).

 

[Yarthur]

Looks like a device that would use a venturi effect to create a siphon. How that would aerate the wort, I couldn't say, but the siphon effect would probably help pull the wort through the chiller.

JA

 

[AnthonyC]

Before I got my pump I gravity fed my counterflow chiller (similar to yours). It definitely did not take 45 minutes to drain my wort through it. Since you have the Boilermaker I'm assuming your issue isn't the spigot on the pot so it might just be not enough height difference between kettle and fermenter. Put your kettle as high up as reasonable, your fermenter as low as reasonable and counterflow chiller somewhere in between. I had my kettle about 4 feet off the ground and I wish I could have had it higher.

Reminiscing about that makes me glad I have a pump now.

 

[duboman]

I use a cfc in a gravity system and it works great! You need to be sure you let the wort sit 5-10 minutes after whirlpool so the hops and stuff settle a bit, install a bazooka screen in your kettle as well. I try to only use whole hops as the pellets plug things up pretty good. I have about an 18" drop between all vessels and can drain my kettle in about 10-15 minutes(6.5 gallon batches).

By the time it gets in the primary it's at 60F and ready to go!

 

[bob1852]

Before I got my pump I gravity fed my counterflow chiller (similar to yours). It definitely did not take 45 minutes to drain my wort through it. Since you have the Boilermaker I'm assuming your issue isn't the spigot on the pot so it might just be not enough height difference between kettle and fermenter. Put your kettle as high up as reasonable, your fermenter as low as reasonable and counterflow chiller somewhere in between. I had my kettle about 4 feet off the ground and I wish I could have had it higher.

Reminiscing about that makes me glad I have a pump now.

Yeah, height between the wort level in the kettle and the output of the CFC is important. A guy on here sent me a spreadsheet a couple years back to calculate wort draining through a CFC via gravity at different heights.

I just looked, and it shouldn't take more than ~15 minutes to drain via gravity. Either you (OP, not AnthonyC) don't have enough height, you're getting clogged, or the CFC is not working right.

 

[frankstoneline]

You can achieve a similar effect as the wort wizard by generating a T in your liquid line running to the chiller that has a smaller diameter, then attaching that line to one side of a sealed cap on the carboy. the outlet of the chiller goes in the sealed cap (other port). generates a vacuum as the water runs past the smaller diameter hose. theoretically.

 

[Martin30R]

I put some more distance on the drain this past Saturday ... and it did work better than before (25 minutes rather than 45). After some thought, though, I decided to sell the CFC and go with a 50' immersion chiller. I was able to sell the CFC in the classifieds of HBT for a really good price and a local exchange (bonus, no shipping!) ... so this is good.

The attraction of the IC over the CFC is simplicity. I really want to keep my setup as simple as possible and I do not want the addition of a liquid pump for awhile. I think I'm going to eventually build an electric brewery in my basement, and I will want all the complexity then, but for now I'm pretty stoked to step back a bit.

Thanks everyone for the advice!