Homemade Wort chiller fittings

[Lcoron4]

Hey guys so I made my 25' copper coil 3/8" thick fit inside my 5 gallon ss pot... now I don't know how to finish it... should I buy copper fittings and brace them? (Bracing is not an issue as my uncle can do it. I just have to get the pieces... or what is the cheaper and quicker alternative?

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[thadass]

How are you planning on connecting this to the water source? My wort chiller just has tubing hose-clamped onto it with no brazed/soldered connections.

 

[big_len]

I used a 3/8" compression fitting to NPT then those hozelock garden hose fitting can screw onto that - used cheap-o rip off ones that cost me about 50c each! Definitly not regreting going this route, can pop the fitting on and off in seconds or use the fittings for cleaning up with a hose spray gun etc

I'll see if I can find a photo

EDIT: here we go

 

[Lcoron4]

Thanks guys! Im going to the hardware store and see what I can do. I know I can use tubing but want to see what I can do with copper. I'm trying to make it accessible for indoors and outdoors.

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[thadass]

I leave the tubing hose-clamped to the chiller but on the end of the "in" tube I have a female garden host fitting. They sell them at the hardware store with a barbed male end that you can hose clamp the tubing to.

Then, I have a quick disconnect screwed into the female garden hose connection, and the QD hooks up to my sink. I don't have a garden hose faucet anywhere but I also wanted to plan ahead if I ever did. All I'd have to do is unscrew the QD fitting

 

[bigken462]

If I had it to do over again, I would have used a cpl washer hoses from Lowes. Found over on the plumbing isle where the washing machine parts are.

The fittings are crimped on nice and smooth. Hose is heavy duty and is uncut on the other end. Seems like it's about 4-5 feet or so. By the time you buy the brass ends and hose clamps, you've spent just as much money or more than what this would have cost.

Twice now, I've cut my fingers on the hose clamps from my DIY chiller. I'm just too lazy to go buy two more hoses to replace them with.

 

[Lcoron4]

I'm definitely going back for that cpl washer house!

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[bigken462]

Just double check the ID size and compare to your tubing as I have not done so yet, but they look to be similar in size. I picked up a double male connecter with intentions of running a hose outside to drain the water off, but the chiller chills the wort down so quick, I just let the water go down the sink. If you have some other buckets nearby, you can collect the hot water to help clean up your kitchen and equipment later. I bring in a large 120 quart crawfish pot for this purpose.

It's funny how you don't run across this stuff till after you've already sunk the money and time on something. The only downside is that the washer hose to stiff as a board with it's cold.