Permanent immersion chiller

[crazymanguy]

So with total disregard for everyone on these forms who advised, for one reason or another, not to MOUNT copper coils IN the boil kettle; leave it to some stubborn damned homebrewer to do it anyway. Though not truly permanent (remove the outer hardware and the coil lifts right out), I don't have the intention on removing it on a regular basis. Thorough rinsing post boil hasn't failed me yet.

Anyway, bought 50' of 3/8 copper from the local hardware store. Bent it around a small table I have to get the coils mostly uniform. Put the coil in the pot and "holy crap that stuff is too heavy to hold it's own weight." I guess I better engineer a solution. Enter handyman heaven: Flattened 3/8" copper tubing is about 9/16" wide. Didn't dare drill it because my luck isn't that good, nor are my bits that sharp. Had to make a special punch and die (Bolt ground down and some scrap metal I had laying around) to get all of those holes. Marked every 3/4" for punch centers giving 3/8" space between all the coils. 10 minutes of hammering and another 10 in filing off the burrs and I had 3 perforated coil supports. Working the strips onto the coil wasn't terribly difficult, just time consuming. Solder, flare for fittings, clean up and mount. The hardware on the outside has the male side of the pipe thread. A simple O-ring creates the seal between the pot and internal brass fitting. TIP: Used old motorcycle throttle cable sleeve for "spring" bender inside the tube, and used a cheap auto parts store break line bender to get nice tight corners with no distortion.

All in all, pleased. Pressure tested the coil and had minor leaks at the flare connections. A little extra torque from a wrench and no more leaks. Boiled some vinegar and salt water to clean up the copper, now just need to get the next batch in the kettle. Let me know what you think, I'll post updates after my next batch.

Pot is a 15 gal aluminum stock pot. coil measures about 9 1/2" tall minus the uprights.

 

[max384]

I don't know that I would've gone this route...

But it looks damn good!!! Let us know how cleaning goes with this setup. It really looks well made, and looks like it would provide some advantages.

 

[AkTom]

Looks good to me.

 

[Carlscan26]

I believe you're going to get a heck of a galvanic reaction going with the copper permanently in an aluminum pot. My friend did this for a HERMS setup and the inside of his aluminum pot is now black.

 

[max384]

I believe you're going to get a heck of a galvanic reaction going with the copper permanently in an aluminum pot. My friend did this for a HERMS setup and the inside of his aluminum pot is now black.

Galvanic reactions only occur when electricity is applied. This doesn't appear to be an electric brewery to me.

 

[NewJersey]

Why did you want to permanently mount the chiller?

 

[crazymanguy]

New Jersey - cause I can. Really I got tired of forgetting to drop my 20'er in at the end of the boil. I like the idea of 2 pieces of gear being 1. I also am going from wood fired, yes really; that is why the pot is all black, to propane for ease of brewing. Less moving parts and a bigger coil for when I step up to 10 gallon batches. I was boiling over a wood fire and having a helper lift the pot off for steeping and extract additions. All in all making my brew day that much more efficient, at least that is the hope. And I'm a glutton for failed project pains...

 

[cantrell00]

You are not the only one...

 

[Zepth]

Galvanic reactions only occur when electricity is applied. This doesn't appear to be an electric brewery to me.

If memory serves correctly, Aluminum + Copper + Acid (wort) = battery. This would cause one to function as an anode and the other as a cathode. Whether or not this causes problems we shall hopefully find out. Even if it were an e-brew setup I would think that the electricity from the wall should not be in contact with any part of the pot. Ever.

I do like the idea of a permanent mounted cooler. One less thing to keep track of and store individually, always boiled to sanitize. I tend to lose the boil if I try to stick the chiller in for the last few minutes. I have gone with faith that "It's still pretty darn hot" pasteurization method as of late with no ill consequence.

 

[Carlscan26]

Galvanic reactions only occur when electricity is applied. This doesn't appear to be an electric brewery to me.

That's incorrect. Two dis-similar metals in a solution (in this case wort) form a battery - so one metal is the anode and the other is the cathode, there's an electric potential and ion exchange occurs.

This wouldn't happen with a SS pot or SS coil because the potential isn't great enough between copper and SS. Or it's that the potential is too high to overcome. I forget and it's late. Point is AL and CU will react together.

 

[Carlscan26]

How do you give likes with the app? Zepth - thank you!

 

[Carlscan26]

Double post. Sorry. IOS app bug.

 

[max384]

If memory serves correctly, Aluminum + Copper + Acid (wort) = battery. This would cause one to function as an anode and the other as a cathode. Whether or not this causes problems we shall hopefully find out. Even if it were an e-brew setup I would think that the electricity from the wall should not be in contact with any part of the pot. Ever.

I do like the idea of a permanent mounted cooler. One less thing to keep track of and store individually, always boiled to sanitize. I tend to lose the boil if I try to stick the chiller in for the last few minutes. I have gone with faith that "It's still pretty darn hot" pasteurization method as of late with no ill consequence.

That's incorrect. Two dis-similar metals in a solution (in this case wort) form a battery - so one metal is the anode and the other is the cathode, there's an electric potential and ion exchange occurs.

This wouldn't happen with a SS pot or SS coil because the potential isn't great enough between copper and SS. Or it's that the potential is too high to overcome. I forget and it's late. Point is AL and CU will react together.

I hate being wrong! Grrr

Thanks guys!