Using snow to chill wort

[Paulgs3]

I live in the south towns of Buffalo NY, we get a lot of snow. Bottom line is I want to brew in the winter outside. I have a fear of making an ice rink using my present setup and I'm not fond of paying out settlement costs to the mailman with a broken hip.

So I had this really cool idea, since I'm already using a pump setup with my CFC, what if I got some copper tubing and stick that in the snow, and recirc my wort through that and back into the kettle. Eh? Good idea, yes?! I really wish I Would have bought a different CFC, mine has the copper going through the garden hose (the DIY version). If I had the chillzilla I would just drop that in a snow pile... Basic idea is use the cfc without the water, in the snow.

I will have to pay close attention to the temp, I can finally use my thrumometer and I really think it will work. Thoughts?

 

[hercher]

It should work, but in addition to watching your temp, you'll need to watch the snow as it will melt away from the copper. You'll want to be consistently repacking the snow around the tubing.

FYI, before I got an immersion chiller, I used to have to use ice water baths. Once, after a heavy snow fall and we had 3 feet of snow on the ground, I just plopped my kettle right into the snow. Worked pretty well as I had both the snow and the cold air temps working for me.

 

[Captain Damage]

The only problem is snow melts and water drains away. If you stick a coil in the snow, the heat from your wort will quickly melt the snow in direct contact with the copper, the melted snow - aka water - will drain away and your coil will be surrounded by air, which happens to be a good insulator of heat. Maybe put your coil in a bucket and fill the bucket with snow, so when it melts you still have cold water in contact with the copper?

 

[MalFet]

People on this board have tried this, and the trouble you'll run into is that the snow will melt away from the chiller and then refreeze without contact to the copper. The ice then acts as insulation, keeping your chiller from doing much.

A better bet would be to get plastic bucket and fill it halfway with salty water. Then, add snow and recirculate that water using a pond pump, etc.

 

[waldoar15]

To avoid the ice problem, run the discharge water down a downspout drain if you have one close enough.

 

[birvine]

Isn't sad that we already have to start thinking of using that white stuff for cooling? Though I have no control over it, I prefer when I am able to water the garden or lawn with the IC discharge!

B

 

[Paulgs3]

Interesting points, so the pond pump re-circ set-up is the tried and true method for winter cooling.

To harbor freight I go!

Thanks guys!