Wort Chillers

[Donutz]

After brewing two batches of beer without a wort chiller, I think it might be time to step up the system a bit and go for one. I'm tired of it taking forever for my wort to cool. I am looking at an immersion chiller and also at plate chiller. Which one seems to be easier to use? Which one cools it faster? In the immersion chillers, some are made out of stainless and some are made out of copper... is the copper the better choice? It seems like it would transfer heat better. For the Plate chiller, Is it better to get mroe plates or does this just add problems?

Also, I know nothing about the plate chiller... do you need a pump or something??
I like how on the immersion chiller, you simply put the coil in at the end of your boil to sanitize it and then just run tap water through it...

 

[johnsnownw]

I believe plate chillers are slightly faster, but either one will depend on how cold your water is. I have a SS immersion chiller, and prefer it for it's durability and corrosion resistance. Here's a timed test of copper vs SS:



You don't have to use a pump with a plate chiller, but it would be beneficial to have one.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I currently use a 3/8" copper immersion chiller in 25ft, which works well as chilling 6 gallons of wort in 10-15 mins. IMO a IC will cost the least for a wort chiller solution. Here is another thread with some further discussion between the two options.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/immersion-chiller-vs-plate-chiller-293150/\\

 

[kh54s10]

I would say the immersion is easier to use mostly because of cleaning. I take mine out of the pot, drain the water out and rinse it off. Done...

 

[Transamguy77]

I agree with the ease of a immersion chiller, no real cleaning and no clogging. I use a copper one and can cool a batch in about 20 mins.

 

[Paradingbull]

Cooling the wort as fast as possible is better for the end product, you can find zillions of threads the support this. The most simple way is an immersion chiller. Copper or SS is up to individual preference, you can find data that shows not much difference in efficiency. Find ways to keep things simple, it makes brewing more fun.

 

[jrgtr42]

I have an immersion I built out of 50' of 1/2" copper pipe. I brewed a couple weeks ago, and it brought the wort down from boil to 62 degrees in under 15 minutes. Admittedly, it was about 38 degrees outside, and I can't imagine the water was too much warmer, but it was far more efficient than I could have imagined.
Copper is more efficient, but stainless is more durable - it's a trade off.
the actual construction will do a lot to change the efficiency - even though stainless has less heat transfer, longer or thicker tubing would make up the difference, and same with plate or even counterflow chillers. slight differences will make a difference.
That said, any kind of chiller will do better than an ice or water bath.

 

[despain85]

I used a big Rubbermaid and put ice water with frozen gallon water jugs in it and stirred the wort. I had it down to 75 within 20-25 minutes. Substantially quicker than my first try. I found it's easier to cool in my boil kettle instead of my fermentation pale, metal cools quicker than plastic so keep that in mind as well.

 

[akillys]

I made an immersion wort chiller out of20 feet 3/8 inch copper tube. I made mine for about 25 bucks. It chills 5 gallons in about 20 min.

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[daksin]

Immersion chillers are cheaper, easier to use, and easier to clean. A plate chiller is the fastest but requires a pump, and a coil-style counterflow chiller is somewhere in between the two. A good immersion chiller will last you a long time, and doesn't require any special skills to make yourself if you want to. Copper can be bent if you're doing it yourself (stainless really can't be, easily), but if you're buying it doesn't matter what you get. Stainless will cost more, copper is cheaper, but they will work the same.

 

[xjedifishx]

I'm an apartment dweller so is there a way to use an immersion chiller with a normal tap water sink faucet?


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[akillys]

Mine does, I got a clamp on hose aerator adaptor that slides over the aerator on my kitchen faucet. From there I screwed on a 3/4 to half inch garden hose adaptor. From that I screwed on a 1/2 in to 3/8 in nylon house barb. The barb is then incerted into a 3/8 in inner diameter nylon hose and is clamped on with a hose clamp. This stays connected to my wort chillers hose. All's I have to do to connect it to the faucet is slip the adaptor over the aerator. If this is confusing talk to the people at lows or home depot they will be able to help. I also have a converter I got for my jet bottle washer at my lhbs that can screw in where the aerator is and a garden house can screw into that. Either way would work and each has its draw backs. The first option just slides over the existing aerator on your faucet but uses more parts. The second option you will have to remove your kitchen sink aerator every time you want to use it. Sorry if I confused you.

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[daksin]

I'm an apartment dweller so is there a way to use an immersion chiller with a normal tap water sink faucet?


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My immersion chiller came with a garden hose connector. There's a nice easy adaptor you can get at home depot that fits where the aerator on your sink faucet would go and converts the sink to MGHT, which will screw right on to the FGHT on my chiller.

GHT= garden hose thread

 

[eba3317]

I found an adapter at HD (or any hardware store) that screws in to where the aerator on the sink attaches. The adapter went from the sink threads (sorry don't remember what type of threads the sink was but think I just brought the aerator with me to store) to garden hose threads (so male thread to male threads) and then connected another adapter which had hose barb on other end to connect to plastic tubing

 

[xjedifishx]

Thanks guys that wasn't confusing at all. I grew up on a farm so I'm used to rigging things up to "make do" lol. apartment brewing makes matters a little more restrained when brewing 5 gallon batches.


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