5/8" OD copper for IC

Someone at work knew I was getting ready to make an immersion chiller out of copper tubing and while cleaning an area in the plant came across approximately 33 feet of 5/8" OD tubing. Is this too big. It will either be free or cost very little, so I want to make it work if at all possible.

Also, I haven't searched yet, but it is extremely dirty. What is the best way to clean something like this?

Thanks,
Adam

 

Well if it's free I would definitely take it and try to clean it with the usual oxy clean or boiling water to see if you can get it clean enough. If you can get it clean enough then use it. if you can't get it clean enough sell it and buy some new copper tubing.

 

go right to a CFC they work better.

 

sounds like you found 1/2 inch type L plumbing soft pipe. If you measure the ID of the pipe you will find it to be 1/2 inch. this is good stuff it should work well for a IC. To clean try some vinegar or any mild acidic liquid.

 

Aw, you're so cute!

Define "better".

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the input.

Just spent about an hour cleaning. Shining up nicely! Still have a little bit to go, but I think it will clean up well.

 

I don't mean to highjack the thread but I just got back from Northern Tools where I picked up a fountain/pond pump for $9. A lot of people are hooking their immersion chillers to garden hoses, but I am gonna hook mine up to the pump and submerge it in a cooler filled with ice water. It will circulate it through the chiller and dump it back into the cooler where it will become cold again. Easy to do in a garage or bathroom without having to involve my garden hose or going outside.
This is something that you can start up and not need to watch it every second. Time enough to walk away and grab a fresh homebrew from the frig!

 

I thought about doing that. The first bit of water through the chiller will come out really hot, I would dump that instead of letting it quickly heat up the cooler water and melt your ice.

 

You can chill the wort down to 100f or so with normal tap water first, then hook up the pump with the ice water. When it's so hot you don't need the ice to get a good temperature differential. It wont hurt anything obviously but you'll go through a lot of ice that way for no real good reason.

 

I have a 50' 5/8" OD IC and I have to admit it's a little ridiculous. It will work just fine but it sure does displace a lot of wort. I hope you have a big boil kettle.

 

@day_trippr
I've been called a lot of things but never cute, so thanks.

I think its pretty much common knowledge that a CFC is a more efficient way of cooling than using an IC ( unless you have super whirlpool action going on). I've been using my IC for a few years now and I'm tired of it. Going to chop it up and build a hose CFC out of it.