Recirculating Wort Chiller

My last brew I kept all the water that went through the wort chiller to see how much water I was wasting (California drought) and it came out to about 60 gallons.

I decided I would try something different, I imagine it as been done before but I went rogue and figured it all out myself.

I filled a bucket with 20lb of ice and water, hookup up a 10 foot coil of copper to a water pump, attached that to the chiller, and the exit of the chiller going back into the bucket of ice. I figured this way I would only be using 5 gallons of water.

Anyway, it turned out great, It chills even faster than the straight garden hose route, but next time I think I need more ice, but the time it was done chilling, all the ice had melted and the bucket of water was starting to get warm.

 

You may be able to get more efficiency by collecting the first few gallons through the chiller, the warmest flow, in a separate bucket to use in the washing machine or clean up. Add the same volume to the ice bucket to make up the loss. Save the water in the ice bucket for other uses later.

 

I live 30 miles from the largest freshwater system in the world. It's Great! (Pun intended)

Every time I waste water down my driveway and into the street while chilling wort, I'll think of you... and that old indian guy crying on the side of the highway too.


Of course, the weather here sucks from October through May so +1 to you!

 

That is a good idea, can save the ice from melting so quickly.

I also need to get a better pump, I am currently using one of those ones you attach a drill to. It works but it makes a mess.

 

Pretty much what I do
I use a cheap pond pump from harbour freight and freeze large blocks in the bottom half of gallon jugs and old ice cream buckets and such.

Run just hose water until I am around 100 or until I get to hop rest, then re circulate through the ice bath.
Takes just a minute to change over. Turn off water, drop hosepipe connection into cooler, turn on water,fill cooler af glacial chunks with water,turn off water, hook bare exit end of chiller hose to pump hose barb and turn on pump.
This could be more fluid with a couple of valves, but works fine none the less.
Once I finish my new chiller, the old one will go to being a prechiller and I have entertained trying to just freeze a 5g bucket with it in it.

 

Pretty much what I do also. Keep the "First runnings" or the warmest water for clean up. Then switch over to the pump/ice water. Works great.

 

You have a good plan.

Conserving water is a real concern here in the Texas hill country so I have found ways to eliminate wasted water while chilling my wort efficiently.

It takes me about 20-25 gallons of tap water to bring the wort down to under 100 degrees f. I catch that water in my chilling water tank (55 gallon drum). I do not brew often enough to fill this tank to capacity .

I then recirculate ice water in a laundry vat which contains about 10 gallons of water and six frozen one gallon jugs. This brings the temp down quickly and I then pump the remaining water from the vat into the chilling water tank for whatever non potable use arises. The chilling water tank has a standard outdoor faucet so I can draw the water into buckets or simply attach a garden hose and water my wife's plants. So I effectively waste no water chilling my beer as virtually all the chilling water is used again.