50' 1/2" SS Immersion Chiller $40 - would you do it?

[user 246304]

Pretty self-explanatory. Never liked or used ss chiller but this has come up. It's a lot of overkill for 5 gallon batches but with 50' and 1/2" ID room to grow - just prefer copper. Would you do it?

 

[day_trippr]

I have a 50' 1/2" SS IC which is perfect for 10 gallon batches in my 20 gallon kettle.
Half of it would be exposed with only 5 gallons, but if you have a 10 gallon boil kettle it'd probably work just fine.
The price is certainly right unless it's a home made spaghetti show...

Cheers!

 

[Bassman2003]

There is no amount of overkill when it comes to chilling! If I could get chilling time down to 1 minute I would consider the options... Copper is a bit faster but SS is better to avoid certain reactions that promote staling over time. Heck, I have a 35' inside of a 50' for 5 gallon batches.

 

[IslandLizard]

I would buy it in a heartbeat, as long as it fits the kettle.
Even if half of the chiller sticks above the wort, it's not hampering anything.

There is no amount of overkill when it comes to chilling!

Of course there's a point where diminishing returns start to slide in...
But yeah, it's a sheer joy to be able to chill fast, effectively, and efficiently!

Copper is a bit faster but SS is better to avoid certain reactions that promote staling over time.

On homebrew scale it may be a marginal difference in time/efficiency.
I don't know when using copper would become an issue, but since we have excellent alternatives, I would avoid copper, yes.

 

[Bobby_M]

For the price it's great and honestly that length is absolutely required given how poor the heat transfer is through stainless.

 

[user 246304]

For the price it's great and honestly that length is absolutely required given how poor the heat transfer is through stainless.

Bobby would you say it would be insufficient then, for a 10 gallon brewlength? Ideally though I'm only doing 5.5 gallons now, I'd want the 50' x 1/2" to handle a larger batch size.

 

[Bobby_M]

Bobby would you say it would be insufficient then, for a 10 gallon brewlength? Ideally though I'm only doing 5.5 gallons now, I'd want the 50' x 1/2" to handle a larger batch size.

It will work for 10 gallons. Of course the colder the water the better.

 

[passedpawn]

There is no amount of overkill when it comes to chilling! If I could get chilling time down to 1 minute I would consider the options... Copper is a bit faster but SS is better to avoid certain reactions that promote staling over time. Heck, I have a 35' inside of a 50' for 5 gallon batches.

1 minute is achievable, and so is overkill. Consider, for a minute, stirring, an immersion chiller inside, and massive cold water flow on the outside. And a pool noodle and some duck tape.

 

[Yesfan]

1 minute is achievable, and so is overkill. Consider, for a minute, stirring, an immersion chiller inside, and massive cold water flow on the outside. And a pool noodle and some duck tape.

View attachment 838112

Like a boss.................

 

[IslandLizard]

1 minute is achievable, and so is overkill. Consider, for a minute, stirring, an immersion chiller inside, and massive cold water flow on the outside. And a pool noodle and some duck tape.

View attachment 838112

The more reason to get a $30,000 30,000 gallon pool!

 

[day_trippr]

You should show them the other picture of your kettle floating in the pool on its own...

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

You should show them the other picture of your kettle floating in the pool on its own...

Cheers!

Thank you for that. I love embarrassing myself, and I have lots of ammo.

I used to let my kettle float in the pool, with the immersion chiller working as well. Worked well. Or as the say in FL, "it done werked purty gud". Pool noodle and duck tape, yessir.

Hold my beer...

 

[user 246304]

Thank you for that. I love embarrassing myself, and I have lots of ammo.

I used to let my kettle float in the pool, with the immersion chiller working as well. Worked well. Or as the say in FL, "it done werked purty well". Pool noodle and duck tape, yessir.

Hold my beer...

View attachment 838122

OH MY GOD, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[passedpawn]

Gadj, my brother from a different mother...

are we off topic yet?

 

[day_trippr]

lmao!

 

[user 246304]

Gadj, my brother from a different mother...

are we off topic yet?

Gloriously, and oh, go on.

 

[Bassman2003]

That kettle looks like a MAC truck backed over it

 

[IslandLizard]

That kettle looks like a MAC truck backed over it

Apparently trying to fabricate a pouring spout...

 

[passedpawn]

Apparently trying to fabricate a pouring spout...

I got it used from another guy. Came like that. Pot, burner, chiller, bottles, etc for $50. I used it for a year or two and upgraded to electric.

 

[huckdavidson]

Those 50' chillers generally aren't fully submerged in 5.5 gallons of wort depending on the pot.

IMHO, you're better off saving your money for a stainless counterflow or even a 25' stainless coil... depending on your setup of course.

Thank you for that. I love embarrassing myself, and I have lots of ammo.

I used to let my kettle float in the pool, with the immersion chiller working as well. Worked well. Or as the say in FL, "it done werked purty gud". Pool noodle and duck tape, yessir.

Hold my beer...

View attachment 838122

Looks like somebody's extract batch boiled over More taken aback by the extract than the pool

 

[IslandLizard]

Those 50' chillers generally aren't fully submerged in 5.5 gallons of wort depending on the pot.

Insert a cylindrical "weight" in the middle of the coil, raising the wort level to cover the top turn of the coil. That will double the chilling speed/efficiency. It also leaves the coil intact for chilling larger batches.

That center weight can be another, narrow pot or container with a few bricks or lifting weights in it.

Another option comes to mind. Cut off the unused top portion and make a secondary coil or even tertiary coil inside and/or outside the original one, similar to a Hydra. You'd need an adequate tube bender, though.

 

[Bassman2003]

My Anvil Foundry chiller that came with it fit inside my NY Homebrew 50' chiller. So now I have a supercharged chiller.

 

[agentbud]

I got it used from another guy. Came like that. Pot, burner, chiller, bottles, etc for $50. I used it for a year or two and upgraded to electric.

Hopefully you are not floating the electric unit around in the pool?!?

 

[Bassman2003]

At first I thought one of the lines was electric... Glad it was not. That would be over the top.

 

[user 246304]

Those 50' chillers generally aren't fully submerged in 5.5 gallons of wort depending on the pot.

IMHO, you're better off saving your money for a stainless counterflow or even a 25' stainless coil... depending on your setup of course.



Looks like somebody's extract batch boiled over More taken aback by the extract than the pool

Thanks, good points. Probably ill-advised, now that you mention it, but part of the thought was in case I decide to go bigger....but in truth, that's not going to happen, much as my impulse is calling for it. I worked like hell to lose 70 lbs and get back to good health, and that's all any of us in my family needs is to be drowning in the good stuff.

I also went back to the beginning - just the Igloo, hand vorlauf and sparging, the works. So, no pump for the CFC. So far I've just used the store's standard 25', 3/8" coil, and it's worked fine for the most part - I just lift and drop it, stir the wort with it, and it drops quick enough. I'd just love to get the final 5 degrees or so (I pitch colder - 60-63F) quicker. And of course, though rare, want to do lagers.

Our water is currently colder, with winter, but maybe better advised is just to use a second chiller with the first in an ice-bath as a pre-chiller.

 

[IslandLizard]

Our water is currently colder, with winter, but maybe better advised is just to use a second chiller with the first in an ice-bath as a pre-chiller.

I've tried the pre-chiller coil in a bucket with ice water, but it's much faster (and economical) to use the ice water directly through the chiller, to get those last 40-60°F down.

After 74F tap water (in Summer) chilled the wort down to around 120F, I filled a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket with ice cold water (32F, ice chunks floating in it), from a spare freezer. I then "pushed" it through the plate chiller by gravity (no extra pump available).

20' later I had 5.5 gallons of 65F wort in the fermenter, ready to oxygenate and pitch the awaiting yeast slurry. Done!
That's the chilling process I've been using since.

 

[user 246304]

I've tried the pre-chiller coil in a bucket with ice water, but it's much faster (and economical) to use the ice water directly through the chiller, to get those last 40-60°F down.

After 74F tap water (in Summer) chilled the wort down to around 120F, I filled a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket with ice cold water (32F, ice chunks floating in it), from a spare freezer. I then "pushed" it through the plate chiller by gravity (no extra pump available).

20' later I had 5.5 gallons of 65F wort in the fermenter, ready to oxygenate and pitch the awaiting yeast slurry. Done!
That's the chilling process I've been using since.

Great solution!

My only reservation with a plate chiller is the fear of cleaning issues, even getting stuck during a transfer. How have you dealt with the possibility and/or cleaning protocol?

 

[Mr. Vern]

It is hard to turn down a deal! But I think for your goals $40 might be better spent elsewhere.

It could be as easy as using some extra transfer tubing and passing it through an ice bath on the way to the fermenter. Much like IslandLizard did but without the plate heat exchanger.. use tubing as your heat exchanger (doesn't have to be metal).

We call them "Trim coolers" in other industry.

 

[IslandLizard]

My only reservation with a plate chiller is the fear of cleaning issues, even getting stuck during a transfer. How have you dealt with the possibility and/or cleaning protocol?

Yeah, keeping the plate chiller clean and sanitary, which means free from any clogs, has been a bit of a challenge. There are many good ideas around to accomplish that.

There's only one rule:
Prevent any solids going down the chiller!
Cold and hot break by themselves have not posed any issues. Hop matter, (fruit) pulp, large grain bits, Irish Moss, etc. need to be contained. Hop bags and/or a filter before the exit port can do the job.

Once that's in place, cleaning and sanitizing just becomes routine as with anything else on the cold side.

Compared to plate chillers, counterflow chillers are just one fairly large passage that can handle quite a load of solids. The larger diameter the inner tube, the more and larger solids can flow through. When clogs occur, they can usually be blown or flushed out.

 

[user 246304]

Yeah, keeping the plate chiller clean and sanitary, which means free from any clogs, has been a bit of a challenge. There are many good ideas around to accomplish that.

There's only one rule:
Prevent any solids going down the chiller!
Cold and hot break by themselves have not posed any issues. Hop matter, (fruit) pulp, large grain bits, Irish Moss, etc. need to be contained. Hop bags and/or a filter before the exit port can do the job.

Once that's in place, cleaning and sanitizing just becomes routine as with anything else on the cold side.

Compared to plate chillers, counterflow chillers are just one fairly large passage that can handle quite a load of solids. The larger diameter the inner tube, the more and larger solids can flow through. When clogs occur, they can usually be blown or flushed out.

For me whirlpooling has done a good job, knocking on wood. I usually get clear wort going into the fermentor. Thanks for the thoughts, appreciate them.

 

[IslandLizard]

For me whirlpooling has done a good job, knocking on wood. I usually get clear wort going into the fermentor. Thanks for the thoughts, appreciate them.

Are you using a 25' copper IC currently?

part of the thought was in case I decide to go bigger....but in truth, that's not going to happen,

Same here, I've only gone to smaller batches, haven't brewed a 10 gallon batch in years.

The past 2-3 years I've often been splitting 6 gallon batches into two 3-gallon ones. Either after the mash, or after the boil, using different whirlpool hops at reduced temps (Pales, IPAs, NEIPAS).

Now, that 7.5% ABV cereal mashed Wheat beer was a 5 gallon batch. Due to the time and effort involved I wanted a decent beer pay-off. It still kicked rather quickly, but there were a couple late-Summer club events.

 

[user 246304]

Are you using a 25' copper IC currently?


Same here, I've only gone to smaller batches, haven't brewed a 10 gallon batch in years.

The past 2-3 years I've often been splitting 6 gallon batches into two 3-gallon ones. Either after the mash, or after the boil, using different whirlpool hops at reduced temps (Pales, IPAs, NEIPAS).

Now, that 7.5% ABV cereal mashed Wheat beer was a 5 gallon batch. Due to the time and effort involved I wanted a decent beer pay-off. It still kicked rather quickly, but there were a couple late-Summer club events.

Yep, just the store's 25'. It's OK, but to be truthful the little rubber faucet adaptor is a PITA. I'd rather have hose fittings but hey, it's free.

Yeah, to be honest, I'd probably brew in 2 gallon brewlengths, if that was probably too little for this system. As it is I'm finding even a 5 gallon batch with a pretty shallow mash volume.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yep, just the store's 25'. It's OK, but to be truthful the little rubber faucet adaptor is a PITA. I'd rather have hose fittings but hey, it's free.

One of those rubber connectors that slides over the aerator?
They're quite sound actually, as long as they stay put.
If there's a "kink in the hose" they may pop off due to pressure build-up.

But yeah, a secure screwed-on fitting would be preferable.

As it is I'm finding even a 5 gallon batch with a pretty shallow mash volume.

On a system designed for 10-15 gallon batches? Yup!

I'd probably brew in 2 gallon brewlengths [...]

I wouldn't roll "the big rig" out for those.
Induction burner and a properly sized kettle is all you'd need.

Most of brew time is spent on waiting for the mash to finish, followed by an hour boil time. With some planning, splitting larger batches, finishing each to your liking, becomes very lucrative.

 

[mac_1103]

becomes very lucrative

Sadly, I have yet to succeed in turning my beer into lucre.

 

[balrog]

I have to second @IslandLizard .
Tapwater through chiller for 2-3 buckets saved for cleaning then switch to cooler filled with ice recirculated with pond pump through chiller and my 5 gallons can be to 60F in 17 minutes.

The main help is to CONSTANTLY agitate the cooler coil in the wort.

CONSTANTLY.

 

[user 246304]

One of those rubber connectors that slides over the aerator?
They're quite sound actually, as long as they stay put.
If there's a "kink in the hose" they may pop off due to pressure build-up.

But yeah, a secure screwed-on fitting would be preferable.


On a system designed for 10-15 gallon batches? Yup!


I wouldn't roll "the big rig" out for those.
Induction burner and a properly sized kettle is all you'd need.

Most of brew time is spent on waiting for the mash to finish, followed by an hour boil time. With some planning, splitting larger batches, finishing each to your liking, becomes very lucrative.

Yeah - the popping off thing can be a bit irksome, but dealable. Just a very first-world gripe.

I guess the Igloo can handle a lot more than I thought, lol. I had wondered about going smaller but didn't want to be limited in higher-gravity ranges. It works fine, just have to be careful as I hand-ladle sparge and additionally I'm used to cutting furrows in the grain bed occasionally.

 

[user 246304]

I have to second @IslandLizard .
Tapwater through chiller for 2-3 buckets saved for cleaning then switch to cooler filled with ice recirculated with pond pump through chiller and my 5 gallons can be to 60F in 17 minutes.

The main help is to CONSTANTLY agitate the cooler coil in the wort.

CONSTANTLY.

Among my regrets when I sold everything off was exactly that - the pond pump.

 

[IslandLizard]

[...] then switch to cooler filled with ice recirculated with pond pump through chiller

I found running the ice water slowly through the (plate) chiller in a single pass works better than recirculating it. Returning it to the reservoir will cause the chilling water to warm up, which is counterproductive, as colder water is needed to nibble off the last 10-20 degrees.

I monitor the temps on both the wort and chilling water outputs, and regulate the flow of each for an optimal balance.

Although I haven't measured the exact volume used, around 6 gallons of ice water (32F) chills 6 gallons of wort from 110F to 70F when its used in a single pass.

 

[passedpawn]

Among my regrets when I sold everything off was exactly that - the pond pump.

If I ever write a book, it'll be called Among My Regrets. Sums up all my quiet thoughts succinctly.

 

[user 246304]

If I ever write a book, it'll be called Among My Regrets. Sums up all my quiet thoughts succinctly.

Oh, man. Maybe we should all put together a book for the ages. We each get a chapter. "Brewers' Lament....".