scottfro said:
i think i need to invest in one of these. so it will cool a 10gal batch in what, about 20-30 mins? how long and what diameter is your copper tube running through the hose?
Being in Vancouver BC, your tap water should be just as cold or colder than mine is here in Seattle. That being said, you can chill your wort down with a CFC as fast as you can siphon it through the chiller. During the summer I have to go a little slower, but from fall through spring, if anything, I have to be careful not to over-chill the wort.
There is a great thread on here about building a counter-flow chiller, you should check it out. I will never regret having built mine. I know that some like an immersion chiller so that you can leave the cold break behind in the pot, especially if you are doing something like a whirlpool chiller, but, all in all, I am very happy with my CFC, and I love the fact that you can go from boiling to pitching temp with no interaction with outside air.