Building A Copper Wort Chiller
Purpose:
Well as we all know, needing to chill your wort fast and efficiently is of utmost importance. I've been brewing for a while now and until recently I did not think I would ever need an immersion chiller. Well was I wrong. Now that I created this wonderful chiller I cannot think of not living without it.
The hot wort must also be quickly cooled to lower the production of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) and the possible off-flavors it can contribute. Large amounts of DMS are produced during the boil but evaporate into the air with the hot gasses. When boiling stops, so does the removal of DMS. However, DMS continues to be generated in the hot wort. The longer you wait before cooling and the longer cooling takes, the more DMS will linger in the finished beer.
Parts/Tools Needed:
1) Gather all required parts and tools and have a clean work space.
Items Required For Build
2) Gently separate the copper tubing from the coil, being careful not to kink the tubing (this will impede the flow of water). If a kink happens it is best to cut that piece off and start over again.
Separate The Tubing
3) Measure from the bottom of your boil kettle to about 6" above the top. Mine was about 20" and I straightened about that much from the copper coil.
Measure For Kettle Height
4) Now I placed the straightened piece under my corny keg and used the indents in the keg bottom to hold the copper in place as I spun the coil (this will take time and a lot of patience especially if you have not worked with soft copper before).
Shape The Coil
5) Once the initial coil shape is complete around the keg remove the keg from the middle and you should now have a neatly coiled copper tube.
The Formed Coil
6) Now you need to make the bends in the tubing upwards. The top one is the easiest. I made this by turning it around a 2" diameter pipe piece I had. Again you want to be very careful not to bend in a kink.
Make The Upper Bends
7) For the bottom bend I pulled the coil apart a little, carefully fed the 20" piece through the middle of the coil and made the same bend as above.
Make The Bottom Bend
8) I then had both the top and bottom copper ends up.
Completed Bends
9) I then used 14ga. Copper wire in about a 6' length to separate the coil from touching itself to maximize the efficiency.
Securing The Coils
10) I took the wire in the middle and placed it around the bottom of the coil and then put one twist in between the next coil. I used a pair of pliers to make the twist. The first wire wrap I placed next to the tube on the inside of the coil.
Coil Wire Twisting Completed
11) When I got to the top of the coil I made one loop around the tube sticking up to secure it in place.
12) I repeated this a total of three times equally around the coil.
Neatly Formed Coil
13) I then installed the compression 90deg hose fitting to the piece from the bottom of the coil and tightened it down using two adjustable wrenches.
Tighten Compression Fitting
14) Next I used the put the hose clamp over the other end and put the clear vinyl tubing over as well and secured using the hose clamp.
Vinyl Tubing Secured
15) I chose not to bend this end of the copper since it is too close to the cut and would almost definitely kink, but with a tight hose clamp there are no leaks.
The Completed Copper Wort Chiller
Purpose:
Well as we all know, needing to chill your wort fast and efficiently is of utmost importance. I've been brewing for a while now and until recently I did not think I would ever need an immersion chiller. Well was I wrong. Now that I created this wonderful chiller I cannot think of not living without it.
The hot wort must also be quickly cooled to lower the production of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) and the possible off-flavors it can contribute. Large amounts of DMS are produced during the boil but evaporate into the air with the hot gasses. When boiling stops, so does the removal of DMS. However, DMS continues to be generated in the hot wort. The longer you wait before cooling and the longer cooling takes, the more DMS will linger in the finished beer.
Parts/Tools Needed:
- 25-50' 3/8" OD soft copper tubing
- 10' clear vinyl tubing
- 3/8" OD x " garden hose compression fitting
- Stainless steel 3/8" clamp
- 3 pieces 6' 14ga copper wire
- Corny keg or something to wrap copper around
- Tape measure
- Pliers
- Adjustable wrenches
- Wire strippers (if using coated 14ga wire)
- Wire cutters
1) Gather all required parts and tools and have a clean work space.
Items Required For Build
2) Gently separate the copper tubing from the coil, being careful not to kink the tubing (this will impede the flow of water). If a kink happens it is best to cut that piece off and start over again.
Separate The Tubing
3) Measure from the bottom of your boil kettle to about 6" above the top. Mine was about 20" and I straightened about that much from the copper coil.
Measure For Kettle Height
4) Now I placed the straightened piece under my corny keg and used the indents in the keg bottom to hold the copper in place as I spun the coil (this will take time and a lot of patience especially if you have not worked with soft copper before).
Shape The Coil
5) Once the initial coil shape is complete around the keg remove the keg from the middle and you should now have a neatly coiled copper tube.
The Formed Coil
6) Now you need to make the bends in the tubing upwards. The top one is the easiest. I made this by turning it around a 2" diameter pipe piece I had. Again you want to be very careful not to bend in a kink.
Make The Upper Bends
7) For the bottom bend I pulled the coil apart a little, carefully fed the 20" piece through the middle of the coil and made the same bend as above.
Make The Bottom Bend
8) I then had both the top and bottom copper ends up.
Completed Bends
9) I then used 14ga. Copper wire in about a 6' length to separate the coil from touching itself to maximize the efficiency.
Securing The Coils
10) I took the wire in the middle and placed it around the bottom of the coil and then put one twist in between the next coil. I used a pair of pliers to make the twist. The first wire wrap I placed next to the tube on the inside of the coil.
Coil Wire Twisting Completed
11) When I got to the top of the coil I made one loop around the tube sticking up to secure it in place.
12) I repeated this a total of three times equally around the coil.
Neatly Formed Coil
13) I then installed the compression 90deg hose fitting to the piece from the bottom of the coil and tightened it down using two adjustable wrenches.
Tighten Compression Fitting
14) Next I used the put the hose clamp over the other end and put the clear vinyl tubing over as well and secured using the hose clamp.
Vinyl Tubing Secured
15) I chose not to bend this end of the copper since it is too close to the cut and would almost definitely kink, but with a tight hose clamp there are no leaks.
The Completed Copper Wort Chiller
