Closed loop CFC chiller

[Shawmerrill]

I currently am using only an immersion chiller with tap water. Tap water here in Texas this time of year just aint cool. SO, i am wanting to put together a better means to cool some wort. I have read many threads but still not sure i saw exactly what i have in mind. I want to take a 5 gallon vertical cooler and plumb an inlet up high for return water and outlet down low for outbound cold water. Cooler will be filled with ice water. This will be pumped via a chugger through a CFC. The wort will be gravity feed thru CFC and out into fermenter. If i can slow the gravity feed down enough with this work?

1) will gravity feed be enough to get it thru CFC and into fermenter or will another pump be necessary?
2) Will the 5 gallon capacity of ice water be sufficient?

Signed
Parched in Texas

 

[broadbill]

1. It should be if you get the kettle high enough above the CFC.
2. I don't think so. Just a guess though. Maybe twice as much sounds closer. I dunno.

 

[acidrain]

You will be surprised how fast 5 gallons of ice melts chilling the wort. The return water will be the same temp as the wort, so near boiling.
I suggest chilling it as far as you can with the IC, then switch to CF for the final transfer/cooling.

 

[broadbill]

You will be surprised how fast 5 gallons of ice melts chilling the wort. The return water will be the same temp as the wort, so near boiling.
I suggest chilling it as far as you can with the IC, then switch to CF for the final transfer/cooling.

I don't think OP has an IC...The icewater will be pumped through the CFC via a chugger. He could pump icewater until it is warm then switch to tap water though.

 

[bsperr]

Are you planning to return the water from the CFC into the cooler, because that would melt the ice really quickly. I recirculate ice water through my CFC after using groundwater to lower the temperature of the wort as much as possible. I just use a harbor freight pump submerged in a bucket of ice water. I return the water from my CFC into a utility sink (because it's still really hot) and feed a stream of fresh water from the utility sink into the ice water bucket at the same rate to maintain the level. It sounds complicated, but it's pretty easy to arrange with a few sections of garden hose and some splitters.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I had done some calculations a few years back but still haven't managed to find the time to put the calculations into action.

Cooling - 1 BTU of wort equals the amount of energy required to move 1 pound of wort through 1 degree Fahrenheit

5.50 gallons * 8.00 lbs/gallon = 44 lbs
212 degrees - 65° F degrees = 147° F degrees
44 lbs * 147° F = 6468 BTUs

In order to cool 5.50 gallons of wort, from boiling to 65° F, a total of 6,468 BTUs need to be removed.

With a chiller rated @ 15,000 BTU/hr it would take 6468/15,000 hrs or 0.43 hours to cool the wort to 65° F.

I'd start by calculating the cooling BTUs of 5 gallons of ice water.....

 

[stillshinen]

I used about 15 ft of left over copper tubing that I coiled up to pre-cool the water out of the tap before my CF. By putting the copper coil in a bucket of ice water and keep adding the ice as needed. I have found it is easier and less energy to take 85 degree water down to 65 that 212 down to 65. I live in Singapore where the average temp is 90 year round so cooling everything is a challenge.