DITCHES (Dual Immersion Thermal Coil Heat Exchange System)

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Cool. In that case, thanks

 

[kal]

It's a reference to the classic mock documentary movie 'Spinal Tap' where one the band members is explaining how they're "louder" because their amps all go to 11 instead of the usual 10:

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

Video: www.metacafe.com/watch/70314/these_go_to_11

What's interesting is that this phrase has such as cult following that some commercial audio equipment now "goes to 11" as a nod to this classic mockumentary.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven

Kal

 

[llazy_llama]

Yeah, what he said.

 

[RonRock]

Focus people, Focus.

Just kidding. I didn't get it either. Good to know.

 

[Aleforge]

Did you ever finish this? Or have any pictures of how far you have come? I printed out your parts list and diagram and was hoping for real pictures to go with it.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Slowly collecting stainless. I only have about $2000 to go I said from the beggining this was a long term project.

 

[beerocd]

What does that mean?

Sorry, lost track of this thread. Yes, I was saying it's cool.


-OCD

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Getting closer.......

Here is my needs list now. I may have something to show soon.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Update:

I have all my Tri-clamps and most of my stainless. I think I will be able to start building soon!!!!! :rockin:

I have also changed my design. Here is the new look. I am going to build it with the intention of using a brewtroller.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

cljustin- Your message box is full. If you want the build sheet, please send me your email address so I can send it to you.

 

[Aleforge]

I would love to have a build sheet myself, if you wouldn't mind.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

So here is my current rig. It is still pretty makeshift but is starting to make some progress. I now have all my tri-clover fittings, and am getting closer to full stainless. I only have one stainless coil at this point, so I am using a copper CFC that I have to augment my cooling power.

The stand is just cobbled together to hold the vessels at about the same height while sitting on their respective burners. The HLT is on the left with a sight glass, a thermo, and a dip tube. The MLT is center with a thermo, a false bottom, and a ball valve. The BK is on the right with a hard mounted cooling coil, a drain, a return, and a thermo.

The CFC and my march pump are under the MLT.

Here is a better shot of the BK:

Looking into the BK:

Dip tube:

Return:

And a better shot of the coil connections:

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Here is the pump/CFC:

and a better shot of the chiller:

 

[thorongil]

Looking nice... run any batches through it yet?

The CFC looks kinda small - did you make that or buy it somewhere?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I got the counterflow as a hand-me-down by chance. It is a copper in copper coil with a full 1/2" flow. I used it on my last batch and it did pretty well. I circulate chilled wort back into the kettle for a full volume cool so this is really just some added cooling power.

 

[jmilton1987]

That ss coil looks great. Also if you are going to have this in your basement eventually are you going to use NG? If not I would have to ask why not just go electric, and that way you can automate a lot of the brewing. just my $0.02 but all in all it looks great and cannot wait to have the room to make something like that.

 

[kal]

Looks great so far - thanks for the pics!

I was glad to see this:

My 50' stainless HERMS coil in the HLT didn't come out perfectly round either and it bugged me. My coil walls are x2 as thick as yours so I had a bitch of a time coiling it. In the end figured I should have bought something with thinner walls like yours but it looks like an absolutely perfect coil isn't possible by hand even with thinner walls. (I'm not knocking your setup - it looks great!)

Some pictures of my 50' SS coiling process for the HLT if you're curious:

Trying to wrap the SS coil around the old fermentation bucket DID NOT work at all. The coil's simply too stiff. You need a coiling machine to get a perfect coil. So I did it this way:

Kal

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

The setup looks great Kal!

Yeah the stainless is a bear. I think the next coil I do I will take breaks as I go. I got it almost perfect for a while, but your hands and forarms just get to sore and I started screwing up.

Man those Blichmann's look nice. I should have at least cleaned up my nasty keggle before snapping the pics. Someday.....

As far as gas goes.... I like cooking with gas. Plain and simple. It is like my copper and brass bias, I know it is good and fine to use, I just don't like it. I would like to go NG but do not have that service at my house currently. Maybe a couple years from now. I brew outdoors now, but eventually I will have a nice ventilation system in the basement.

Slow and steady wins the race.

 

[BrewBeemer]

The setup looks great Kal!

Yeah the stainless is a bear. I think the next coil I do I will take breaks as I go. I got it almost perfect for a while, but your hands and forarms just get to sore and I started screwing up.

Slow and steady wins the race.

This is why you make a plug with a starting slot installed in the lathe with a back gear, two people needed with one uncoiling the other coiling. A 3rd person with good old Crisco Lard on a rag coating the tubing before it enters the coilers gloves and you can make perfect coils out of stainless.

let the lathe do all the work you just maintain the pressure feeding the plug.
The ends then be bent with a hard tubing bender for stainless preventing any kinks. I have to admit I have screwed up copper and stainless tubing coils in the past.

 

[Ysgard]

Two things....Wow!

and also

Tell me about those connectors (the flat disc ones). What are they called and what are their advantages?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Thanks!

The connectors are called Tri-clover or tri-clamp fittings. They are standard in professional food processing and and brewing.

They include a gasket and a clamp that compresses the gasket between the two fittings.

The advantage over regular QD's is that the are bomb proof with no moving parts, and are very easy to clean/sanitize.

I just had my first brew day with them and could not be happier.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

So the first brew day was yesterday and I already know I will love this design even though I am only half way there.

My cooling circuit with the hard mounted coil and the cfc in parallel chilled 13.5 gallons of wort from boil to 58º in 15 minutes with 55º ground water temps. Needless to say I was pretty happy :rockin:

I can't wait until I can get the rest of the system and be able to use ice for getting to lager temps in 10 minutes!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I think I have squashed the idea that a hard mounted SS coil in the BK will be hard to clean. A simple rinse down after brewing, and a 30 minute soak in PBW and it is shining more than before I brewed. Easy as pie, everything just rinsed right off.

I am really happy with the system.

 

[r2eng]

Great design... especially the guy in the the lederhosen!

JK... I am envious.

 

[kal]

I think I have squashed the idea that a hard mounted SS coil in the BK will be hard to clean. A simple rinse down after brewing, and a 30 minute soak in PBW and it is shining more than before I brewed. Easy as pie, everything just rinsed right off.

... and even if you miss a few bits here and there, who cares? It'll just be boiled again for 60+ minutes next time. Sanitation is not an issue.

Just out of curiousity, what did you brew? How much hops were used and what type (whole, pellet)?

Kal

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I brewed a American IPA, a Helles, and an Oktoberfest. The IPA had 14 oz. of pellet hops in it, the Helles and the Oktoberfest were both in the 5-6 oz. of pellet range.

Watching the cooling be that fast was awesome. The cold break in these beers is a bit silly compared to what I am used to. Definitely a huge step up.

 

[kal]

I brewed a American IPA, a Helles, and an Oktoberfest. The IPA had 14 oz. of pellet hops in it, the Helles and the Oktoberfest were both in the 5-6 oz. of pellet range.

Watching the cooling be that fast was awesome. The cold break in these beers is a bit silly compared to what I am used to. Definitely a huge step up.

Very cool! Thanks! (And you're making me thirsty too...)

Kal

 

[blackheart]

Looks like you have a sweet system going. Any updates on your build progress?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Thank you for the compliment!

I have not made anymore progress toward the rig. The functionality of the brewery is about 80% there and I am really happy with the design. All I need to add is the HERMS. From there, the rest of the upgrades are bells whistles and for my next stainless fix.

I have been brewing a lot lately and loving it. I had a year and a half stretch there where I was using all my budget funds for equipment and it was starting to wear me down.

I have to buy some more kegs, and some other odds and ends, but then I should be back to building the system up.

Cheers!!!

 

[BrewBeemer]

Thanks!

The connectors are called Tri-clover or tri-clamp fittings. The advantage over regular QD's is that the are bomb proof with no moving parts, and are very easy to clean/sanitize.

The Tri-clover clamps I have seen have a body that pivots at one end on a pin with a threaded stud that also pivots on a pin and with a threaded knob to tighten the clamp down. No moving parts, I see 4 in each clamp?