Glycol Chiller

[suprchunk]

I'm debating whether to make my own chiller or buy a new one. I've not priced everything out yet that I need, but am probably looking at 300 bucks. Then my time which is in high demand at the moment. So to take the shortcut I've been perusing what is out there. I saw SS's offerering - just a penny under 1K with shipping but stumbled upon one that looks identical for 879 shipped (normal price is 959). Not sure if anyone got a SS early or have the Rapids one that could compare? How well either works?

http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/ftss/products/glycol

http://rapidswholesale.com/beer-sup...l-chillers/3-gal-glycol-unit-1-3-hp-120v.html

A couple of the pictures look identical, like the same exact picture.

 

[Drumminguy81]

Interested as well. Im in the same boat just don't really wanna drop 1k..

 

[milldoggy]

There is another thread on here discussing them. Basically the same, think the sS comes with a different top and a pump

 

[milldoggy]

Think it was this one, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=528052

 

[SanPancho]

search ebay for them. cant remember what they are called in a science lab environment but they're basically glycol chillers. amazon has some glycol draft line chillers for pretty cheap, although not sure about $300. another option is to troll the used equipment sales on probrewer and see if anyone is getting rid of a draft line chiller for cheap. i bought a 150' line unit for $500 used. i assume you can find a 50' unit for cheaper.

 

[milldoggy]

If it helps, I made my chiller from a free dehumidifier and a 15$ Walmart cooler, 13$ eBay dc2470 pump.

 

[arnobg]

If it helps, I made my chiller from a free dehumidifier and a 15$ Walmart cooler, 13$ eBay dc2470 pump.

Care to elaborate?

 

[jddevinn]

I'd go with make your own, <$100 A/C, cooler, pump, and simple controler. <1/5 the price of buying with more cooling power. If you want to get fancy and do multiple fermenters, fancier controler and actuated valves.

 

[boat_eggs]

I made mine: $50 on an AC, ~$20 on the cooler, ~$30 sealing supplies (I went overboard), $30 pump, and the plumbing hardware that I went nuts with. Keeps up with 2 fermentors and can cold crash. I would build one again if I ever need something bigger

 

[milldoggy]

Here is my thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=540939

 

[jddevinn]

If you decide to go the build route and have any questions let me know. I use a BCS as a controller but it can be done much simpler as well.

 

[augiedoggy]

search craigslist for them as well... people use them for salt water reef tanks so they are for sale cheap from time to time. I scored mine for free from work since it was being tossed but I wouldnt hesitate to build one if needed.

 

[suprchunk]

If you decide to go the build route and have any questions let me know. I use a BCS as a controller but it can be done much simpler as well.

Do you have a build thread, or anything written up? I might just go the homemade route, but wouldn't mind something that looks a little more polished. Just have to decide how to go about that...

And thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Most I've gone through already.

 

[suprchunk]

BTW jddevinn, that's a nice looking brew room you have there. Is it your garage? If so, what did you use for the floor? And how many fermenters can you run off of your chiller? I see you have a loop running back there.

 

[tjosborne]

@jddevinn
Do you have heat built into your loop there somehow? I would love SSBrewtech conicals but during winter my heating needs wouldn't be met.

 

[jddevinn]

BTW jddevinn, that's a nice looking brew room you have there. Is it your garage? If so, what did you use for the floor? And how many fermenters can you run off of your chiller? I see you have a loop running back there.

It was a sunroom when I bought the house, now it has the brewery and the (unfinished but functional for now) bar. It's concrete that I acid stained.

I can run (3) as configured. To run more it would just need the piping and controls expanded.

 

[jddevinn]

@jddevinn
Do you have heat built into your loop there somehow? I would love SSBrewtech conicals but during winter my heating needs wouldn't be met.

Yep, just the "regular" reptile heating wrap under the insulation, controlled by the BCS.

 

[tjosborne]

It gets around 40 degrees in my garage during winter. Would those reptile wraps be enough for me?

 

[jddevinn]

It gets around 40 degrees in my garage during winter. Would those reptile wraps be enough for me?

Maybe, depends on the insulation. The larger http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape?sc=2&category=14 wrap is 20W (J/sec) per foot, if the heating capability is above the heat loss it will keep the temp if not it won't.

Just for scale 1ft of 20W wrap would heat 10 gallons of beer (ignoring environmental losses) at a rate of about 1°F every 70 minutes.