Help choosing first wort chiller.

[Captain_Bigelow]

My LHBS charges about $60-80 for a chiller. I found this one on eBay for $40 - seems well made. Would this work well? I am just doing 5 gallon batches right now and don't envisage doing any bigger batches in the future.

Awesome hanging wort chiller!!! - eBay (item 200341698989 end time Jul-11-09 16:01:27 PDT)

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[rico567]

Looks well made, copper is copper, and shipping is free.......what more do you need to know? For comparison purposes, I have functionally the same chiller, purchased a year ago Christmas from Midwest Supplies. It's also 25 ft. 3/8" copper, came with hoses and hose fitting....and cost $50, plus shipping. I don't see how you can go wrong.......although he exaggerates its cooling power if he's talking about a full 5-gallon boil, unless he's pumping ice water through it. I cool a full 5-gallon boil to 70F with our 55F well water in about 20 minutes.

 

[Dwain]

I was googling copper prices. I couldn't find any quickly so I don't know how good of a deal this is to me. Having said that, I used a similar one of for years and had excellent results. The fittings alone are probably ~$4 each, plus the bending etc. At the end of the day, if you're OK with the price, I think you should go for it. Luck - Dwain

 

[Synovia]

I was googling copper prices.

50 ft of 3/8 is $29 at coppertubingsales. Figure 35-40 after shipping. Homedepot will most likely be in the 35 range.


So, if you're willing to put in a little work, and a couple bucks (35 for copper, 2 for hose clamps, 2 for tubing, 5 for tubing-to-gardenhose adapters), you'll get a better chiller for about the same price.

 

[Captain_Bigelow]

If I could get a 50' chiller for the same price, should I do that? When doing 5 gallon batches, will there really be a significant difference compared to a 25' chiller?

 

[StoutFan]

I have used 25' and 50' copper chillers. For what you get in longer tubing, you might loose in lower flow through the tubing it self. I love my 25' SS chiller, and my 25' Copper chiller. The copper one is homemade, and the SS one came from Midwest. Both work great, the SS one is just a little more durable, good for us who have to unpack for every brew.

 

[Bearto]

I agree that a DIY 50 foot coil with messy bends is better than a pretty ready made 25 foot. The cooling capacity is significant. Its simple surface area for heat transfer.

I have used both 25 and 50 foot copper tube for hundreds of gallons of brewing. I am now a zealot for flat plate chillers. Not only is it hard to get a good lid seal while you are cooling, using the immersion chillers, you will never get a crisp aromatic hop flavor in your face if it takes you 20+ minutes to cool. Plus the fact that fitting a lid on while cooling, and the surface area contact in your sweet wort...the wasted water...

I know some of you who swear by your immersion chillers will disagree, but having made the transition to flat plate, as far as Im concerned, anyone who has invested enough in a 5 gallon kettle with valves and a propane burner, can spare the extra $30 to do it right the first time with a Shirron Flat plate Chiller - especailly if right now they have niether as this post implies.

They are as cheap as ~$95 online (inc shipping!). A bazooka screen in your boil kettle lets you pour directly into your fermenter as fast as gravity will help you (about 6ish minutes depending on your tap water temp).

Besides the time saved, the primary advantage is the quality of your beer. From the time of your last hop addition, your lid sits tight and wort will not see open air (and all the nasties wanting to compete with your yeast) until you rack into your secondary. By then the alcohol will kill them.


Finally, in my experience, if you ever want to consider brewing more than 5 gallons (maybe two 5 gallon batches side by side) the copper immersion is simply inadequate. If you have never used a flat plate chiller, as far as Im concerned having used both extensively, you are just defending the copper without basis for comparison and should consider dumping it on ebay for some newbie to get started with, and use the money to offset getting yourself set up with the supreme luxury of simply opening your valve and dumping directly into your fermenter.