Homemade Counterflow - would this work?

[Brew_Meister_General]

I recently bought a solar pump and thought it would make a good chiller by essentially filling up my cool box with lots of ice and water and then after boiling, running the wort through 10m+ of silicone tubing with the intent that it comes out of the other side at fermenting temperature.

With 10m of tubing each millilitre of wort would be in contact with ice cold water for 1 minute (pump = 7 litres/minute, 10m tubing = 7.1m3), would this be long enough?

 

[Rhumbline]

I recently bought a solar pump and thought it would make a good chiller by essentially filling up my cool box with lots of ice and water and then after boiling, running the wort through 10m+ of silicone tubing with the intent that it comes out of the other side at fermenting temperature.

With 10m of tubing each millilitre of wort would be in contact with ice cold water for 1 minute (pump = 7 litres/minute, 10m tubing = 7.1m3), would this be long enough?

My immediate concern is that the pump may not be food grade.

 

[bkboiler]

silicone is a very poor conductor of heat which is one reason it is good for oven-mitts. I would not pick it for the longer portion of my heat-exchanger.
it is a good tube to run from your BK to a piece of copper though.

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

My immediate concern is that the pump may not be food grade.

Oh geez I never even knew there were food grade pumps, what is about it that would make it food grade?

This is the one I bought is you're able to tell at all:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QA8D6XE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

silicone is a very poor conductor of heat which is one reason it is good for oven-mitts. I would not pick it for the longer portion of my heat-exchanger.
it is a good tube to run from your BK to a piece of copper though.

And then have the copper pipes run through the water, genius! That'll be easier to place inside the cool box as well, I could make it like a manifold and put a tap to open up when the temperature has been reached, its perfect!

Thanks!

 

[Rhumbline]

Oh geez I never even knew there were food grade pumps, what is about it that would make it food grade?

This is the one I bought is you're able to tell at all:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QA8D6XE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks

It would say that it is food grade. since it doesn't I have to assume it isn't.

There's a reason why good food grade pumps are a lot more expensive than these. Also, it says it is good for liquids up to 100 degrees but it doesn't specify Celcius.

 

[cowboy1]

Cheap food grade pump http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-12V-Fo...714545?hash=item1c4ab8e131:g:L70AAOSwofxUhwrU