Hooking up a wort chiller (equipment question)

[kennya]

So I'm a kitchen brewer and I have always used the ice bath method of chilling my wort. In June or July, I am going to make the switch to all grain and will be purchasing the Grainfather. I want to continue to brew in the kitchen, but I wont be able to hook up the wort chiller that comes with it because our kitchen faucet will not allow a hose adapter to be hooked to it. I thought about sweating in a new valve that will have a second valve on it or something of that nature,, but I was wondering if maybe there was a hose out there that would in essence be a dual headed hose. One for the regular water supply and one that has the garden hose thread on the other end with a valve. Does that make any sense at all? That would be so much easier than installing a new valve, but just not sure if that product exists. I tried searching, but maybe I am not using the correct search terms because i cant find anything... Thanks!

 

[pretzelb]

Can you take a picture of the faucet?

 

[broadbill]

I'm guessing you have the extendable/retractable kitchen faucet. You can unscrew the entire head from the flexible hose and find a NPT to garden hose adapter. At least that is what I did.

 

[brandonnys]

Might be easier to put a Y-splitter down underneath your sink with a small hose, and then put a quick disconnect on the hose/Grainfather so you can simply disconnect it when not in use, and tuck the hose back under your sink.

 

[kennya]

Yea, its an extendable/retractable kitchen faucet. I am at work but could take a picture when I get home. I never thought of unscrewing the faucet head, I might give that a try tonight. Sure was hoping i could find a new water supply line that would have a faucet adapter and valve secondary on it. Now I'm thinking about that faucet head and I don't think the head will unscrew off, but I will check!

 

[kennya]

brandonnys, that's kind of what my friend and I thought last night when I was asking him about it, but I thought I would see if there is an easier way before we go the plumbing route...! Thanks!!

 

[brandonnys]

I messed my faucet up by removing the aerator screen and putting a hose adaptor on it in my last house. Once I got the adaptor on there, I couldn't get the damn thing off, so we just lived with it. That was fine until I got the bottle washer stuck on there, and then I had to replace the faucet.

Honestly, I think messing with your $100+ faucet that you/your family uses all the time isn't worth the $20 in parts to just put another valve under the sink. My $0.02.

 

[Redlantern]

put in a "T" under the sink on the fitting where your cold water valve is and split it. That way, you can have a second valve and fitting expressly for brewing.

You will also prevent messing up your faucet that way.

 

[cannman]

While I have installed a T in my bathroom to clean kegs, for your wort chilling (especially given the faucet drama), I would consider getting a high flow submersible pump (I use a fountain pump from harbor freight, about$30) and make a rubermaid bucket full of ice water, and recirculate the exchanged water back into the ice bath.

Because the bucket is fairly large, just fill up pots with water and freeze them a good 24 hours before.

My local McDonalds lets me fill up my ice chest so you have to ask around.

Good luck!

 

[broadbill]

I hate to paint with too broad of a brush but...if OP didn't look to see if the head would unscrew then probably sweating in a new valve in the cold water line is likely well outside of his experience level.

 

[brandonnys]

I hate to paint with too broad of a brush but...if OP didn't look to see if the head would unscrew then probably sweating in a new valve in the cold water line is likely well outside of his experience level.

If that's the case, perhaps you could lend a hand and provide a resource on how it's done?

 

[brandonnys]

The easier route would be threaded parts off of the existing valve. I can put together a parts list if you'd like... It won't take much.

 

[broadbill]

If that's the case, perhaps you could lend a hand and provide a resource on how it's done?

I did, maybe you can read the whole thread?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=7540016&postcount=3

I'm guessing you have the extendable/retractable kitchen faucet. You can unscrew the entire head from the flexible hose and find a NPT to garden hose adapter. At least that is what I did.

 

[broadbill]

The easier route would be threaded parts off of the existing valve. I can put together a parts list if you'd like... It won't take much.

great idea!

 

[brandonnys]

I'm not trying to hijack the thread with a petty argument. I'm trying to help the guy. If he doesn't know how to sweat in a valve, there are other options.

You did make a suggestion, kudos to you on that. I did read your post. He responded to it saying he didn't have enough information. I suggested an alternative.

Don't be a poop.

 

[Redlantern]

+1 for threaded fittings. Lots of guys at Lowes or Home Depot or LHWS can show you what you need. Just remember to turn of main before installing

 

[kennya]

The easier route would be threaded parts off of the existing valve. I can put together a parts list if you'd like... It won't take much.

Thanks everyone for the replies! No need to argue over anything, all is good. I have sweated parts together before, however, I'm not that great at it. My friend I spoke of is a master, so that's why I initially talked to him about it. I just want to make this as easy as possible for him since he will be the one doing the work.

He might have thought about using the existing valve and just adding parts to it, which I think would be the easiest, so Ill talk to him about it. I could "T" off of it with a second valve on one and the water supply line to the faucet with the other. Is that where you were going brandonny's?

 

[brandonnys]

Yep. It's the easiest route, and is easily removed/corrected if you need to go back to "pre-brewing" condition. Sweating in new stuff less flexible.