how to move hot wort from kettle to counterflow chiller

[A-Juice]

Another newbie question...

how do you move the hot wort from the kettle to the counterflow chiller?

Also, my tap water comes out around 68 degrees. how effective will that be in a counterflow chiller? Would i be any better off with an immersion chiller? should I just boil half my batch and pour over ice?

Help!

 

[kapbrew13]

Ice isn't that sanitary so no ice. You can use gravity or a pump to send wort through CFC. You'll have the same problem with an immersion chiller and if anything the CFC will work better with your 68 degree water. I would setup a recirculating setup which you can toss ice in to get your water colder and conserve on water v

 

[oakbarn]

Get a Pump!

Rule # 5: Pumps are better!

You can recycle the Wort back into the kettle to cool it down but do not splash. You may eventually get it close to the tap temp. Plate chillers work better than counter flow which work better than IC.

We use a utility pump to pump iced water through the cooler. We freeze 1 gal water jugs and put in a trash can to get about 48 degree water and then use a plate chiller. We can pump directly into the fermenter but you need 2 pumps to do that. You can find a cheap pump at harbor freight for the cooling water pump

 

[A-Juice]

OK. I have a pump and can set up a recirculating system with the iced chill water. That sounds like it will work.

My boil kettle does not have a spigot. If I choose not to add one, what kind of tubing is safe to stick in the hot wort and gravity siphon the wort through the counterflow chiller?

Can I stick my autosiphon in the hot wort? Can I use vinyl tube? Do I need to use some of that reinforced tubing with the X's inside of it?

I guess the typical counterflow chiller (3/8" copper inside of 5/8" hose) will accept tubing with a 3/8" id stuck on the copper nipple of the counterflow chller. Is that what people are doing?

If I did add a spigot to my brew kettle, I would need a transfer hose set up to match the kettle spigot on one end and the counterflow chiller 3/8" copper on the other end. And I guess the hose would need to be "hot" rated. Is this right?

Thanks!

 

[kapbrew13]

Silicone tubing is your friend. Tubing will be safe in high temp but your auto siphon and or racking cane might not like the boiling temps.

 

[houndsbreath]

Use silicon tubing for hot wort transfers. Vinyl can definitely melt and/or leach nasty crap into hot liquids. Same goes for the autosiphon (assuming it's plastic). There are stainless steel autosiphons on the market but I think you get more use out of a valve on the kettle (I love mine). Kettle valve kits cost around $20.

Edit: Buy some cheap screw-tightened clamps to hold tubing on the valve and CFC nipple.

 

[oakbarn]

Siphon will work but a spigot is 1000x as good. Amen on silicone. If you want to do a test, get a small piece of vinyl and put in a cup with boiling water. Let it cool and then drink the water. I think you will lose any idea of using vinyl for hot wort.