We've talked about pumping icewater into our chillers (either IC, CFC, or plate regardless) with a pond pump and we mostly all agree is more efficient than a prechiller due to one less heat transfer. Many times people revert to the prechiller because they already have an old IC laying around or at least get the copper at a discount. I suppose this because pond pumps are just about the same price as 25' of copper these days.
Ok, but what if you didn't need either. The prechiller sounds nice because it leverages city water pressure to drive through the coolant coil. We typically can't do this with an icewater bin but it's only because it won't hold pressure. I was looking at my grain storage bin with a screw on gasketed lid and thought "why not put hose thread bulkheads in, fill with ice and run the hose pressure through it"?I've drained icewater out of a bottling bucket sitting high above my brewstand before, but it was less than ideal.
The tap water (presumably warmer than you'd like) enters from the bottom, rises up through the ice and out a bulkhead in the top and into your chiller. I wouldn't recommend running this with any outlet restriction because it probably wouldn't handle full city pressure but I don't think it would have a problem with a chiller's backpressure.
Pros, Cons, dealbreakers? The advantage would only be realized if you can find a vessel like this very cheap because it has to cost less than a pump.
Edit.... duh... CORNY KEGS! Wide enough mouth for ice, holds pressure.
Ok, but what if you didn't need either. The prechiller sounds nice because it leverages city water pressure to drive through the coolant coil. We typically can't do this with an icewater bin but it's only because it won't hold pressure. I was looking at my grain storage bin with a screw on gasketed lid and thought "why not put hose thread bulkheads in, fill with ice and run the hose pressure through it"?I've drained icewater out of a bottling bucket sitting high above my brewstand before, but it was less than ideal.
The tap water (presumably warmer than you'd like) enters from the bottom, rises up through the ice and out a bulkhead in the top and into your chiller. I wouldn't recommend running this with any outlet restriction because it probably wouldn't handle full city pressure but I don't think it would have a problem with a chiller's backpressure.
Pros, Cons, dealbreakers? The advantage would only be realized if you can find a vessel like this very cheap because it has to cost less than a pump.
Edit.... duh... CORNY KEGS! Wide enough mouth for ice, holds pressure.