Immersion Chiller as Pre Chiller

[KarmaCitra]

I've heard of people converting their old IC into a prechiller for a plate chiller; how would you get the diameter of hose for the IC to go up to 1/2" ID? Im confident in the ground temps now in Georgia for just straight hose water, but trying to be proactive for the next 95° brew day...

 

[wilserbrewer]

You can source barbed hose adapter fittings to increase or decrease hose sizes.

That said, a cheap pump used to push ice water through your plate chiller will be far more effective than using a pre chiller.

I know you want to use what you have, but from what I’ve read results are night and day.

 

[madscientist451]

Never used a plate chiller, but if your groundwater temp is high you're going to have to somehow chill down some water to run through that, even if you use the IC as a pre-chiller. My 2 cents: Figure a way to chill enough water to run one or the other and keep it simple. Small freezers have gotten really cheap and work pretty good for that purpose.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Given that, I'll just use the aquarium pump I have to pump directly through the plate chiller then. Thanks!