Immersion Chiller Forming Question

[DawgBrewer]

I just received 50 feet of 1/2 inch copper from coppertubingsales.com . The problem is that I don't keg or have a corny laying around to use as a mold/form. Has anyone else used something different to form their immersion chiller? I do have a new keggle that I'm trying to make it for. I measured the bottom of my bottling bucket and it's narrow enough to fit through the 11.5 inch opening in my keggle. Has anyone tried using the inside of a bucket as a form? I'm thinking I could hold the larger coil above (get some help for this) and push the copper tubing down into the bottom of the bucket and coil. Does this make sense? Thoughts? Has anyone done this successfully?

 

[deepcdan99]

Mst kegs are about 12 inches round, do you have a tree neer by that is of similar size? Wrap it around that bad boy.

 

[60sd]

Here's how I made mine. Pretty self explanitory, I used a compass (stick with a screw point for a pivot and holes drilled for a pencil to fit through) to establish the curve/radius. My first attempt was too large, so I cut an inch or so off and ran the tubing through again. I clamped it to a saw horse when I used it. It worked pretty good. It's not pretty, but I had all the materials in my scrap bin, so it was free!

 

[allenH]

I just took it easy and slowly former mine by hand, not very pretty but works great.

 

[haze]

U can use a 1 gal paint can...

 

[LuiInIdaho]

I've used a bucket that had a good diameter to it. I have also used a Chlorox Bleach bottle (complete with the bleach in it). All I wanted was something that was round that also had a uniform diameter. Mark

 

[robanna]

Mst kegs are about 12 inches round, do you have a tree neer by that is of similar size? Wrap it around that bad boy.

A real tree? Like in the front yard with the branches and leaves?
Um, am I the only one that sees the flaw in the tree technique?

 

[LuiInIdaho]

A real tree? Like in the front yard with the branches and leaves?
Um, am I the only one that sees the flaw in the tree technique?

I guess that it would be easier to get the copper around the tree than it would be to remove the formed copper from the tree. Houston, we have a problem!

 

[krazydave]

A real tree? Like in the front yard with the branches and leaves?
Um, am I the only one that sees the flaw in the tree technique?

Hah! good in theory, until that "oh crap" moment happens.
"Skeeter, fetch me muh chainsawr!"

The jig idea isn't a bad one if you have nothing around to roll it up on. You likely have something that would work though. Borrow a stock pot from the kitchen, but don't tell the significant other what you're using it for!

 

[nickmv]

U can use a 1 gal paint can...

Bingo. Works great for a ribcage style chiller.

 

[phoenixs4r]

Here's how I made mine. Pretty self explanitory, I used a compass (stick with a screw point for a pivot and holes drilled for a pencil to fit through) to establish the curve/radius. My first attempt was too large, so I cut an inch or so off and ran the tubing through again. I clamped it to a saw horse when I used it. It worked pretty good. It's not pretty, but I had all the materials in my scrap bin, so it was free!

Puts my bucket forming to shame!

 

[WhiteEagle1]

5 gallon Home Depot Bucket worked perfect for me. Don't forget to pick up some of those spring copper tubing benders....other wise you'll kink it for sure when your bending up the 2 ends.........

 

[nickmv]

I'd recommend looking into the ribcage design. The idea is that you get more evenly distributed cooling area since there's overlap in the middle between the 2 coils. I have no hard data to confirm this, but based on the fact that agitating the post-boil wort to accelerate cooling (by re-distributing the heat to the cool area near the coils), I'd say that it's a better design.

Do some searching on these forums. There's some good designs. I took a 50' section and made a 35' ribcage chiller and a 15' pre-chiller.

 

[DawgBrewer]

5 gallon Home Depot Bucket worked perfect for me. Don't forget to pick up some of those spring copper tubing benders....other wise you'll kink it for sure when your bending up the 2 ends.........

Did you wrap the copper around the outside of the bucket, or did you coil it inside of the bucket? I like the diameter that coiling inside the bucket would give me. I just don't know how easy that would be vs coiling around the outside of the bucket.