Immersion Chiller - HUH?

[gruntingfrog]

I was reading this guide on building an immersion chiller when I saw this passage.

Your tubing should be 3/8 inch diameter. If you use a thinner tube, you will achieve potentially greater efficiency because the thinner tube gives you more surface area per volume. However, chillers made from 1/4 inch diameter tubing tend to take much longer to cool wort and are prone to clogging. Using 3/8 inch diameter tubing gives you good efficiency and acceptable cooling times, and it avoids clogging.

HUH? How does plain water potentially clog copper tubing? I'm wondering if they cut and pasted from a counterflow chiller guide where it makes sense that a smaller tube may clog.

Am I missing something?

 

[ajf]

Probably a translation problem.

For a given water pressure, there will be less water flow through 1/4 inch tubing, because of resistance, not clogging. I would guess that the description was translated by somebody who knew nothing about immersion chillers.

But if you use 3/8" tubing, you'll be fine.

-a.

 

[jma99]

I made a 50 foot 1/4inch chiller,and it's killer!

I can cool 5 gal from boiling to under 90 degrees in about 20 min.

Cheaper than 3/8, so I was able to use 50 feet instead of just 25.

 

[Exo]

50ft 1/4 inch...thats a big one...

I have a 30ft 3/8ths and it cools with 60deg. tap water to around 75deg. in 25min or so. Add a pre-chiller (bucket of ice) and that time drops to 15min.

 

[HomerT]

I just made my oln 3/8x25ft chiller last night. Ugly as sin, but it should work. I got the tubing free form a buddy, and the other fittings cost me $2.00....not bad. I am trying it out Thursday night.