Non Water based Wort Chillers?

[The10mmKid]

All of ours are huge 3' x6' and a couple even larger. Probably tens of thousands of CFM. I'm just the maintenance guy who checks on their health and reports any issues to the Facility Mgr. who calls in the pro's.

Here is a nice seller on fleaBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12x24-Water-to-Air-Heat-Exchanger-Hot-Water-Coil-Outdoor-Wood-Furnace-/191563998633

Looks like the same unit, just way smaller.

I can't stipulate that these are soldered or brazed. It is my understanding though that soldering is avoided due to the softness and durability of the joint.

'da Kid

 

[DurtyChemist]

Why not make a concentrated batch and top up with 2 gallons of ice? Worked for me pre chiller days. Chilled, oxygenated and rinsed everything plus it's pretty accurate since ice takes up more space than water.

 

[Bobby_M]

Why not make a concentrated batch and top up with 2 gallons of ice? Worked for me pre chiller days. Chilled, oxygenated and rinsed everything plus it's pretty accurate since ice takes up more space than water.

Only practical for extract batches

 

[DurtyChemist]

Only practical for extract batches

Why? If he can do a BIAB with 70% efficiency brew house then top up to 5 gallons how is it not practical?

I'm glad you're being responsible in my home state and conserving water. I know more than the population isn't conserving anything so I applaud you for that. I reuse my water from cooking to clean my brewing equipment. I use 10 gallons then stop chilling. I use this to clean fermentors, spoons, gloves, brewing bags, bottles, kegs, and my keggle. The first 5 gallons stays hot for a very long time.

 

[DurtyChemist]

Only practical for extract batches

Why? If he can do a BIAB with 70% efficiency brew house then top up to 5 gallons how is it not practical?

I'm glad you're being responsible in my home state and conserving water. I know more than the population isn't conserving anything so I applaud you for that. I reuse my water from cooking to clean my brewing equipment. I use 10 gallons then stop chilling. I use this to clean fermentors, spoons, gloves, brewing bags, bottles, kegs, and my keggle. The first 5 gallons stays hot for a very long time.

 

[Bobby_M]

Why? If he can do a BIAB with 70% efficiency brew house then top up to 5 gallons how is it not practical?

I'm glad you're being responsible in my home state and conserving water. I know more than the population isn't conserving anything so I applaud you for that. I reuse my water from cooking to clean my brewing equipment. I use 10 gallons then stop chilling. I use this to clean fermentors, spoons, gloves, brewing bags, bottles, kegs, and my keggle. The first 5 gallons stays hot for a very long time.

It's simply very inefficient. Of course you CAN do it. If you only boil 2.5 gallons and top up with another 2.5 gallons of ice, your 70% brew house efficiency goes down to 35%.

 

[SanPancho]

Our groundwater here in SF is a pretty solid 50-60F so it doesn't waste that much water if you use a high efficient (double coiled) IC and don't start chilling until after whirl pooling down to 160-170ish. I end up using the hot water to rinse the vomit, piss and **** off the sidewalk here in the lovely mission district.

Next easiest is as noted above. The night before you brew freeze a few 2l soda bottles and use them to chill your cooling water reservoir and pump to your IC. or ssanitize the bottles and dunk directly in kettle. But save the ice until it gets down to 100 or so. Then save the water for next time or put to good use.

If you're absolutely set on minimizing water usage then go liquid cooled. Air cooled just doesn't cut it- cuz air is an insulator, not a conductor.

A small set up for SF apartment situations is a 6-8k btu a/c unit ($50 on Craigslist, $100 new), with evap coil sitting in a small cooler of glycol mix. (You'll need to cut and extend the line to the coil a bit so it can sit in glycol bath). Then use your pump to circ the glycol thru your chiller.

The a/c unit is one piece, not heavy, not that large. Use a smallish 3-4 cu ft cooler and it's also small and easy to carry. Start up the glycol bath while you are brewing, when it's time to chill you're good to go. Easy peasy.

If you really wanna get badass I know a place in east bay to pick up smallish 120V recirculating chiller units. Just add glycol bath and you're in business. Not super expensive either.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I don't know if it was covered here yet, but there is a guy here in Tucson that seam sealed a chest freezer and filled it with water to use for chilling water. Just plug it in before your brew day and you have 100-200 gallons of water nice and cold and ready to chill. You don't really use the water up since it goes right back into the tank. Big water investment but not much to keep using it. FWIW, 7.48 gallons in 1 ft3.