prechiller idea

JBrady · Nov 17, 2010

Hey all, I use a immersion chiller that has the compression fittings w/plastic tubing that connects to the water source. I was thinking of changing out the short input hose with around 50 ft plastic tubing and then submerging it into a ice chest to try to gain the same effect as having a prechiller. By doing this do you think I could see significant temperature drops in my input water? I know the plastic tubing won't chill the water as well as having a copper prechiller, but wouldn't it help out a little bit?

Homercidal · Nov 17, 2010

I'm no metallurgist, but I am pretty sure that plastic really sucks at thermal transfer. For the difference in price, I'd go with another boil of copper.

ashort33 · Nov 17, 2010

Put a pump on it and recirc into the ice chest. When you get close to equilibrium on temps, drop the a bag of ice into the ice chest with the water... Saves on water as well...

TheDom · Nov 17, 2010

Or grab an old transmission cooler and put that in line as a pre-chiller. Although the pond pump method is how I do it, and it works really well.

rjwhite41 · Nov 17, 2010

JBrady said:
Hey all, I use a immersion chiller that has the compression fittings w/plastic tubing that connects to the water source. I was thinking of changing out the short input hose with around 50 ft plastic tubing and then submerging it into a ice chest to try to gain the same effect as having a prechiller. By doing this do you think I could see significant temperature drops in my input water? I know the plastic tubing won't chill the water as well as having a copper prechiller, but wouldn't it help out a little bit?

I had this thought as well and have you used it for my last 5 batches. You see a small improvement but not much. I would highly recommend that you just get the extra copper tubing and go that route. The extra 50 ft of plastic, at least in my case, was a waste of money.

motobrewer · Nov 17, 2010

i hook up my chiller to my hose. in the summer i submerse as much hose as I can in a cooler of ice. it's an improvement, but like others said, there are more efficient materials.