The $129 simple non AC glycol chiller

[shoo]

I haven't procured a freezer yet but I was planning on using something like this weldless shank for going through the freezer door. Would just need to add some barb connectors on each end for the tubing. I used some thing very similar for a jockeybox build.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/vb2.htm

Yeah, was looking for something that made a smaller hole and was cheaper. But what can you do.

Edit: Also saw the shank on the keezer ball lock posts from brewhardware, but got a slightly ... disappointing response about it when I inquired.

Hi there, I have a question for you. I've been looking to make a freezer bulkhead for a quick-n-dirty glycol chiller. Weirdly enough, the part I am having the most trouble sourcing is a 1/4" NPS nipple for the bulkhead, ideally with a flare on one or both ends. I noticed you had what looks like one on your very slick liquid ball lock post bulkhead, but don't seem to sell it separately. I'd do the full bulkhead, but it's a bit outside my preferred price range.

Any chance you can sell two of those without the ball lock post?

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/mfl14bulkheadliquid.htm

First, think twice about using a freezer for glycol unless it's only one
fermenter and you don't expect to cold crash. You will probably be
disappointed. To save money, I'd suggest just drilling the hole and
using some rubber grommets to avoid cutting your hose.

Was there a "second" part intended in that e-mail?

The chiller is for temp control for one 6.5 gal fermenter. If I can get it to cold-crash, that's a bonus, and expect that at best cold-crashing would have to be done in stages. And because this test run is on a freezer that I use for other things, I'd prefer the ability to easily remove the tubes, hence the bulkhead. If it doesn't work out well, I have other uses for that part, specifically as a convenient gas out line, which I've wanted in any case.

No response so far.

 

[Stu Alp]

Anything wrong with using an 8 cu/f chest freezer as a glycol chiller since that's what I already have? I suppose the cost of glycol would be pretty huge but imagine the cooling power to be pretty great?

I'm currently using the spike flex+ directly in the freezer. Any benefit to having the fermentor outside of the freezer with a coil/glycol vs in the freezer?

I imagine that glycol would provide better heat exchange and more precise cooling.

 

[Brewfreedom]

Anything wrong with using an 8 cu/f chest freezer as a glycol chiller since that's what I already have? I suppose the cost of glycol would be pretty huge but imagine the cooling power to be pretty great?

I'm currently using the spike flex+ directly in the freezer. Any benefit to having the fermentor outside of the freezer with a coil/glycol vs in the freezer?

I imagine that glycol would provide better heat exchange and more precise cooling.

The small freezer approach has worked great for me in a garage. Crashing small batches is no problem. Larger 10 gallon batches gets iffy in the garage when temps are above 60s so fall/winter only for big batches below 35. Im moving up to a real chiller since im adding a cf15.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Anything wrong with using an 8 cu/f chest freezer as a glycol chiller since that's what I already have? I suppose the cost of glycol would be pretty huge but imagine the cooling power to be pretty great?

I'm currently using the spike flex+ directly in the freezer. Any benefit to having the fermentor outside of the freezer with a coil/glycol vs in the freezer?

I imagine that glycol would provide better heat exchange and more precise cooling.

I imagine a large downgrade I'm cooling performance and a few extra pumps hoses etc. Imho if your fermentor fits in a fridge) freezer you already have you can't get a better solution. Even a penguin chiller wont out perform a chest freezer. Glycols purpose is cooling things that don't fit in a fridge. Cheers

 

[augiedoggy]

glycol chiller setups are more economical for when you have multiple fermenters you want to cool at once or are looking for bling factor. As mentioned if you only have one, using an old fridge works better if it fits your fermenter. otherwise it really is a lot more efficient to make a chiller from an old window ac unit or dehumidifier vs using a freezer for the glycol bath. it would work but it would be inefficient. likewise if you have multiple fermenters, using a fridge or freezer for each one is not as economical and takes up a lot more room than a chiller setup.

 

[mongoose33]

The small freezer approach has worked great for me in a garage. Crashing small batches is no problem. Larger 10 gallon batches gets iffy in the garage when temps are above 60s so fall/winter only for big batches below 35. Im moving up to a real chiller since im adding a cf15.

I've got a Penguin though I went through the exercise of using the upper freezer compartment of a fridge/freezer to chill the glycol. It worked fairly well, actually, though not as fast as the penguin.

In the end, I concluded that the bigger issue for me was finding a way to insulate the fermenter from ambient. I also have the CF10 and I've wrapped it with a moving blanket, wrapped everything I could using reflectix, even built a small "closet" inside which I put the fermenter and into which I directed the cold air from a window air conditioner. Nothing I did allowed that fermenter to get below about 38 degrees (glycol solution at 28 degrees).

My last stab at this is going to be using 2" foamboard insulation to build a "closet" around the fermenter. If I can isolate the fermenter from ambient using this approach, I feel pretty sure I can get that fermenter down to 32 degrees or so.

My garage environment sounds similar to yours, once I'm into the 70s or above, the chiller has to work, though the penguin's recovery is amazing. In the end, though, it doesn't work THAT much better than my old freezer reservoir approach.

 

[augiedoggy]

I've got a Penguin though I went through the exercise of using the upper freezer compartment of a fridge/freezer to chill the glycol. It worked fairly well, actually, though not as fast as the penguin.

In the end, I concluded that the bigger issue for me was finding a way to insulate the fermenter from ambient. I also have the CF10 and I've wrapped it with a moving blanket, wrapped everything I could using reflectix, even built a small "closet" inside which I put the fermenter and into which I directed the cold air from a window air conditioner. Nothing I did allowed that fermenter to get below about 38 degrees (glycol solution at 28 degrees).

My last stab at this is going to be using 2" foamboard insulation to build a "closet" around the fermenter. If I can isolate the fermenter from ambient using this approach, I feel pretty sure I can get that fermenter down to 32 degrees or so.

My garage environment sounds similar to yours, once I'm into the 70s or above, the chiller has to work, though the penguin's recovery is amazing. In the end, though, it doesn't work THAT much better than my old freezer reservoir approach.

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But the insulation isnt Blingy! ironically there seems to be a lot of homebrewers out there that wont blink an eye about spending a grand or more on a huge chiller but do have an issue with insulation the fermenters because they dont "look as cool" in their brewcave...
(as you know all my fermenters are covered in multiple layers of the similiar foil bubblewrap and it works well) I was worried about the actual fiberglass and condensation myself.

 

[mongoose33]

But the insulation isnt Blingy! ironically there seems to be a lot of homebrewers out there that wont blink an eye about spending a grand or more on a huge chiller but do have an issue with insulation the fermenters because they dont "look as cool" in their brewcave...
(as you know all my fermenters are covered in multiple layers of the similiar foil bubblewrap and it works well) I was worried about the actual fiberglass and condensation myself.

Well, in my defense, if I show people a picture of my setup, I don't show them one where the fermenter is covered.....

Besides, my brewcave is my garage; not sure it qualifies as a "cave." And the rest of the stuff is exposed, the brew kettles, pumps, hoses, CF chiller, ferm chambers, CO2 setup....in fact, there's so much stuff they don't know where to look first.