Water source for CF chiller?

[CafeRoaster]

I'm trying to figure out a better way to get water to my Grainfather G30's counterflow chiller.

For my first brew, I T'd off from my washing machine's water supply. That worked great until I dripped a bit on my water heater. Having a "smart" water heater, it detected a leak and shut down for a day before I could get the sensor dried up.

For my second brew, I tapped my kitchen faucet, but the dang adapter is terrible and leaks everywhere (see photo).

Anyone have better ideas? Only one I've thought of is doing some sort of inline pump from a bucket of water, but there's already too many damn hoses and equipment for a small area. Haha.

 

[Tony B]

Not specifically for your cooling system. I do BIAB and use a copper immersion chiller.
When it’s time to chill wort, I use a submersible pump. I fill one side of the sink ( double basin) about 3/4 full of water and drop the pump in there and then run the faucet when I turn the pump on. I put the output line into the open basin until temp gets down under 100F or so and then usually move the output line into the filled basin to conserve water. You can also add ice to speed things up.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, that faucet coupling looks like it might be missing its gasket to get a leak like that.
It does not seal by its threads, it seals face to face to the faucet, hence it needs an interposing gasket...

Cheers!

 

[Knightshade]

Not specifically for your cooling system. I do BIAB and use a copper immersion chiller.
When it’s time to chill wort, I use a submersible pump. I fill one side of the sink ( double basin) about 3/4 full of water and drop the pump in there and then run the faucet when I turn the pump on. I put the output line into the open basin until temp gets down under 100F or so and then usually move the output line into the filled basin to conserve water. You can also add ice to speed things up.

I have a similar setup except I put my aquarium pump into an igloo mashtun that I don’t use anymore. I run off a couple HD buckets of the hot water that I later use for cleaning, then recirculate back into the igloo which I’ve added ice and/or frozen water bottles into.

 

[Jag75]

I unscrew my faucet tip and screw on the adapter that came with my Grainfather and it works without issue. Yours looks way different. Is that hose and connector what came with your GF?

 

[Yesfan]

Your faucet is like mine. I have the kind where the spray hose nozzle is retained in the faucet instead of being it's on dedicated line. I can't get an adapter to work with mine. I just use a small pump in the adjacent sink that's connected to my immersion chiller. Then I turn on the kitchen faucet to keep enough water in the sink to keep the pump submerged. When the temp gets so low, I can then dump a bag of ice in the sink and use the same pump to recirculate the chilled water to cool the wort even lower.

 

[CafeRoaster]

I unscrew my faucet tip and screw on the adapter that came with my Grainfather and it works without issue. Yours looks way different. Is that hose and connector what came with your GF?

No. I purchased this adapter separately. This G30 was gifted to me by my father, who used it for several years, and even modified it to prevent scorching on the element. The CF is even more modified. He snipped the original hoses. >.< So I had to join the nubs that he left with hoses I bought.

I'll look into the Grainfather adapter!

 

[Jag75]

No. I purchased this adapter separately. This G30 was gifted to me by my father, who used it for several years, and even modified it to prevent scorching on the element. The CF is even more modified. He snipped the original hoses. >.< So I had to join the nubs that he left with hoses I bought.

I'll look into the Grainfather adapter!

 

[Jag75]

Not sure if your faucet could connect to the pic I posted , but that's the adapter that came with the GF

 

[mac_1103]

If the gasket isn't missing as suggested above, then the problem may be that the adapter isn't long enough to allow the hose coupling to thread on tightly enough to compress the gasket and seal.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Not sure if your faucet could connect to the pic I posted , but that's the adapter that came with the GF

Yep. Found it for $30. >.<

 

[genotype]

I use a pump in a 5 gallon bucket of ice water that runs to the inlet of my CF, with the out going to another 5 gallon bucket, which I'll use for cleaning. Chills fast.

 

[IslandLizard]

Your faucet is like mine. I have the kind where the spray hose nozzle is retained in the faucet instead of being it's on dedicated line. I can't get an adapter to work with mine.

[Edits]
The center part of the spray head is usually an aerator.

That aerator would be the (critical) part where one can temporarily replace it with a screw-in adapter, for hooking hoses onto.

I'm not sure if standard aerators are always being used in those "fancy" modern day pull-down faucets that are all the rage. From what I've seen, it can be difficult or impractical to access the aerator in many of those designs.*

With the wide variety of modern-day spray heads around, I wonder if there's a standard aerator being used...

* We have an older model pull-out spray head for our kitchen faucet, but it's showing its age and will need to be replaced at some point in the (near) future.
It contains a regular standard aerator in the center, surrounded by the spray nozzles.

The best part of that faucet is that I can unscrew the whole faucet from the pull-out hose and... tada... the coupler accepts a regular 1/2" NPT screw-in barb adapter. Yes!
Since I brew in the kitchen, I've been very hesitant to replace that gem of a faucet, of course!

 

[CafeRoaster]

[Edits]
The center part of the spray head is usually an aerator.

That's aerator would be the (critical) part where one can temporarily replace it with a screw-in adapter, for hooking hoses onto.

I'm not sure if standard aerators are always being used in those "fancy" modern day pull-down faucets that are all the rage. From what I've seen, it can be difficult or impractical to access the aerator in many of those designs.*

With the wide variety of modern-day spray heads around, I wonder if there's a standard aerator being used...

* We have an older model pull-out spray head for our kitchen faucet, but it's showing its age and will need to be replaced at some point in the (near) future.
It contains a regular standard aerator in the center, surrounded by the spray nozzles.

The best part of that faucet is that I can unscrew the whole faucet from the pull-out hose and... tada... the coupler accepts a regular 1/2" NPT screw-in barb adapter. Yes!
Since I brew in the kitchen, I've been very hesitant to replace that gem of a faucet, of course!

Yeah, you take out the aerator and then put in the tap adapter, then screw on the 3/8 barb-to-garden hose NPT adapter shown in the image.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, you take out the aerator and then put in the tap adapter, then screw on the 3/8 barb-to-garden hose NPT adapter shown in the image.

... and rubber gaskets to prevent leaks:

fwiw, that faucet coupling looks like it might be missing its gasket to get a leak like that.
It does not seal by its threads, it seals face to face to the faucet, hence it needs an interposing gasket...

 

[CafeRoaster]

... and rubber gaskets to prevent leaks:

Both pieces have rubber gaskets.

 

[mac_1103]

Both pieces have rubber gaskets.

Then they are either damaged or not seated correctly. There is no other explanation for the kind of leak in your photo. Do you have another faucet you could try (just as a test of the gasket)? Preferably a simple hose bib that wouldn't need an adapter.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Then they are either damaged or not seated correctly. There is no other explanation for the kind of leak in your photo. Do you have another faucet you could try (just as a test of the gasket)? Preferably a simple hose bib that wouldn't need an adapter.

Yeah, that's why I was looking for other ideas. Because this one is brand new and leaking. I'll be getting the Grainfather kit, since I can't figure out anything else.

 

[mac_1103]

I'll be getting the Grainfather kit, since I can't figure out anything else.

Did you try what I suggested? Because I'm not really seeing how the Grainfather adapter is going to help.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, that's why I was looking for other ideas. Because this one is brand new and leaking.

You're talking about that brass barb coupler, screwed inside the spray head, right?

The picture (in your first post) shows the leak appears to be where the barbed nipple is recessed inside the adapter, not where the adapter is attached inside the spray head. There should be a (rubber) seal inside to prevent that from happening.

Did you try what I suggested? Because I'm not really seeing how the Grainfather adapter is going to help.

Me neither.

 

[Deadalus]

Yeah, you take out the aerator and then put in the tap adapter, then screw on the 3/8 barb-to-garden hose NPT adapter shown in the image.

Garden hose threads (GHT, but the acronym is not always used) are not NPT. I think you have added NPT unknowingly. GHT is a straight thread and needs the gasket whereas NPT is tapered.

I've not had good experiences with barbed x garden hose thread adapters, like 2 out of 3 leak. Sometimes there is no second gasket, it's machined. When dealing with garden water hoses and threads I add brass GHT quick disconnects. Every 2-3 years I usually have a white RV hose spring a leak, so I save that and cut the hose leaving lengths that have a GHT fitting on one side at least. The other end can accept a 5/8" barbed x 1/2" NPT adapter typically. Also, you can switch from GHT to 1/2" NPT pretty easily.

Thet also make shorter length RV water hoses. Cost about the same as a regular size though. I happen to not have any spare pieces but needed to move my tank so I am just buying a cheap ($12.97) 25' footer and will cut it. It was as cheap as most of the shorties.

 

[Deadalus]

And you really don't need the white hose if just for a chiller but I use mine for filling sometimes and cleaning. I don't want to wonder if any off flavors are coming from hose residue, even for rinsing.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Did you try what I suggested? Because I'm not really seeing how the Grainfather adapter is going to help.

I don't have another faucet to try it on, but FWIW the gaskets were f'd after just one use.

Me neither.

Maybe better build quality.

Garden hose threads (GHT, but the acronym is not always used) are not NPT. I think you have added NPT unknowingly. GHT is a straight thread and needs the gasket whereas NPT is tapered.

I've not had good experiences with barbed x garden hose thread adapters, like 2 out of 3 leak. Sometimes there is no second gasket, it's machined. When dealing with garden water hoses and threads I add brass GHT quick disconnects. Every 2-3 years I usually have a white RV hose spring a leak, so I save that and cut the hose leaving lengths that have a GHT fitting on one side at least. The other end can accept a 5/8" barbed x 1/2" NPT adapter typically. Also, you can switch from GHT to 1/2" NPT pretty easily.

Thet also make shorter length RV water hoses. Cost about the same as a regular size though. I happen to not have any spare pieces but needed to move my tank so I am just buying a cheap ($12.97) 25' footer and will cut it. It was as cheap as most of the shorties.

Yeah, I don't know anything about threading sizes. It's been difficult enough figuring out all the different hose and barb sizes. I still have to triple check when I brew and bottle. It doesn't help that everything is in fractions, and my brain really doesn't like fractions.

Yeah, I noticed all of the barbed garden hose adapters are coming from overseas, so I thought maybe that's for a reason. That's why I ordered the Grainfather tap adapter set - maybe it'll work better.

 

[IslandLizard]

[I'll be getting the Grainfather kit]
Maybe better build quality.

Hopefully!
Keep fingers crossed.