Wort Chiller Construction

[Krane]

I'm considering building a wort chiller but debating my options. I can buy 1 50' piece of copper for around $50 or so or 2 20' pieces for about $25 total. I figure the added size is nice, but not enough to sway me.

My idea is to make a 40' chiller with a joint in the middle with the two pieces I mentioned above. Has anybody tried to solder two pieces of the flexible copper together? I'm thinking since the copper flexes and moves a bit, the solder might crack and leak fairly quickly (it seems like a joint in the middle of the chiller would be kind of weak). Has anybody tried this before?

I could save a bit of money doing this, but I'd probably buy one premade if I can't do the cheaper option.

Any suggestions/thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Golddiggie]

I would go with the single 50' length of copper. Make it fit your pot well (with room to move it around inside the pot) and you'll be set. Make it come out of the pot, before the lines get connected to it, so you'll lose a couple of feet there (not as part of the coils).

I wouldn't try to solder two 20' lengths together if it was me.

Keep in mind, I made a IC from 20' of 3/8" OD copper and it cools my wort really well (5 gallon batches)... Before I do another 10 gallon batch, I plan to have a 50' IC though. We were able to get the 10 gallon's of wort down to temp pretty fast this past weekend, partially due to cool air temps (low 30's or high 20's by then)... I will make the 50' IC so that it will also go into my 5 gallon batches (32 quart kettle)...

Where I picked up the copper for my IC, the 20' and 50' coils came out to about the same per foot of copper... I would question why the 20' lengths are so much cheaper. Are they the same OD? If you're looking at 1/4" for the 20's... Don't... Get 3/8" OD tubing.

 

[Krane]

How fast could you chill the 5 gallon batches with the 20' chiller? I may just do that instead.

You make a good point about the price. I have no idea why it's that much cheaper. They are both 3/8" OD though.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've been stirring the wort while chilling and can usually get ~5 gallons down to under 70F (inside the house) in about 15-20 minutes (20 if I don't stir much, under 15 if I do)... Next time I use the IC, I plan to move it within the wort (up and down, as well as around the pot) to see how fast it chills it down.

Way I see it, having the 20' IC is a good start. When I make the bigger one, I'll keep the smaller one to use as a pre-chiller if/when I need to. Although with the temperature of tap water in this area being what it is, most of the year, I don't think I'll need the pre-chiller... IF I don't need the pre-chiller after the first summer I brew, I'll probably post it for sale.

 

[camus]

Check what type of tube it is, the 20' length might be UT, which is significantly cheaper. It just has a thinner wall which is not a bad thing, a bit softer and easier to work with.

I made a 20' chiller with UT, was able to get boiling water down to 76 in about 17 minutes. I have a 50ft that does the same in about 12 minutes. Both are 3/8" OD.



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/copper-tube-types-25121/

 

[Krane]

So I made the 20' chiller with 1/2' OD tube with 90 degree elbows to make sure as much as possible of the tube would be in the wort. Got so excited to use it I started late and ended up finishing after SWMBO was in bed. The worst part is that the layout of my apartment is a shotgun style and the deck is connected to the bedroom. Needless to say, SWMBO wasn't exactly happy I had to walk through the bedroom with 5 gallons of boiling wort as she was sleeping. It was pretty scary walking through the bedroom in the dark but I made it successfully and avoided burning or spilling.

Anyway, I got the chiller hooked up as quick as possible, turned the water on and stirred throughout. Ended up getting the wort to below 70f in about 18 minutes. I feel like that's pretty fast, or at least fast enough. Once it warms up though I think I might get a pump to recirculate ice water...my tap water was about 50f at the time. So to any of you considering a 20' chiller, apparently it does a pretty good job.

 

[lumpher]

i have a 50' 1/2" chiller. when i do a brew day with brew-buds, i get chilled 10-15 minutes faster than those who do the 3/8" 25'