Wort chiller or fermentation cooler?

[PlexVector]

You're right, I guess I should add that I'm lazy and want things done correctly. I was thinking about building the wort chiller but if it cost $40 I'd rather just path the extra $30 and get one that I know will work without the hacking. I might even skip it until I can afford to get a counter flow which seems like a better long term solution.

Same goes for the freezer, I could get one of craiglist but I'd have to worry about it breaking or even just the logistics of finding and picking it up. I'ad rather pay more to get a new one that I can pick up easily.

So, if I wanted to I guess I could get both, the question I guess is what is more important if I only want to get one right now and that seems to be the chest freezer.

It's a quandary for sure. I'm the same way in that why buy cheap now when in several months I'm going to want to upgrade, so why not just buy what you want now and not waste the money, but you don't want to afford that much money for it right now, but you don't want to DIY, because by the time you get it done you could have saved enough money to get it off the shelf, but you hate spending that much money, because you could buy something else with the money you save; however, the money saved won't be enough to get what I really want, so do I DIY, buy used, or get new; they each have their pros and cons, and the scales swing back and forth depending how I work the pros and cons out in my head, so why buy cheap now when in several months I'm going to want to upgrade, so why not just buy what you want now and not waste the money, but you don't want to afford that much money for it right now, but you don't want to DIY, because by the time you get it done you could have saved enough money to get it off the shelf, but you hate spending that much money, because you could buy something else with the money you save; however, the money saved won't be enough to get what I really want, so do I DIY, buy used, or get new; they each have their pros and cons, and the scales swing back and forth depending how I work the pros and cons out in my head, so why buy cheap now when...

 

[MadHomebrewer]

I feel you. I'm slowly getting all my gear together for 5 gallon batches and kegging. I would go fermentation chamber but you will still have the added expense of a temp controller. I just picked up a chest freezer yesterday off Craigslist for $60. Now for the $16 temp controller off Amazon.

 

[DrunkleJon]

You're right, I guess I should add that I'm lazy and want things done correctly. I was thinking about building the wort chiller but if it cost $40 I'd rather just path the extra $30 and get one that I know will work without the hacking. I might even skip it until I can afford to get a counter flow which seems like a better long term solution.

Same goes for the freezer, I could get one of craiglist but I'd have to worry about it breaking or even just the logistics of finding and picking it up. I'ad rather pay more to get a new one that I can pick up easily.

So, if I wanted to I guess I could get both, the question I guess is what is more important if I only want to get one right now and that seems to be the chest freezer.

I was considering a CFC and actually decided to stick with a IC. I upgraded to a 1/2 inch dual coil one and am very happy. I didnt want to have to worry about cleaning out the inside of the CFC.

 

[PlexVector]

I was considering a CFC and actually decided to stick with a IC. I upgraded to a 1/2 inch dual coil one and am very happy. I didnt want to have to worry about cleaning out the inside of the CFC.

CFC or PC (Plate Chiller)?

 

[DrunkleJon]

CFC or PC (Plate Chiller)?

I went withimmersion because it cools plenty quickly (I do 10-12 Gallon batches) and you can see everything that is going to touch your beer. Since I dont bother filtering, using clarifiers and could not give two turds regarding if kettle trub ends up in my fermenters or not the last thing I want is stuff (a highly technical term I know) to get stuck or grow inside a Counterflow or Plate Chiller. They both seem to have the same downside of cleaning, especially since I am not using pumps in my system yet either.

 

[PlexVector]

I went withimmersion because it cools plenty quickly (I do 10-12 Gallon batches) and you can see everything that is going to touch your beer. Since I dont bother filtering, using clarifiers and could not give two turds regarding if kettle trub ends up in my fermenters or not the last thing I want is stuff (a highly technical term I know) to get stuck or grow inside a Counterflow or Plate Chiller. They both seem to have the same downside of cleaning, especially since I am not using pumps in my system yet either.

I'm on a low gpm well, so water conservation was a must, so I got a 18" plate chiller. If I had to do it over I would have gone with a good CFC since it is easier to keep clean, or rather less worries of it not being clean. Although I do like my plate chiller, but I ended up getting a hop rocket to put rice hulls in as a prefilter (and other uses) to the PC.