Wort chiller

[StusBrew]

I bought some 3/8" x 25' copper tubing yesterday. When I do extract, it's only about 2.5 - 3 gallons into bathtub, changing water out every 10 minutes. Typically 45 minutes to get down enough to pitch. So been looking at wort chillers. All prices I've seen on-line and at LHBS made it seem I could spend as much moneyand make it myself.
Going to do first all-grain this weekend, batch sparging. 10.5 gallon pot.
As I said before, maybe I should have bought that $69 one I saw at LHBS?!?!?! Instead of the $3.29/foot at local hardware store (LHWS??). Buyers remorse??? I think I'll be happy with it. Just now I'm thinking that extra $30 could have went to ingredients.
Well, I think ultimately, I wanted to 'build' something for brewing. Even if it involved just wrapping tubing around a 6.5 gallon bucket.
P.S. Don't tell my wife I'm regretting it. She's putting up with me asking her to try this brew and that brew.

 

[amandabab]

There was a time building a wort chiller was cheaper than buying. Now you have to buy copper in bulk to beat the premades.

Remorse not though. your coil of copper tube will cool wort just as fast, and you got to make it.

 

[tre9er]

refrigeration coil, 1/2" OD, was about $1/ft from Home Depot for me. Ordered online, picked up in store. FWIW.

 

[StusBrew]

tre9er, saw something like that AFTER the buy. I would have spent more money just buying the copper to be able to hook up chiller to a garden hose. I was thinking, "Maybe could use a washer hose from clothes washer." (Well, buy one specifically for brewin.) But went to Wallyworld yesterday afternoon. Saw a container of 500 water balloons that came with 2 "fillers". Idea is you connect the filler to a spigot outside, has a valve. Fill yer balloons. $4.98. I get a solution for chilling wort. Kids get 500 water balloons. Win win baby!

 

[tre9er]

I used 1/2" vinyl hose fitted over the refrig. coil ends, then tightened with hose-clamps. Had to really crank down the inlet hose's clamp to keep from leaking...just used a socket for that and tubing didn't collapse. Best $60 I ever spent (mine is 50' length)

Oh, then I just bought a 1/2" male hose end and hose-clamped it to the inlet hose. Done.

 

[StusBrew]

Yeah, I have the 3/8" vinyl hose with hose clamps. But was trying to find something to connect vinyl hose to garden hose. NOw I just fit in the water balloon filler from (the garden hose) into the 3/8" vinyl tubing connected to 3/8" copper tubing.

 

[tre9er]

Yeah, I have the 3/8" vinyl hose with hose clamps. But was trying to find something to connect vinyl hose to garden hose. NOw I just fit in the water balloon filler from (the garden hose) into the 3/8" vinyl tubing connected to 3/8" copper tubing.

Vinyl hose to garden hose? A hose fitting from hardware store should do it. Confused

 

[StusBrew]

The local hardware store is joke. They didn't have anything to connect the copper to the garden hose. They did....but I'd have to buy reducers and other stuff. The hardware guy was trying to help. So I decided I'd get some lengths of vinyl tubing and then figure out a way to get the garden hose, connected to vinyl, connected to copper.

I call the hardware store here: "the just out store."

 

[barrooze]

If you have a home depot or Lowes nearby and you're using 3/8" vinyl hose, pickup a Watts A-683. It's a female garden hose connection with a 3/8" barb. Pickup a hose clamp as well and you're good to go.

 

[StusBrew]

I've got a water balloon filler and 500 water balloons for less than $5. Slips right inside the 3/8" vinyl.
Besides. We live 20 minutes from anywhere and it's basically got to plan other things just to make a trip. The Home Depot nearest us is in The Dalles, OR. 40 minutes away.

But thanks for input. Gladly be on to-do list. That plastic ballon filler I imagine won't last too long. Well......maybe.

 

[barrooze]

No problem. If the balloon filler works, great. If it starts to not work as great as desired, try out the part above, or if you're placing an order from one of the online HBSs, try one of the following:

Midwest Supplies: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/female-garden-hose-thread-with-3-8-barbed.html

MoreBeer: http://morebeer.com/view_product/17389/102342/Brass_Hose_-_Female_Hose_x_3_8_Barb

Austin Homebrew Supply: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_40_131_573&products_id=2331

Northern Brewer: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/female-brass-garden-hose-thread-x-3-8-barb-2-pk.html

 

[StusBrew]

Wort chiller was awesome. In past, the boil kettle that stated at 3 gallons put probably ended up at 2.5 - 2 gallons of wort would go into bathtub. Fresh batch of cold water changed out every 20 minutes or so. Then stirring the water around the kettle with lid closed. Typically 40 - 45 minutes to cool down to around 75 degrees.
This wort chiller I made. Less than 15 minutes for a full 5 gallons. Well, got it to 80 degrees, then transferred to glass carboy with an auto-siphon. (That was a pain!!! Ugh..) Remind me to buy a weldless spigot or something to put into my brew pot.