Wort chiller

[onipar]

You know what's sort of interesting, I was looking on ebay and the one seller sells the stainless steel chiller for a few bucks cheaper than the copper. I thought it'd be the other way around.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

If at all possible, make your own so you can build it to best fit your pot. You can then bring the two ends out over the side of your pot and bend it slightly down so if it ever leaks at the connections it will drip outside the pot.
And use 5/8" od tubing. Lowes and HD both sell the soft stuff already in a coiled shape. This is real easy to form it a little bigger or smaller according to your pot size. Here is mine.


I used straight pieces and elbows just to make it neater but you don't have to do it this way. It cost me $48 and it is only a 20' chiller and it works fine.

Also, if you have or can get a hold of the Jan. issue of Zymurgy magazine, there is a get article on the thermodynamics of wort chillers and in summary it tells you threes things to do:
1) maximize the flow rate, meaning keep the water wide open
2) Minimize the water temp
3) Maximize the chiller surface area, meaning use the largest dia. and longest amount that will fit under the surface of the wort.

And you will chill almost 3x faster if you constantly stir while the water is flowing.

 

[capulinflicker]

Wait...but I can buy a premade 25 foot 3/8 one for $52 shipped, and a 50 footer for $78 shipped...

where are you seeing this? Everywhere I looked had them starting at $60.

Oh well, I have no regrets. It gets the job done so that's all that matters to me, plus it was a nice weekend project to work on.

 

[barrooze]

Something to consider when choosing SS vs copper: some say that when using a copper chiller, trace amounts of copper are introduced to the wort. This minuscule amount of copper actually is very good for yeast and helps make a better environment for the yeastto thrive, thus aiding in completing fermentation. I don't believe SS has any affect on the yeast.

 

[spokaniac]

I bought a 25' 1/4 chiller and it was able to cool 3 gallons from boiling to 75 in about 15 minutes. Cost $34 from NYbrewing and came with tubing and hose adapters.

 

[onipar]

capulinflicker, the cheapest chillers I could find were mostly from http://www.nybrewsupply.com/

The one interesting thing was that the 25 foot chiller being sold by nybrewsupply was cheaper on ebay ($53 shipped) then it would be on their own website ($54 shipped).

But their 50 foot SS chiller was cheaper on their site ($76 shipped). Mine actually cost $80 because I added on the faucet adapter and opted for the faster shipping for an extra buck.

I actually finally pulled the trigger and bought the 50 foot SS chiller. It's way bigger than I need right now, but I figured it'd be good to have for when I finally get into All AG brewing (hopefully this summer).


barrooze, you are correct. That's one of the things I read too. But I figured I'd rather go for an easy to clean model, plus the SS are a bit cheaper. Also, I use yeast nutrient in my brews, so I figured that takes care of it well enough.

 

[howbrewyoudo]

Just ordered a 25 foot copper chiller from NY Brew Supply through amazon for $52 and change delivered. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[BrewandWineSupply]

I've got a wort chiller made by Polar Ware that sells for $69.99 plus shipping (new). Its 3/8 hard copper with about 10 feet of hose on each end and a garden hose adapter.

 

[onipar]

Whoa, NY Brew Supply ships *fast.* howbrewyoudo, I say that was a good buy.

If anyone is interested, I got a little overly excited and made

(The video quality on that one is sub-par because lighting was bad.)

 

[howbrewyoudo]

Tell me about it, they shipped out within an hour and a half of ordering. Should get to me in a few days.