Wort chillers expensive, and DIY moreso!

[Paradigm]

A good wort chiller runs from $60-$100+ (plenty more than $100, none less than $60), and 3/8" copper tubing is around $2.19/ft! Needing 25-50' of tubing, a garden hose, clamps, etc, you're looking at a $100+ DIY project anyway!

While I know we're all a fan of DIY projects (if we weren't, why would we be here ), is the extra $$$ worth the satisfaction of doing it yourself? Is there a cheap way to make one? I'm a poor ass college student, if I could get away with a wort chiller made of dirt, I'd still steal the dirt to make it!

 

[twistr25]

Got any friends in the plumbing or HVAC business? I didn't end up with 25' but I got enough to make it work. I also put it in a tub of water to help the outside cool while the IC worked the inside. Only paid for the clamps and tubing.

 

[Bobby_M]

You've really got to compare apples to apples. If you're going to price out the cost of 50 feet of 3/8" OD copper tubing, make sure the commercially available wort chiller you're talking about is also 50 feet of 3/8" copper. It's true that due to the rising cost of raw copper that some homebrew shops will fail to adjust their pricing and sell the finished product at a discount. If you're willing to spend time price shopping for the cheapest finished IC, spend equal time finding the best raw materials pricing.

Just a quick 30 second comparison to illustrate my point. Homebrewstuff has a 3/8" x 50' with cheap vinyl tubing and one garden hose connector for $81 plus shipping. Coppertubingsales.com has the same copper for $40. Add $3 worth of tubing and a $5 GH barb and you're at $48 plus whatever shipping for the coil.

Of course it comes down to what your time is worth to you and if you value the idea of making things yourself. I know I do so in many cases I'd build vs. buy even if it were a break even.

 

[freisste]

Mine cost about $30 to make. Something like $15 for 20ft of 3/8" OD copper, about $8 for 20ft of tubing (only used half), and $8 or 10 for fittings (which you can avoid by using hose clamps, but be careful of leaks). I also stole the hose clamps from work, but they aren't particularly expensive. Picture attached. Notice that I coiled the tubing into a double helix for a lower profile so I could use it to chill a yeast starter.

Make sure to buy a precut length of copper as it is more cost effective than buying by the foot.

 

[peterj]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004D4SED4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I built one that size for maybe a little cheaper ($35-$40) with supplies from home depot. It might take a little longer (not much) than a 3/8" chiller especially for a full boil, but it is definitely faster and easier than an ice bath.

 

[Paradigm]

I guess I need to do some shopping around. I think my dad may have some friends in the HVAC industry, I'll start there. Thanks for the tips.

 

[shoreman]

Just get the small one from my brewer it was $40

 

[Bobby_M]

The small one from NYbrew is only 1/4" OD and barely appropriate for 3 gallon partial boils. I don't recommend 1/4" for full boils.

 

[signmastr]

Ck ebay. 50' 3/8" copper for $48 shipped. I made a 30' chiller and a 20' pre-chiller.

 

[ArkansasRazorbacks]

A good wort chiller runs from $60-$100+ (plenty more than $100, none less than $60), and 3/8" copper tubing is around $2.19/ft! Needing 25-50' of tubing, a garden hose, clamps, etc, you're looking at a $100+ DIY project anyway!

While I know we're all a fan of DIY projects (if we weren't, why would we be here ), is the extra $$$ worth the satisfaction of doing it yourself? Is there a cheap way to make one? I'm a poor ass college student, if I could get away with a wort chiller made of dirt, I'd still steal the dirt to make it!

I just bought tubing at Home Depot and other parts to make mine for $26 (after taxes) verses the $79 (before taxes) for the same amount of tubing version at the local homebrew shop. I chilled my wort down this weekend to about 100f in a matter of about 9 minutes, then tossed in a gallon of room temp sanitized H20 and was immediately ready for carboy. It's not the prettiest thing, but works like a dream.

 

[freisste]

I just bought tubing at Home Depot and other parts to make mine for $26. I chilled my wort down this weekend to about 100f in a matter of about 9 minutes, then tossed in a gallon of room temp sanitized H20 and was immediately ready for carboy. It's not the prettiest thing, but works like a dream.

It's a very pretty thing. Watch for leaks at the joint between your plastic and copper. I begrudgingly switched from your design to one with compression fittings because I couldn't manage to stop a slow leak. Fittings ended up being about 1/3 of my total price...

 

[BBL_Brewer]

You gotta put the work in. I spend by far more time shopping for deals than I do building. But in the long run, it saves me a ton of cash. To paraphrase a quote by Ben Franklin - "A penny saved is a penny earned."

 

[helibrewer]

I got this one from Midwest: SS Chiller I got stainless because I occasionally use it in wine....$59 before shipping.

 

[ArkansasRazorbacks]

It's a very pretty thing. Watch for leaks at the joint between your plastic and copper. I begrudgingly switched from your design to one with compression fittings because I couldn't manage to stop a slow leak. Fittings ended up being about 1/3 of my total price...

It's super tight fit, and I even tightened the heck out of the clamps, but I will keep an eye out to be safe. Thanks for the tip!

 

[freisste]

It's super tight fit, and I even tightened the heck out of the clamps, but I will keep an eye out to be safe. Thanks for the tip!

Not sure I used the best hose for the job, and I think I actually over tightened, causing the end of the hose to bunch up a little. Replaced with barbs and everything is good now. Glad to hear yours doesn't leak though.

 

[aubiecat]

Copper Tubing Sales

 

[Paradigm]

Copper Tubing Sales

Support's what I was saying, $65 for the tubing

 

[freisste]

That's an entire kit with 1/2" OD and its 50 feet. I believe that is a reasonable price. What I posted earlier was only 20 feet of 3/8" OD. Sure, 1/2" 50 foot would be great, but my 3/8" 20 foot chiller works pretty well. At some point, you are paying for overkill.

What was the original point of this thread? Yes, it is possible to spend a lot on a chiller. However, it is not impossible to get a reasonable chiller for a reasonable price.

 

[Bobby_M]

Support's what I was saying, $65 for the tubing

And it ignores what I'm saying. Where can you buy a 50' x 1/2" OD immersion chiller for $65? You have to pay attention to the diameter and length of the tubing otherwise the comparison is useless.

 

[Bobby_M]

I just bought tubing at Home Depot and other parts to make mine for $26 (after taxes) verses the $79 (before taxes) for the same amount of tubing version at the local homebrew shop. I chilled my wort down this weekend to about 100f in a matter of about 9 minutes, then tossed in a gallon of room temp sanitized H20 and was immediately ready for carboy. It's not the prettiest thing, but works like a dream.

It's only a matter of time before that tubing connection being inside the pot comes back to bite you. I'm not kidding or exaggerating. You will dump tap water into your wort eventually. The tubing gets hot and soft and will extrude out from under the clamp. I would at least use 3 clamps on there. For anyone building one, allow enough extra tubing so that the hose connection is outside the pot but also slightly lower than the top edge of the pot.

 

[mattd2]

...Just a quick 30 second comparison to illustrate my point. Homebrewstuff has a 3/8" x 50' with cheap vinyl tubing and one garden hose connector for $81 plus shipping. Coppertubingsales.com has the same copper for $40. Add $3 worth of tubing and a $5 GH barb and you're at $48 plus whatever shipping for the coil...

And it ignores what I'm saying. Where can you buy a 50' x 1/2" OD immersion chiller for $65? You have to pay attention to the diameter and length of the tubing otherwise the comparison is useless.

Again a quick look on coppertubesales.com shows this for comparing apples with slightly better apples:
https://coppertubingsales.com/store...cts_id=1216&osCsid=ja2d9jrksa5ki29phti4l83ve4
One stop shop for only a couple of dollars more than peicing it together and you get a better solution than a baisc cheap wort chiller that you can get premade