Wort cooler ideas

[Traktertire]

Has anyone every tries using an automotive type cooler like a transmission cooler to cool wort? I'm a mechanic and I was thinking of heat exchangers such as radiators etc. I think it would work if you could sanitize the core and could guarantee no carcinogens got into the wort. Alot of transmission coolers have copper cores.

 

[Sacdan]

I would make sure it's lead free solder. Do you plan on running the wort through the cooler or using the cooler as an immersion chiller? Post some pictures if you decide to do this.

 

[Traktertire]

I tried an immersion chiller didn't like it. I was thinking about running the wort through the "cooler" while pumping cold water over the fins recirculating the wort till it cool

 

[MrMeans]

isn't this kinda like how a plate chiller works? What about if you submerged the "cooler" in an ice bath and ran your beer through that?

Not saying you method wouldn't work also, its just a thought.

 

[isurf]

How fast is fast? I have a IC linked to a PIC (pre-chiller) pre-chiller sits in and igloo ice bath. With 11 gallons I go from boil to 78f in 40 min. This is not real fast but it's not slow. My ground water now is 86f chiller is 50ft 1/2 copper tube, pre-chiller is 25ft copper 1/2 tube.

 

[gr8shandini]

I had a similar idea of using a motorcycle radiator, but I would only ever use a new one. Haven't bought one yet, but a plate chiller is cheaper and folks seem to think it works just fine.

 

[Traktertire]

I think the biggest advantage to using a radiator or trans cooler would be the fins I don't know how much difference they make but you don't see radiators with just copper coils and no fins and an air cooled small engine has fins on the cylinder(s) so there has to be a surface area advantage as far as cost you can get a trans cooler for right at 50 bucks the cheapest plate chiller I've seen is over 100

 

[stamandster]

Why not make once?? Get copper sheets, cut to size, clamp together and drill 1/2 holes spaced evenly. Make a jig to solder all joints at specific intervals. Attach fan or immerse in ice water and recirc.

 

[gr8shandini]

It's not so much the fins as the surface area. In that regard, the plate chiller probably comes out on top since the wort gets "squished" into a large, flat area rather than a small tube. There's no reason the trans cooler wouldn't work, but I'd be worried about the type of solder used to hold it together. Wouldn't want to slowly give myself lead poisoning.

I can't seem to find it right now, but a while back there was some outfit selling a plate chiller for $60. Maybe I should have jumped on it.

 

[cwheel]

Something to think about: evaporative cooling is way more efficient that standard conduction/convection. What you really want to do is have the radiator sitting on a surface near the wort, and pump wort thru the radiator. At the same time, drip water over the fins of the radiator (a fine mist would be optimal) and have a fan blowing directly at it. This would make it operate just like a commercial HVAC closed circuit cooling tower. Evaporation of the water on the fins would draw heat out of the wort faster because of the high latent heat of evaporation. Worth a shot!

 

[doctorRobert]

Anything is worth a shot. Cooling wort is biggest PIA. It doesn't help that it comes towards the end of the brew cycle. I think I even enjoy botting beer more than trying to cool my wort.