Comments on: Counterflow Wort Chiller http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress WARNING: This blog contains writings known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:26:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Travis L. http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-218904 Travis L. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:22:48 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-218904 I really like your tutorial. You just don't come across a Gem like this too often. I even linked your tutorial in my blog. (I hope you don't mind). I really like your tutorial. You just don’t come across a Gem like this too often. I even linked your tutorial in my blog. (I hope you don’t mind).

]]> By: Nick http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-214176 Nick Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:50:55 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-214176 Those splines are on kink-resistant garden hoses. They are supposed to stiffen up the inner material and let water through even if the hose is bent over on itself. Best to go with the cheap-o hoses, they will be less likely to have splines. Of course, stay away from anything that advertises kink resistance! I just finished making up a 25' chiller. I don't have easy access to soldering equipment so I used a 3/8 compression to 5/8 pipe thread adapter on either end with the stops drilled. Works great so far - no muss, no fuss. Those splines are on kink-resistant garden hoses. They are supposed to stiffen up the inner material and let water through even if the hose is bent over on itself.

Best to go with the cheap-o hoses, they will be less likely to have splines. Of course, stay away from anything that advertises kink resistance!

I just finished making up a 25′ chiller. I don’t have easy access to soldering equipment so I used a 3/8 compression to 5/8 pipe thread adapter on either end with the stops drilled. Works great so far – no muss, no fuss.

]]> By: Father Barleywine http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-211529 Father Barleywine Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:43:31 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-211529 Made a variant of this bad boy today, planning on using it tomorrow in place of my old counterflow on a 1/2 barrel batch. I used 3/8" ID 1/2" OD soft copper pipe, and 3/4" copper T and 3/4" straight pipe for two legs coming off the T. 3/4" ID (kinda) garden hose was attached to these legs for the counterflow and for connection to inlet and outlet hoses (rather than a brass hose connector). On the third leg, I used 3/4" straight pipe, a 3/4" to 1/2" copper adaptor, 1/2" straight pipe, and a 1/2" to 3/8" adaptor, all soldered together in a row. I still find the ID/OD switcharoo confusing, as a 3/4" to 1/2" adaptor connects 3/4" and 1/2" straight pipes, but is too big for a 1/2" soft pipe . . . for that you need a further 1/2" to 3/8" adaptor. I had to ream out the interior of the 3/8" side of the adaptor a bit with a 3/8" drill (which, of course, is smaller than the 1/2" diameter of the 3/8" side of the adaptor) so I could slide the whole thing over the 3/8" ID soft pipe without it locking up, but using the adaptors you get >1/4" of sleeve to solder over the tube, which is more dependable with my knockabout brewing style. Finally, I attached a 1/2" ID vinyl food grade to the outlet end, and a 1/2" compression fitting to 3/8" MIP threaded that allowed me to attach my pump, which has those braided stainless tubes with 3/8" female ends. I skipped using the 3/8" OD pipe because 1) I would have had to use a further adaptor and more straight pipe, and people would have laughed, and 2) Lowes only had 10' coils of the 3/8". I think the 20" 1/2" OD pipe will work nicely, even without soldering on wires around the outside, as I believe the larger gap between pipe and hose you get using 3/4" ID hose and 1/2" OD pipe along with the variation in this gap due to coiling the whole thing will lead to plenty of flow turbulence. I pump my wort with a little magnetic pump, and my boiler is raised so I have good velocity . . . I'll let y'all know if I get good enough cooling. I think the greater counterflow velocity of the cooling water with the larger hose will overcome any issues with not having sofisticated turbulators in the mix. Here's a pricelist (Lowes, Columbus, OH) for those aspiring to repeat my performance: 3/8" ID 1/2" OD soft copper pipe, 20 ft --- $25.11 3/4" x 24" hard pipe --- $9.27 1/2" x 24" hard pipe --- $5.63 3/4" to 1/2" coupling (2 x $2.61) ---$5.22 1/2" to 3/8" coupling (2 x $1.48) --- $2.96 3/4" copper T (2 x $2.71) --- $5.42 #12 pipe clamps (2/pkg, 2 x $1.74) ---$3.48 1/2" compression to 3/8" MIP --- $4.36 TOTAL: $61.45 I already had an old 3/4" ID hose, the new ones are about $45 as all the cheap hose is 5/8". If you go all-new, it'll come out to about $100, but I just priced a simple immersion chiller at a local homebrew supply and it was $66. The price of copper nowadays is simply outrageous. Made a variant of this bad boy today, planning on using it tomorrow in place of my old counterflow on a 1/2 barrel batch. I used 3/8″ ID 1/2″ OD soft copper pipe, and 3/4″ copper T and 3/4″ straight pipe for two legs coming off the T. 3/4″ ID (kinda) garden hose was attached to these legs for the counterflow and for connection to inlet and outlet hoses (rather than a brass hose connector). On the third leg, I used 3/4″ straight pipe, a 3/4″ to 1/2″ copper adaptor, 1/2″ straight pipe, and a 1/2″ to 3/8″ adaptor, all soldered together in a row. I still find the ID/OD switcharoo confusing, as a 3/4″ to 1/2″ adaptor connects 3/4″ and 1/2″ straight pipes, but is too big for a 1/2″ soft pipe . . . for that you need a further 1/2″ to 3/8″ adaptor. I had to ream out the interior of the 3/8″ side of the adaptor a bit with a 3/8″ drill (which, of course, is smaller than the 1/2″ diameter of the 3/8″ side of the adaptor) so I could slide the whole thing over the 3/8″ ID soft pipe without it locking up, but using the adaptors you get >1/4″ of sleeve to solder over the tube, which is more dependable with my knockabout brewing style. Finally, I attached a 1/2″ ID vinyl food grade to the outlet end, and a 1/2″ compression fitting to 3/8″ MIP threaded that allowed me to attach my pump, which has those braided stainless tubes with 3/8″ female ends.

I skipped using the 3/8″ OD pipe because 1) I would have had to use a further adaptor and more straight pipe, and people would have laughed, and 2) Lowes only had 10′ coils of the 3/8″. I think the 20″ 1/2″ OD pipe will work nicely, even without soldering on wires around the outside, as I believe the larger gap between pipe and hose you get using 3/4″ ID hose and 1/2″ OD pipe along with the variation in this gap due to coiling the whole thing will lead to plenty of flow turbulence. I pump my wort with a little magnetic pump, and my boiler is raised so I have good velocity . . . I’ll let y’all know if I get good enough cooling. I think the greater counterflow velocity of the cooling water with the larger hose will overcome any issues with not having sofisticated turbulators in the mix.

Here’s a pricelist (Lowes, Columbus, OH) for those aspiring to repeat my performance:
3/8″ ID 1/2″ OD soft copper pipe, 20 ft — $25.11
3/4″ x 24″ hard pipe — $9.27
1/2″ x 24″ hard pipe — $5.63
3/4″ to 1/2″ coupling (2 x $2.61) —$5.22
1/2″ to 3/8″ coupling (2 x $1.48) — $2.96
3/4″ copper T (2 x $2.71) — $5.42
#12 pipe clamps (2/pkg, 2 x $1.74) —$3.48
1/2″ compression to 3/8″ MIP — $4.36
TOTAL: $61.45
I already had an old 3/4″ ID hose, the new ones are about $45 as all the cheap hose is 5/8″. If you go all-new, it’ll come out to about $100, but I just priced a simple immersion chiller at a local homebrew supply and it was $66. The price of copper nowadays is simply outrageous.

]]> By: Home Brewing Tools : Home-Brewing Counter Flow Wort Chillers | Home Wine Making Blog http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-208171 Home Brewing Tools : Home-Brewing Counter Flow Wort Chillers | Home Wine Making Blog Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:15:38 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-208171 [...] than 11 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIAVideo Rating: 5 / 5 Home beer-brewing counter flow wort chillers help get beer from ...01; information on how counter flow wort chillers work withtips [...] [...] than 11 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIAVideo Rating: 5 / 5 Home beer-brewing counter flow wort chillers help get beer from …01; information on how counter flow wort chillers work withtips [...]

]]> By: Mumsbrew http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-194213 Mumsbrew Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:02:55 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-194213 Built the chiller last week. 3/8 in. tubing and 3/4 in. hose and fittings. Tried out sat. morning with just boiling water went from 210* to 70* in 5 sec. Drained 6 1/2 gal. in 15 min. Totally awsome. Wrapped the coil around my tower below the boil kettle and above the fermenter, and just use gravity to drain. Thank you for posting the plans. Built the chiller last week. 3/8 in. tubing and 3/4 in. hose and fittings. Tried out sat. morning with just boiling water went from 210* to 70* in 5 sec. Drained 6 1/2 gal. in 15 min. Totally awsome. Wrapped the coil around my tower below the boil kettle and above the fermenter, and just use gravity to drain. Thank you for posting the plans.

]]> By: Mumsbrew http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-192226 Mumsbrew Sun, 14 Aug 2011 03:05:02 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-192226 I want to thank you all for the info passed along on this thread over the last couple of years. I've been holding off making one but with all the info here I'm ready to go ahead with it. Thank you everyone. Let you all know how it goes. I want to thank you all for the info passed along on this thread over the last couple of years. I’ve been holding off making one but with all the info here I’m ready to go ahead with it. Thank you everyone. Let you all know how it goes.

]]> By: Beer Wort Chillers http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-191315 Beer Wort Chillers Sun, 07 Aug 2011 04:34:00 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-191315 Very creative. Seems it would be a little bit time consuming and still cost almost the same as a plate heat exchanger for a beer wort chiller though. The problem is tube in shell heat exchangers aren't as good either, and there's a lot more pressure loss going through all of that hose, so less heat transfer too. Very creative. Seems it would be a little bit time consuming and still cost almost the same as a plate heat exchanger for a beer wort chiller though. The problem is tube in shell heat exchangers aren’t as good either, and there’s a lot more pressure loss going through all of that hose, so less heat transfer too.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-183535 Anonymous Sat, 04 Jun 2011 08:15:33 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-183535 Dude, this is beer making! Not life and death! Glad to know you are smarter than the average bear! Dude, this is beer making! Not life and death! Glad to know you are smarter than the average bear!

]]> By: John http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-179210 John Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:15:46 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-179210 Thank so much for the effort you put into posting this online for us. I just finished it and here are the minor differences... I went with 20 feet. I used the hot water lubrication method listed earlier, worked really well. I used the ends of the hose that I'd cut off instead of soldering on connectors. I left enough hose to make it to my sink from the stove, so I can connect and drain with the hose on the chiller. Just ran a test and cooled 5 gallons of boiling water down to 61 in less than 5 minutes. Man does this thing work! Thanks again!! J Thank so much for the effort you put into posting this online for us.
I just finished it and here are the minor differences…
I went with 20 feet.
I used the hot water lubrication method listed earlier, worked really well.
I used the ends of the hose that I’d cut off instead of soldering on connectors. I left enough hose to make it to my sink from the stove, so I can connect and drain with the hose on the chiller.
Just ran a test and cooled 5 gallons of boiling water down to 61 in less than 5 minutes. Man does this thing work!
Thanks again!!
J

]]> By: piper http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/homebrewing/wort_chiller/comment-page-2/#comment-178987 piper Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:57:11 +0000 http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/?page_id=120#comment-178987 I think many similar chillers do exactly that. It would have been hard to make it work on mine, because my hose had some kind of splines on the inside wall, running the whole length of the hose. It would be difficult to get it to seal. I think many similar chillers do exactly that.

It would have been hard to make it work on mine, because my hose had some kind of splines on the inside wall, running the whole length of the hose. It would be difficult to get it to seal.

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