# Permanent Install of an Immersion Chiller?



## New_guy (28/1/14)

Contemplating a permanent install of an immersion wort chiller in a 50lt Keg

Anyone done this?
cleaning and sanitation issues?
"Birds nest" design with outlets in keg wall
As I BIAB this will be a separate dedicated vessel 

Am I way off track here ?


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## itguy1953 (28/1/14)

I have set this up.


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## New_guy (28/1/14)

Barry R said:


> I have set this up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Cheers for pics Barry

How long to cool to 20 deg c?


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## itguy1953 (28/1/14)

Works a treat. I turn off the electricity. Put on a lid. Turn on cooling water and walk away. I use a tap timer to turn off water after 30 minutes. 

I often leave in the boiler overnight and drain into fermenter in the morning. Get further cooling overnight. 

Cleaning is a bit of an issue. Need to wash put hops off cool before they dry. If I need to I boil up water and this gets all hops off coil and they settle in the bottom of the boiler. I use an electrical timer to control power, so I can do this overnight.


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## itguy1953 (28/1/14)

New_guy said:


> Cheers for pics Barry
> 
> How long to cool to 20 deg c?


Normally It takes 30 minutes to get to close to 20 degC. Depends on ambient temp and water temp. 

If wort is not cool enough I put in fridge to get to right temp. Normally only takes a few hours. Then i pitch yeast and add oxygen.


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## New_guy (28/1/14)

Would stirring help ?
Planning on recirculating system with rain water tank


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## warra48 (28/1/14)

Stirring makes a big difference to the time it takes to chill your wort.
I'd estimate in my case it approximately halves the time.

Can't say I'm enthusiastic about a permanent installation of an immersion chiller. Cleaning would be a big pain for me. Whirlpooling almost certainly won't work. I prefer to take mine out after chilling and before whirlpooling.


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## New_guy (28/1/14)

warra48 said:


> Stirring makes a big difference to the time it takes to chill your wort.
> I'd estimate in my case it approximately halves the time.
> 
> Can't say I'm enthusiastic about a permanent installation of an immersion chiller. Cleaning would be a big pain for me. Whirlpooling almost certainly won't work. I prefer to take mine out after chilling and before whirlpooling.[/quote
> ...


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## donburke (29/1/14)

I disagree with previous contributors

it is not hard to clean, a soak in pbw and then hose off will have it sparkly clean

I believe the immersion chiller aids in the formation of trub from whirpooling, slowing currents in the middle (inside the chiller) leaving less turbulence to disturb the cone of trub

these are my experiences and my pot and chiller are just as shiny as when I first built it 3 years ago 

here is a pic of how I did it


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## SimoB (29/1/14)

donburke said:


> I disagree with previous contributors
> 
> it is not hard to clean, a soak in pbw and then hose off will have it sparkly clean
> 
> ...


This is almost the same as what I'm having built. Not sure if my chiller is permanent but it is designed to whirlpool at the same time as chilling. I havent actually used it yet so bit hard to comment. 72lt pot.


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## Camo6 (29/1/14)

donburke said:


> I disagree with previous contributors
> 
> it is not hard to clean, a soak in pbw and then hose off will have it sparkly clean
> 
> ...


That's so purdy.


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## 2much2spend (29/1/14)

donburke said:


> I disagree with previous contributors
> 
> it is not hard to clean, a soak in pbw and then hose off will have it sparkly clean
> 
> ...



So don how well does the stainless work with heat dissipation? Compared to copper.


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## fletcher (29/1/14)

donburke said:


> I disagree with previous contributors
> 
> it is not hard to clean, a soak in pbw and then hose off will have it sparkly clean
> 
> ...


reported for posting porn. that's amazing


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## S.E (29/1/14)

New_guy said:


> Contemplating a permanent install of an immersion wort chiller in a 50lt Keg
> 
> Anyone done this?
> cleaning and sanitation issues?
> ...


Another option is to convert your immersion to a counter flow chiller. That’s what I did and I now find it easier to use and keep clean. Not that it was particularly hard to use and keep clean as an immersion though.

Cheers


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## donburke (29/1/14)

2much2spend said:


> So don how well does the stainless work with heat dissipation? Compared to copper.


i cant compare as i have only ever had stainless, but i have no doubt that you would get better thermal exchange with copper than stainless


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## donburke (29/1/14)

fletcher said:


> reported for posting porn. that's amazing


the internet was developed for the sole purpose of distributing porn, any other use or benefit is ancilliary


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## New_guy (1/2/14)

S.E said:


> Another option is to convert your immersion to a counter flow chiller. That’s what I did and I now find it easier to use and keep clean. Not that it was particularly hard to use and keep clean as an immersion though.
> 
> Cheers


Could put up some photos? 
Cheers


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## S.E (1/2/14)

New_guy said:


> Could put up some photos?
> Cheers


Mine is a bit ghetto. I threw it together about a year ago with bits and bobs I had in the garage with the intention of doing it nicely if it worked well. It works extremely well but I haven’t got round to tidying it up or connecting the pump I bought months ago. Mine works with gravity as I can fit a fermenter below the outlet from my brew kettle but a pump would be better in most situations.

Here is a picture of one I just googled.





and more info here.

http://beerismypassion.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/why-use-a-counter-flow-wort-chiller/


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## S.E (1/2/14)

If I ever get around to tidying mine up I will use a hose suitable for potable water so I can run the hot water in to the HLT for the next brew. I just used a garden hose so collect the hot water in the emptied mash tun with a cap full of nappy san and also an old esky to collect the rest and use it to clean the kettle etc. I use nearly twice as much tap water as wort I’m cooling at the moment but have two barrels and a garden pump to build a cooling system for the counter flow if I ever get around to that also.


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