Cooler?

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Tex083

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Hi Guys im new around here so if the question has been asked a million times im sorry.

I have recently been given a lauter tun and im keen as to get in to AG brewing. I have been reading up and have most of the equipment, my final large purchase will be a chiller.
I am leaning towards a 30 plate chiller to do 20L batches.
I have also seen Auto transmission coolers that work well in cars. Has anyone used something similar to avoid the use of water in the chilling process?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Lytron-Tube...=item3cc8bb127d

This is what gave me the idea, I could build something similar for a LOT less than the asking price.

Cheers
Tex
 
Not trying to get you away from chilling, but have you heard about no chilling yet? Might buy you some time to find out what you really need.
 
Thanks for the reply's
I have had a look into no chill, I brought a Grain and Grape 17L wort kit because it came in a nice cube! Maybe I will go the no chill for a while and see how it goes.

Cooling to ambient today in Vic would be no issue but in summer I would have probems :(
 
I bought a cheap Bilge Pump (4000 litres/hour) that I submerse in a 30 litre bucket of ice and water and recirculate that thru my 30-plate chiller.
 
I drop a sub pump into my water tank and recirculate that through my plate chiller.
Even in summer the water is still fairly cool inside the tank as it sits on the south side of the house and gets no sun.
 
Hi Guys im new around here so if the question has been asked a million times im sorry.

I have recently been given a lauter tun and im keen as to get in to AG brewing. I have been reading up and have most of the equipment, my final large purchase will be a chiller.
I am leaning towards a 30 plate chiller to do 20L batches.
I have also seen Auto transmission coolers that work well in cars. Has anyone used something similar to avoid the use of water in the chilling process?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Lytron-Tube...=item3cc8bb127d

This is what gave me the idea, I could build something similar for a LOT less than the asking price.

Cheers
Tex


Maybe if you rigged up a few dozen of them you may get enough cooling

QldKev



edit: May explain the maths why

The cooler is rated at 1140btu/hour
Which is about 334w

Say 23L of wort
to Cool from 95 to 25 = 70c change

Using the water calc on my site

Thats 336 minutes, if you maintain the max heat exchange value. But in the real world the closer the wort temp is to the coolant temp the less heat exchange you will achieve.
 
Even in SEQ summers I still no chill with good results. If you get a brewing fridge, (preferably a couple) which is going to be really essential if you want to get brewing by the balls, then Doing a no chill overnight then popping the cube into the fridge will normally enable you to pitch within 24 hours of the brew.

By the morning the cube should still be around mid - 30s but a fridge can handle that no worries and will drag it down within a few hours.
 
I was introduced to No Chill a couple of years back and have never looked back. It also allows you to build up a stock pile of beers if you have the brewing capacity. Good luck with your first AG
 
I bought a cheap Bilge Pump (4000 litres/hour) that I submerse in a 30 litre bucket of ice and water and recirculate that thru my 30-plate chiller.
Thanks how long does it take to cool the wort using the ice and water?I was thinking of getting a 1000l IBC from eBay and use rain water and a spare aquarium pump to get some water flow
QldKev - wow 336 minutes at very best, think it would be quicker to no chill!
This has been very good and given me heaps to think about! To start AG Im thinking of doing a mini mash around 10l on the stove top as my HERMS coil DIY has not gone smoothly. Stove top 10l no chill in a willow jerry.
 
I'm a no chill fan as it separates the day you brew form the day you ferment. I brew larger sized batches (currently filling 3 cubes a run) and have 12 cubes available. The cubes can happily sit around waiting to be fermented for up to 12 months. I ferment in single sized batches, 2 at a time, and can use one cube from one batch and another cube from a completely different batch allow a good variety of beers to be pushed through.

Back to the original question, if you want to chill. I think a decent sized immersion chiller or a decent plate chiller, or a counter flow chiller works well. If you thinking about building a plate chiller take into account the Mashmaster has 6440 cm total surface area. The immersion and counter flow chillers can be built at home pretty easily, but you mentioned issues building your HERMS coil, what were they?
 
I got a cheap pipe bender and couldn't bend the pipe without kinking it. I wanted to put a coil inside some 100mm PVC pipe. I'm going to give it another go wrapping the coiled copper around some 50mm PVC.
I will go for the no chill for now then if I feel the need to chill I can do it in the future.
 
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