Copper Coils

[Mattese]

Hi all,

I've decided to make myself a simple chiller, using copper coil etc, however I'm not very good with the hands-on type of thing.

I've purloined a roll of 3/8" copper, and figure this will be good to make some form of wort chiller, and possibly a coil for a HERMS down the track.

I have no idea what to do next. It was good in theory, until I came to the realization that I now need to turn it into a coil.

Any help at all would be appreciated, and I apologize again for getting in over my head...

Mattese

 

[mfeighan]

Hi all,

I've decided to make myself a simple chiller, using copper coil etc, however I'm not very good with the hands-on type of thing.

I've purloined a roll of 3/8" copper, and figure this will be good to make some form of wort chiller, and possibly a coil for a HERMS down the track.

I have no idea what to do next. It was good in theory, until I came to the realization that I now need to turn it into a coil.

Any help at all would be appreciated, and I apologize again for getting in over my head...

Mattese

i remember reading online somewhere to use your corny keg as the structure for wrapping the coil around. I did that and it turned out fine

 

[A3k]

I've looked into this but never done it.
Word on the street is to fill it with sand and crimp the ends before turning it. This is meant to stop any of the pipe from buckling.
One thread i read mentioned that he did this with water instead of sand and it worked aswell.

I'm sure you can do it without either, but just be careful not to buckle the tube.

Cheers,
Al

 

[mfeighan]

i didnt do with sand, just take ur time the copper bends pretty and rings the size of a keg shouldnt kink ur tube. didnt happen or even look like happening when i did mine

 

[Mattese]

Thanks guys. Was at an absolute loss, and I didn't want SWMBO to have any ammunition.

I'll give it a go around a keg.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[churchy]

Did you buy the copper pipe already coiled? If so then it is anealed which means it is soft and can be bent without using sand.I bought three lots of three meters from bunnings and silver solded them together to make a nine meter coil wrapped around a keg.Then use the garden hose with a hose clamp and Bobs your Uncle.






Andrew

 

[legham]

heres a good link to look at.

cheers

 

[Bizier]

OK... you need 2 drunken blokes to find one of those R2D2 street telecom things that is missing the hat section in the the dead of night. At least that is my experience

 

[alford_j]

I followed the vid as legham mentioned () above and produced a nice cooling coil- as shown below.



I formed mine around a 4.5KG gas bottle. Anything sturdy and the right diameter to fit in your kettle will do the job. If you are using annealed copper (it usually comes in a coil) and you are bending it with a reasonable (say 150mm) radius, you will not need sand etc. If you are bending it around a tight radius, eg a 90 degree bend, I would recommend using a proper pipe bender or soldering elbow fittings as the pipe is likely to kink.

I have made 2 now, a 6m one using a pipe bender and no soldering, and a 20m one with a fair bit of soldering and no pipe bender. Just depends what tools and skills you have. The soldering is a bit tricky if you haven't done it before- have a practice. The bent pipe coil was super easy with the right tools- ie pipe bender.

Alf.

 

[absinthe]

i used no form and no tool part from myself :huh: and did the whole thing by eye no kinks and no elbows easy just dont bend it to tight

 

[Bribie G]

<modesty



</modesty>

:icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:

 

[NickB]

Pffft, as if you could fit your bag in that tiny mash tun opening Michael! Seriously, those awards must have gone to your head or something..... h34r:


But back OT, I've moved house (again) recently, but prior to that I went from chilling with an IC coil back to No-Chill, and to be perfectly honest, while it's not accepted "best practice" I have noticed bugger all difference in my beers. The only change I've made is with any late hopped beers, in that I ditch the flameout addition, and use it as a dry hop addition.

To put this into perspective, at both my previous and current houses, I've had access to water tanks for use as chilling water, and yet I'm still drawn to the convenience and apparent lack of effects that No-Chill gives (EDIT: In a properly 'seasoned' No-Chill Cube or Jerrycan)

That being said, I don't think the more delicate styles tend to fare AS well in a NC situation, such as a Bo-Pils, but I have made a couple of cracking Aussie Lagers No-Chilling.........

[My 2.75c, as I sit up waiting for a bloody video to render out in Final Cut Express whilst listening to some Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings EDIT: And some Peaches....and some Fleet Foxes.....and some....ahem....yep....ummm.....will shut-up now ]

Cheers

PS: I love my Sennheiser PX100 Headphones

 

[D.lycle]

Is there any reason why you cant get a roll of 8mm copper pipe from B&Q and use that?