Copper Immersion Chillers

[manticle]

I've had a squizz through the wiki section, this section, searched in the forum and searched through google. I know there's a section in Palmer but it's brief.

I'm wondering if somewhere here is an illustrated guide to making a copper immersion chiller? I was going to make an offer on Brendo's but I like making stuff for my brewery (despite my spasticity) and if there is no such guide will post pictures and descriptions of whichever retarded way I end up doing it.

As far as I can work out I just need some coiled annealed copper, a small pot and some hose and clamp attachments to go from incoming to outgoing. Outgoing will somehow be directed to the garden (probably just collected in a vessel and transferred with pots.

Basic process seems to be bend copper around pot with two ends free of the main coil. I read something in palmer about tube benders to prevent kinks. Can anyone more trade minded than I tell me what that is so when I go shopping I look like less of a mong?

Cheers

 

[gunbrew]

coiled annealed copper is the easy way to go.
I bought some recently from the hardware and it was just under $7 a metre.
It is very easy to bend around a pot to make an immersion chiller.

Regular copper pipe is much harder to bend and they had pipe benders for $30 there.
Hope that helps.

 

[manticle]

coiled annealed copper is the easy way to go.
I bought some recently from the hardware and it was just under $7 a metre.
It is very easy to bend around a pot to make an immersion chiller.

Regular copper pipe is much harder to bend and they had pipe benders for $30 there.
Hope that helps.

So you had no trouble with kinking? When first designing a copper manifold I tried to bend one to shape using annealed copper (kink city and project abandoned in favour of cutting hard copper pipe and using tees and elbows) but I'm assuming round bends and using a template (ie the pot) should be easy enough? I don't want to spend money I don't have if I don't have to.

Cheers.

 

[Kleiny]

Just get the coiled copper i think the big green shed has it in 10m lengths for a reasonable price or go see a local plumbing store.

Then just wind it around a cornie keg until you are happy with its position.
If you take your time it shouldnt kink.

Attach the ends either buy compression fittings or buy a small burner and some silver solder (lead free) and fix the fitting on. The burner solder and flux is sold at the big green shed as well and once you have made a couple of joins its easy.

Kleiny

 

[Kleiny]

So you had no trouble with kinking? When first designing a copper manifold I tried to bend one to shape using annealed copper (kink city and project abandoned in favour of cutting hard copper pipe and using tees and elbows) but I'm assuming round bends and using a template (ie the pot) should be easy enough? I don't want to spend money I don't have if I don't have to.

Cheers.

Depends on how tight you want the bend if you want it 90 degrees you are going to kink the pipe and are better of soldering in a 90 bend with the above mentioned equipment. But for the coil itself you are looking at a gentle bend which can be made with a little care.

Kleiny

 

[Fourstar]

Just get the coiled copper i think the big green shed has it in 10m lengths for a reasonable price or go see a local plumbing store.

Then just wind it around a cornie keg until you are happy with its position.
If you take your time it shouldnt kink.

A good option is to crimp one end, fill with sand or water and crimp the other, when you wind it around you wont loose your shape. Faux Mandrel bending.

 

[MitchDudarko]

A good option is to crimp one end, fill with sand or water and crimp the other, when you wind it around you wont loose your shape. Faux Mandrel bending.

+1 I've done this onsite a few times, to get myself out of the sh*t, and prevent a 30min trip back to the workshop.

 

[reVoxAHB]

I would be surprised if you could build one cheaper than you can purchase a second hand unit (assuming Brendos, etc. asking price is reasonable).

Unless you have a pipe bender, flaring tool, copper in surplus (or the desire to build something custom to fit your rig) I'd run the numbers including adapters for garden hose (or whatever your supply will be) and make an offer on a pre-loved chiller.

Also (with the dollar on high) consider a new unit from the US. Morebeer selection here. Yes, you'll have to tee up postage or arrange for a mate to bring it over, etc. but if this is doable, you could $ave a chunk.

Finally, having used all manner of chillers over the years I highly recommend skipping immersion and go straight to plate, unless you are considering doing something like Jamil (which I've seen in action) and it's highly impressive.

And speaking of coiling, have you seen the JagMatic?

reVox

 

[gunbrew]

No trouble with kinking.
I wrapped it arround a keg.
Only bought 2.5 metres and bought some clear tubing to attach and a brass hose fitting as you can see in the pic.
Not sure what the ideal length of the copper pipe would be.
2.5 metres works, longer would probably make it more efficient but I was on a buget.

So you had no trouble with kinking?
Cheers.

 

[absinthe]

A good option is to crimp one end, fill with sand or water and crimp the other, when you wind it around you wont loose your shape. Faux Mandrel bending.

filling with salt is much easier as sand can get very hard to remove.. with salt just hook the hose up to it and leave it turned on till it ether blows out or dissolves it and then blows out..


but i have never had any probs winding a large coil like a chiller without filling or using a die. just buy the coil and use the inner most turn as the start and then twist the rest to match, just make sure you pull up the middle pipe for the inlet first.

the only time you really need to fill with salt etc is if you are winding tighter than 3 inches in diameter (although you do need a die)

 

[manticle]

I would be surprised if you could build one cheaper than you can purchase a second hand unit (assuming Brendos, etc. asking price is reasonable).

Unless you have a pipe bender, flaring tool, copper in surplus (or the desire to build something custom to fit your rig) I'd run the numbers including adapters for garden hose (or whatever your supply will be) and make an offer on a pre-loved chiller.

Also (with the dollar on high) consider a new unit from the US. Morebeer selection here. Yes, you'll have to tee up postage or arrange for a mate to bring it over, etc. but if this is doable, you could $ave a chunk.

Finally, having used all manner of chillers over the years I highly recommend skipping immersion and go straight to plate, unless you are considering doing something like Jamil (which I've seen in action) and it's highly impressive.

And speaking of coiling, have you seen the JagMatic?

reVox

It seems unlikely I'll need a pipe bender for annealed if others' experiences are anything to go by. The desire to build something to custom fit my rig and the challenge to make stuff when I'm not that naturally proficient at it is the main driving force. I know brendo would offer me a good price (in fact he already has). I'll make the decision over the next couple of days but I've so far managed to build my own copper manifold, fit it to my esky with t-piece and tap and transform a keg into a keggle and I'm spaz. The satisfaction of using those bits of homemade equipment is equal to making your own beer from scratch or growing your own hops. I know making a mill might be beyond my current skill level which is why I bought a cheap corona jobby from ebay (around $60 plus postage) but making a chiller doesn't seem outside manticle capabilities.

The process would no doubt be of interest to others who are putting together their rig too. If I can do it, anyone can.

So far I've done around 20 AG brews without a chiller (and only one was no-chill) - I have a bath full of ice juice/water bottles but I'd like to speed the process along and stop carrying 30 L of near boiling wort from my burner to my bath.

Jagmatic link is great. I don't have a jag though.

 

[A3k]

Hi guys,
Sorry if this has been covered, i only did a quick skim of the thread as im working.

I have just made a immersion chiller. Annealed copper is extremely easy to bend, much more so than i expected. Just wrap it around a keg and youll be fine. Turn the keg upside down and tuck one end through a handle.

I got 3 lots of 3m copper. Not the best way to go, but was cheaper per meter than a long peice. From bunnings the first lot was $15 for the 3m, but i went back today and found the 3m for $10. I was a little pissed, but i grabbed another 3m to bring the chiller up to 12m.

I also learned how to braze copper for this, and was rather simple in the end. I just got a cheap burner, not an expensive one and it seemed to work fine.

Check out the link in this post. Helped me a fair bit
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=561990

Cheers Al.

 

[manticle]

Great link thanks.

 

[gava]

Im going to make a new Chiller in the coming weeks.. its going to have a whirlpool attached..

got the idea/instructions from

http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/MyloFio...Jamil-O-Chiller

looks tops

 

[gava]

Holy Ba-jebus.. brought the stuff for the above chiller lastnight from the big green shed (I had $70 of vouchers) $150 lighter (after vouchers)

Had to buy all the copper burner , pipe cutter, solder though next time it'll be cheaper..

 

[devo]

I've experimented with a 30 plate chiller and didn't like it. Have been extremely happy with the immersion chiller that I made from an 18m length of coiled copper back when I first started brewing. Copper is expensive but it is a one off expense and the resulting piece of gear is reliable and should last you a lifetime.

 

[gava]

my current Immersion chiller is very slow.. it looks like it was made with about 9m of copper and just doesn't do the job.. thats why i've moved to the 18m copper with the whirlpool addon.. if it does what the guys in the forum claim it'll get to pitching temp after 20mins which is tops! at the moment its a nightmare..

edit:spelling

 

[devo]

my current Immersion chiller is very slow.. it looks like it was made with about 9m of copper and just doesn't do the job.. thats why i've moved to the 18m copper with the whirlpool addon.. if it does what the guys in the forum claim it'll get to pitching temp after 20mins which is tops! at the moment its a nightmare..

edit:spelling

I think an expectation of getting wort chilled down in 20mins with an 18m coil may be a little unrealistic. With a 50lt batch it can take me anywhere between 45min to over an hour depending on the time of year to get the wort temp to pitching temp. NOTE my water source is a 5000lt water tank that recirculating from.

 

[gava]

Are you whirlpooling? or just moving your chiller around..


Snip from website

"I tested it out today for the first time. From 212F down to 120F in 5 minutes. Another 5 minutes down to 75F, and five more minutes down to 60F. Fifteen minutes total.... frickin' sweet... "


edit:spelling

I think an expectation of getting wort chilled down in 20mins with an 18m coil may be a little unrealistic. With a 50lt batch it can take me anywhere between 45min to over an hour depending on the time of year to get the wort temp to pitching temp. NOTE my water source is a 5000lt water tank that recirculating from.

 

[devo]

Are you whirlpooling? or just moving your chiller around..


Snip from website

"I tested it out today for the first time. From 212F down to 120F in 5 minutes. Another 5 minutes down to 75F, and five more minutes down to 60F. Fifteen minutes total.... frickin' sweet... "


edit:spelling

I do neither. Chiller sits in the wort undisturbed until desired temp has been reached.