Double pipe wort chiller

[dropbear85]

Anyone made one of these?

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2849-double-pipe-wort-chiller-projects

I have made a CFC but I find when I recirculate hot wort through it for 10 min to sanitize it before chilling the outer hose gets soft and floppy and I usually get a bit of a leak where it clamps on to the copper fittings. I reckon this might solve the problem

 

[Cervantes]

No, but I've researched them and they look the goods.

My only concern would be how much wort you loose to the cooling system it's self. I reckon that you would loose a couple of liters in a decent sized version.

This is worth a watch. It's a three part series................

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

https://youtu.be/znOZCIdTk4o

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

 

[MaltyHops]

You shouldn't lose much wort if you just reverse the wort connections at the end and recover the remaining wort by gravity draining it out. Could get a bit messy but with addition of some ball valves could help make it a bit cleaner.

Neat idea.

Also instead of using silicon hose to join the ends, I could imagine using copper elbows and tubes held in place with metal strips and clamps.

 

[MartinOC]

If anyone's looking for the industrial solution, I have (from memory!) 4 x 3m SS lengths + a SS return pipe that a mate sold me before he moved to NZ that I'm not using. They'll need a good clean, but if you want them, make me an offer......

I'd post-up photo's, but I left the camera at work. I'll do it tomorrow.

 

[idzy]

With my counter flow chiller, I just connect it to the HLT afterwards and redirect the flow to a bucket. Once it starts to change colour you have most of your wort out. Add the contents from bucket back in.

In terms of this design, I would have thought the standard counterflow type design might be easier and produce better results. I will see if I can find a video.

 

[idzy]

Here it is. This video is gold in my opinion. This is how mine is designed, except it uses A/C piping from a car, rather than the clear stuff in this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVf-lTFpR2c

 

[crowmanz]

In terms of this design, I would have thought the standard counterflow type design might be easier and produce better results. I will see if I can find a video.

The guy in your video has moved onto using the parallel/double pipe counter flow chiller. See the videos Cervantes linked.

Main reasons i think he mentions are space, the parallel version can tuck up against the wall, and you can spot check that the chiller is clean, in the traditional CFC chiller you cant look down the pipe to see if there is anything in there.

 

[dropbear85]

No, but I've researched them and they look the goods.

My only concern would be how much wort you loose to the cooling system it's self. I reckon that you would loose a couple of liters in a decent sized version.

This is worth a watch. It's a three part series................

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

https://youtu.be/znOZCIdTk4o

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

interesting videos.
I reckon you could save a lot of cash by pissing off the compression fittings and just use end caps with a hole drilled in them and seal it with some high temp silicon.

 

[Eagleburger]

I had one. Just finished cutting up the pvc for a water dispenser for the chooks. Use a plate chiller now.

 

[Dave70]

Interesting to see how much more efficient the plain old stainless immersion chiller on the BM worked in a side by side comparo with the Grainfathers CF system.
The action starts around the 10.30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-13UGBuJSc

 

[Mattrox]

Interesting to see how much more efficient the plain old stainless immersion chiller on the BM worked in a side by side comparo with the Grainfathers CF system.
The action starts around the 10.30.

Was he returning chilled wort back into the GF to measure cooling ability or did he only do it for sterilisation? I can't watch the whole vid on my phone...

When I've seen the GF chiller in action, they put cooled wort straight in the FV.

It's actually not a measure of efficiency because to directly compare because you need know surface area of each chiller. It's like saying a supercharged v8 is more efficient than a turbo 4 cylinder because it won a drag race.

 

[dropbear85]

yeah for some reason he returns back into the main vessel for the whole chilling phase instead of going straight to the fermenter. Doesn't make sense to me because you are chilling the wort then reheating it again. The other reason it was so inefficient in this video is because the pump kept blocking

 

[Droopy Brew]

For a princely sum of $120 you can get a neat and compact plate chiller ready to go and will do just as good a job. I dont see the reason to go this way unless of course you just want to build shit. And lets face it, who around here doesnt just like to build shit cos they can.

 

[dropbear85]

plate chillers clog and I have all the copper

 

[Pistolpete01]

Anyone made one of these?

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2849-double-pipe-wort-chiller-projects

I have made a CFC but I find when I recirculate hot wort through it for 10 min to sanitize it before chilling the outer hose gets soft and floppy and I usually get a bit of a leak where it clamps on to the copper fittings. I reckon this might solve the problem

Do you rekon it would be hard to incorporate a pond pump/ice bath into this for hitting lower temps than ground water? If you had tap water for the first three quarters and ice water pumped through the last quarter?

 

[fraser_john]

yeah for some reason he returns back into the main vessel for the whole chilling phase <snip>

One reason to do this is flame out hop additions in the kettle, they still get a bit of heat, enough to extract out the aroma, but are chilled down to below 80c quick enough to avoid iosmerisation (.sp?).

 

[fraser_john]

<snip>

My only concern would be how much wort you loose to the cooling system it's self. I reckon that you would loose a couple of liters in a decent sized version.

<snip>

Losses should be minimal if designed/built right, on the laterals if you make one side a little higher than the other when joining t-piece it will draing from one side to the other by gravity, so slope left->right on first run, right->left on second run, left->right third run etc. Should drain perfectly and leave nothing behind.

 

[Mattrox]

One reason to do this is flame out hop additions in the kettle, they still get a bit of heat, enough to extract out the aroma, but are chilled down to below 80c quick enough to avoid iosmerisation (.sp?).

Wouldn't you do a flame out addition while doing the hot wort sterilisation of the chiller, then put the hose into the FV? Seems like wasting the efficiency of a CF chiller by turning it into a small external "immersion" chiller.

 

[fraser_john]

Wouldn't you do a flame out addition while doing the hot wort sterilisation of the chiller, then put the hose into the FV? Seems like wasting the efficiency of a CF chiller by turning it into a small external "immersion" chiller.

Also leaves cold trub behind, all methods work in the end though As long as it is drinkable.

 

[Dave70]

For a princely sum of $120 you can get a neat and compact plate chiller ready to go and will do just as good a job. I dont see the reason to go this way unless of course you just want to build shit. And lets face it, who around here doesnt just like to build shit cos they can.

Absolutely!

Before I wound up a bunch of 1/2 tube I entertained the idea of plugging in as off the shelf auto transmission cooler fitted with a thermo fan in the style of the one pictured. Hey, worked like a charm on my old Statesman where the fluid temps routinely topped the 100 deg mark.
Grab a 240 / 12v adapter from your preferred electronics purveyor (or some jumper leads in a pinch) and some silicone tube + clamps and your good to go.
Gotta be easier to clean than a bunch of hoses.
Run the wort through at a trickle via gravity or pump it through remotely. You could even stick it the freezer fro better results!
Take that Craftbrewer..