Ebay Chiller

[scooterism]

Anyone had any experiences with this product/seller?


http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Standard-16M-S304-Stainless-Steel-All-Grain-Brewing-Wort-Chiller-Cooler-/151591603228

 

[fcmcg]

I haven't but copper is a far better option as it's heat exchange is far superior

 

[mstrelan]

I've read many discussions about the difference being negligible. These days S/S is cheaper and easier to clean.

 

[zeggie]

I haven't bought that exact chiller, but I've bought their smaller copper one from them in the past.
I'm not a tradie, but the copper was very thin and bent easy, hopefully not an issue with their stainless steel ones.

The included hoses were crap, the clamps were crap and always leaked, threw them in the bin.

"Pickup option" consisted of it left sitting on their doorstep in plain sight of the road....

Replaced it with a Grain and grape copper chiller. Solid as a rock, near impossible to bend or kink, and had tap connectors welded on.

 

[scooterism]

I agree on the copper having better thermal dynamics, I also like the 'cheaper and easy to clean' that the SS offers, plus it's robustness.

I'm just shopping around and weighing up my options.

Basically it's between this ebay one and the Keg King one.

The ebay one is 1M longer for similar money.

Maybe KK wins due to the fact they're not overnight traders..

 

[zeggie]

Yeah just get it from Keg king for warranty.

Also buy compression fittings instead of clamps. You'll thank me later lol

 

[klangers]

Copper has a hugely higher heat transfer coefficient thermal conductivity (edit) compared to stainless steel (390 vs ~ 20 W/mK). However, copper will be damaged by acidic/alkaline cleaning solutions.

 

[Feldon]

My understanding is that in practical terms there is no difference between stainless steel and copper as regards the efficiency of an immersion chiller coil.

Stainless steel and copper both have more than enough conductive capacity to transfer heat from the outside wall that is in contact with the hot wort to the inside wall in contact with the cold water.

The weak links in the heat transfer chain are the two metal/liquid interfaces. Conduction of heat from the hot wort into the metal surface of the outer wall of the tube, and from the metal surface of the inner wall into the cold water, is less efficient than heat conduction through the metal tube itself.

Another way of putting it is that both stainless and copper will transfer the heat through the tube from the hot side to the cold side at a rate that exceeds the rate at which the heat can enter and leave the metal(s).

 

[klangers]

My understanding is that in practical terms there is no difference between stainless steel and copper as regards the efficiency of an immersion chiller coil.

Stainless steel and copper both have more than enough conductive capacity to transfer heat through the tube wall, from the outside wall that is in contact with the hot wort to the inside wall in contact with the cold water.

The weak links in the heat transfer chain are the two metal/liquid interfaces. Conduction of heat from the hot wort into the metal surface of the outer wall of the tube, and from the metal surface of the inner wall into the cold water, is less efficient than heat conduction through the metal tube itself.

Another way of putting it is that both stainless and copper will transfer the heat through the tube wall from the hot side to the cold side at a rate that exceeds the rate at which the heat can enter and leave the metal(s).

Yeah - that's right and an important point that I missed. If you want to get the "gains" of the copper, you'd need a far higher level of turbulence in the whirlpool/kettle to get the heat transferred.

 

[booargy]

More than likely the tube is 12mm and won't fit 1/2" compression fittings.

 

[scooterism]

Yeah, not going for it..don't trust it and I've decided on a counterflow..

Thanks for your input all..