Home Made Immersion Chiller

[rock]

HI, i got a plumber mate to make a immersion chiller using half a roll(9 meters) of 1/2" and he put 3/4 threaded hose fittings on the 2 ends..For the cost of the copper $55..He coiled it using a bucket which was smaller than my kettle and fits inside perfectly..Cooled the wort from boiling to 25C in about 15min :chug:
Rod

 

[hazard]

I've just bought an immersion chiller from one of the site's sponsors. Its got fitting for a garden hose at either end, but given lack of water in Melbourne I dont want to simply hook up in the normal way and waste water. I always fill my fermenter with water and sodium percarbonate prior to sanitise, this goes down the drain but I thought if I catch this in the bath, add some bottles of ice (juice bottles, filled with water, frozen in the freezer) I can chill wort by recirculating through the chiller.

I've read here before about pond pumps (tried search but could not find it again), what are they, can i hook it up to an immersion chiller, where would i get one from (I live in Melb Northeast suburbs).

Or is there a better way to recirculate chill water?

hazard

 

[sav]

I've just bought an immersion chiller from one of the site's sponsors. Its got fitting for a garden hose at either end, but given lack of water in Melbourne I dont want to simply hook up in the normal way and waste water. I always fill my fermenter with water and sodium percarbonate prior to sanitise, this goes down the drain but I thought if I catch this in the bath, add some bottles of ice (juice bottles, filled with water, frozen in the freezer) I can chill wort by recirculating through the chiller.

I've read here before about pond pumps (tried search but could not find it again), what are they, can i hook it up to an immersion chiller, where would i get one from (I live in Melb Northeast suburbs).

Or is there a better way to recirculate chill water?

hazard

I use a fish tank power head (look up aqua one power heads) mine is 500lts an hour.

 

[TidalPete]

Got mine from Bunnings & is just an el-cheapo pond pump but still going strong after 96 AG's. Around $20 IIRC
Got a made-up galv iron tank that I emptied my primary post chill water into before using the Pond pump & ice. Soaked all the pot plants in it then emptied it onto the garden before I started using my sand spear for primary cooling.

TP

 

[Bretto77]

OK, im with ya now, only downside is not having a tap on my new pot, hmmm.

Hi J1gsaw,
I built an immersion chiller at the start of this year. Made it with 2 pieces of 6m 12mm copper pipe Bunnings is the cheapest place to get it from. I joined the two pieces with a copper fitting.

I have just started AG brewing and have been sourcing grain from Craftbrewer. Noticed that you are relatively close I'm in Boonah, may be worth teaming up to help with grain runs if your keen. I am keen to hook up with other AG brewers locally. Your welcome to check out my chiller if you like.

cheers
Brett

 

[boybrewer]

Hi Gang, I plan on making my own copper immersion chiller, and just seeking some advice from anyone that has done this before. I went to Bunnings this morning for a look, and found they had 3m length coils (1/2 in), so i grabbed one of them and some fittings etc. Upon getting home, and having a better look, Im thinking it wont be long enough??
Even once i roll it out and re-roll it over a small drum/log etc, does there need to be a minimum amount of coils to have it cool more efficiently in the wort? Im guessing i would get 4 at the max with 3m length, not too mention having a foot either side to attach hose and run-off tube. Am i Better off maybe ordering in a 6m length, or just getting another 3m and joining them with brass attachment?
Cheers

Hi j1gsaw,
I made one last year got all the pieces from bunnings.

9 mt of 1/2 copper tube it was real exy then, a couple of elbows and a hose end so I could join it to the hose. Works great , would work better if I had a few more metres.



Beer belly :icon_drunk:

 

[j1gsaw]

Hi J1gsaw,
I built an immersion chiller at the start of this year. Made it with 2 pieces of 6m 12mm copper pipe Bunnings is the cheapest place to get it from. I joined the two pieces with a copper fitting.

I have just started AG brewing and have been sourcing grain from Craftbrewer. Noticed that you are relatively close I'm in Boonah, may be worth teaming up to help with grain runs if your keen. I am keen to hook up with other AG brewers locally. Your welcome to check out my chiller if you like.

cheers
Brett

Hey Bretto, your not far from me at all. Im keen to meet a few local brewers also, will have to put a brewday on the agenda id say.

 

[Darren]

...... before I started using my sand spear for primary cooling.

TP

Whays a sand spear?

cheers

Darren

 

[spog]

Hi Gang, I plan on making my own copper immersion chiller, and just seeking some advice from anyone that has done this before. I went to Bunnings this morning for a look, and found they had 3m length coils (1/2 in), so i grabbed one of them and some fittings etc. Upon getting home, and having a better look, Im thinking it wont be long enough??
Even once i roll it out and re-roll it over a small drum/log etc, does there need to be a minimum amount of coils to have it cool more efficiently in the wort? Im guessing i would get 4 at the max with 3m length, not too mention having a foot either side to attach hose and run-off tube. Am i Better off maybe ordering in a 6m length, or just getting another 3m and joining them with brass attachment?
Cheers

what you have may take longer to cool the wort,but (so) just hook it up to the garden hose, stir in the opposite direction to the flow in the chiller,while having a brew and you're set like jelly.cheers....spog....

 

[TidalPete]

Whays a sand spear?

cheers

Darren

A sand spear Darren, is the same as a water bore but the hole is blasted out by water pressure through the sand rather than drilled through heavy soil & rock. My spear only goes down 8.5 metres to reach the water table below.

TP

 

[niggles]

Here's my home made IC. Managed to score an 18m coil of 1/2" from a plumber for $50 & a case of home brew. :icon_cheers: After a bit of thinking, decided to go for a double-coil arrangement to ensure full immersion for either single or double batches in my 70L kettle.

Also decided to go to the trouble of bending it up without the use of any elbows etc - took a bit of effort, but I figure it's simpler and easier to clean than would otherwise be the case.







After a few brews I'm very happy with the efficiency of this thing - a lot better than the 6m coil I'd used previously. I can get 30L down to ~20C in about 20 min. Like others, I use a pond pump & recirc water as much as possible. Temperature differential is critical, so the first run through exiting @ 60-70C gets saved in a separate bin for clean up. A few takeaway containers of ice added to a smaller volume of recirculating water bring it right down. The last brew was a bock, which I was able to get down to 6-7C within an hour. As already mentioned, stirring the wort increases the rate of heat transfer significantly.

Cheers, Niggles.

 

[Bretto77]

Hey Bretto, your not far from me at all. Im keen to meet a few local brewers also, will have to put a brewday on the agenda id say.

Sounds good j1gsaw to hook up am also keen to find local guys. I am certainly not aware of any AG brewers in Boonah and have hooked up with a few in Ipswich. I would be interested as to how you get your grain from Craftbrewer? Do you pick it up or have it posted? Can see some real value in teaming up to save a bit of petrol in pick ups. At this stage I am timing pick ups with my wifes trips to Brisbane. Not keen on the postage costs (however I probably spend as much on fuel anyway).

I am thinking about buying base malts in 25kg bags, so as to cut down costs even more (its about $2 a kilo to buy that way), just need to work out how to have it milled. Browndog in Ipswich has said its ok for me to rock up and use his mill. Do you have a mill?

Look forward to hearing from ya.

cheers
Bretto

 

[j1gsaw]

Sounds good j1gsaw to hook up am also keen to find local guys. I am certainly not aware of any AG brewers in Boonah and have hooked up with a few in Ipswich. I would be interested as to how you get your grain from Craftbrewer? Do you pick it up or have it posted? Can see some real value in teaming up to save a bit of petrol in pick ups. At this stage I am timing pick ups with my wifes trips to Brisbane. Not keen on the postage costs (however I probably spend as much on fuel anyway).

I am thinking about buying base malts in 25kg bags, so as to cut down costs even more (its about $2 a kilo to buy that way), just need to work out how to have it milled. Browndog in Ipswich has said its ok for me to rock up and use his mill. Do you have a mill?

Look forward to hearing from ya.

cheers
Bretto

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