Parallel counter flow wort chiller

[nosco]

Has anyone had go at making one of these? Im going to have a go so im wondering if any one has any ideas on it

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

 

[2cranky]

Hey Nosco,
haven't made one..........yet!
but I'll watch your build.

 

[nosco]

It might take me a while to get all the bits. The copper will cost a bit. The thing I like about this idea is that you can add on to it. Just give me 6 - 36 months to get it finished :lol:

 

[Mardoo]

There have been a couple for sale on here, so some folks have in the past. Guessing they aren't on here anymore. I saw one in action and worked very, very well. Not much, I know...

 

[nosco]

A google only turns up 3 vids and not much else. Mostly coz the key words turn up the regular CF chiller. They look like the best option as far as cleaning and customisation to me. Maybe not for space. Just wondering why you dont see them more often.

 

[nosco]

There have been a couple for sale on here

Missed em. I probably thought they were the round sort.

 

[nosco]

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

 

[Mardoo]

Yeah, I like that BYO one. Check out the US forums. They're still a sort of niche type of chiller, but absolutely have their fans.

 

[boybrewer]

Has anyone had go at making one of these? Im going to have a go so im wondering if any one has any ideas on it

https://youtu.be/KhWdLYlpGf4

Did you know that this brewer passed away a few months later in November 2016 . He was one of my inspirations for building some of my brewery tools,like the counter flow chiller .
He will be missed.

 

[Maheel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKrPT0_vSug

i have made plenty of these type of chillers / condensers (liebig)

normally use 1/2" through 3/4 all copper
You drill out the 1/2 X 3/4 X 1/2 T's to allow the 1/2 tube to pass through the T and the 3/4 go between the T's

pretty easy to make and you can soft solder them with lead free solder

 

[labels]

I made one about a year ago, this is the unit nearly finished. The ends are joined together with silicone tubing.

 

[labels]

I suppose I should show the finished unit. It works really well, about twice as fast as my previous plate chiller and doesn't block with hop debris from pelletised hops.

 

[AJS2154]

Very nice job, Labels. Looks like some nice soldering there mate.

I am very interested in making one of these. The reason I went no chill was that I always stressed about the cleanliness of my plate chiller. I never felt like that damn thing was actually clean. My OCD makes me stress if I can at least visually check that the unit looks clean as a minimum.

I have a question though. Do you know what the total volume of wort is that remains in the chiller? It looks to me that it would hold a reasonable amount of wort inside it, which will add to the kettle wastages. I also assume you will need to have a pump attached, unless of course the kettle is a long way suspended to let gravity do the work.

I need to stop vascillating and get cracking on one of these. They look like a great DIY project which will last forever.

See you, Anthony

 

[labels]

I don't know the volume but some simple maths should work it out. In this case there are seven lengths of half inch copper at 400mm long plus the silicone loops so I would guess around 2 litres max and yes, you need a pump. I use a March pump.

I recirculate back to the kettle until it drops to 40C and then slow the flow into the fermenter. I use the recirculation to set up an efficient whirlpool. I also use a submersible pump in the swimming pool to to chill.

All in all, works out good. My batch size is 50L

These things are really easy to make, it only took about an hour and about another half hour to clean-up after soldering

 

[labels]

Of course the other advantage of these things is easy of cleaning. Just pull off the silicone tubes and run a bottle brush through the tubes. Easy done.

 

[AJS2154]

These things are really easy to make, it only took about an hour and about another half hour to clean-up after soldering

You must be a far more efficient solderer than I am, labels.

Yes, I was thinking about the pool water too, but was worried about the effect of Chlorine on copper.

Thanks for the response, mate. I can work out the volumes with the lengths of copper and IDs.

See you, Anthony

 

[labels]

You must be a far more efficient solderer than I am, labels.

Yes, I was thinking about the pool water too, but was worried about the effect of Chlorine on copper.

Thanks for the response, mate. I can work out the volumes with the lengths of copper and IDs.

See you, Anthony

Don't use silver solder unless you have an oxy-acetylene rig. If you're using MAPP gas then you can buy low temp solder from the big green shed in the plumbing section that is lead-free - just soft solder that is mostly tin. You MUST use a flux such as Bakers flux.

As for chlorine, Adelaide water has at least twice the chlorine in it during summertime than you would use in a pool and most houshold pumbing is copper so I guess that debunks that theory of chlorine and copper!

 

[Maheel]

nice work labels exactly what i was thinking except i think your cooling travels the full length ?


i was thinking if you did not interconnect the cooling and you might get even faster heat removal ?
eg have fresh "cold" going to each section of copper but wort does travel full lenght,
be harder to plumb up but maybe worth it ?

AJS
i have run shitloads of pool water through copper brewing equipment..... hours and hours and hours (months & months worth)

never noticed any loss in copper, give it a quick fresh purge after if your worried...

would help with algae control in the pool anyway

 

[labels]

nice work labels exactly what i was thinking except i think your cooling travels the full length ?

Correct, it does trave the full length and your idea has merit but a complex build.

Remember also, that this is a counterflow chiller so the wort and chillimg water are running in opposite directions

 

[rude]

What size submersible pump do you run in youre pool
and are they expensive
cheers mate nice work