Stainless Tube Coils

[Ducatiboy stu]

Was at a small factory today that makes electric elements from stainless tube ...

Naturally I asked how much they could do stainless tube for to make an imersion chiller...I told them it was for beer, so it was important...


" 12mm tube for $8 mtr, but it only comes in 6mtr lenghts "

" and way can anneal it and bend it into a coil "

After 1.5 seconds of deep thought i asked them to make one...


If anyone is interested in one I will have it by next week and may be able to get a few made up.....

 

[muga]

How many meters would you need to make a decent chiller? (for a 50L kettle)

 

[Tony]

6 8's are $48

Im in mate

If i give you an ourside diamiter for the coil can they make it to size?

I have been thinking of getting a length of Stainless tube abd bending it into a coil but the question is how???

do they charge extra to bend it up

Give us a total cost for a 6M coil mate

ooooooooo im excited

cheers

tony

 

[vlbaby]

stainless really has none of the thermal conductivity that copper has. You might need a long coil to compensate for this.

vlbaby.

 

[Wortgames]

I suspect they'll charge more for the bending too.

 

[Justin]

Guys I'd say 6m's is too short IMHO, especially in 1/2" and especially in stainless. I'm guessing here on the thermal properties of the diameter and the stainless, but even in 3/8" copper that's really not a lot of length. You'd be surprised how a couple of coils chews through the meterage. For a decent chiller I'd be looking at probably double that.

Don't forget also that you've got the best part of 2m just cominig up and over the side of your kettle (if your doing it this way and not mounting it permantly in the kettle).

If your spending the $$ to get it done I'd err on the side off too much being better than not enough. Don't skimp on the length.

Of course this is just my opinion. My chiller is 3/8" copper and has 6m in "coils", plus I joined on another probably 4-5m of 1/2" to make up the necessary length to go round for a couple of more coil and then up over the sides. The 3/8" copper was free, hence the short length adn the joined bits or different size. It does work well (a property I put down to smaller diameter tube and my cold tap water) however I do have plans to make another 3/8" chiller in the 12-18m range.

Hope it helps.

Cheers, Justin

 

[Tony]

The 1/2 copper coil mounted in my kettle is only 6 meters and it cools 50 liters down in no time

The problem with a long coil is the cooling water is already up to the temp of the liquor before it gets to the end so its wasted space.

I will do some research on heat conductivity diferences between SS and copper.

That is a valid point

cheers

 

[dreamboat]

Wow.... thermal conductivity of S/S is approximately 1/30th of that of copper!

Far more effort will need to be put in to see if this has any practical effect through a wall thickness of less than a mm... and even more importantly, how this compares with the conductivity of water (wort). It may turn out, that the material used is far less important than the effect of keeping the fluid moving around the coil itself.


dreamboat

 

[dreamboat]

All values picked from Efunda.com

Copper, Thermal Conductivity = 401 W/m-K (at 25C)
Copper, Thermal Conductivity = 393 W/m-K (at 125C)
316 S/S, 16.2 W/m-K (at 100C)
Water, 0.607 W/m-K (at 25C)

We can assume that the conductivity of the stainless will also be slightly reduced at higher temperature. Water behaves in an unusual fashion, but has conductivity rising from around 0.55 at 0C up to nearly 0.7 at 100C.

As water thermal conductivity is comparatively poor, movement of either the coil or the wort will have a great effect on the cooling time for the brew, as only the water immediately adjacent to the coil will be cooled.



dreamboat

 

[vlbaby]

i think you would have to do a test to know for sure if stainless could be used. I have been thinking about the wort chillers like the therminator etc. Aren't the cores in these suppose to be stainless?
Obviously copper conducts heat better, but that doesnt mean that stainless is totally useless in this regard. But to be honest, i wouldnt like to fork a lot of money on stainless coils if there's a chance it might not work.

Maybe someone out there in internet land has tried this already. Might be worth a search.


cheers

vlbaby.

 

[Hoops]

Maybe someone out there in internet land has tried this already. Might be worth a search.


cheers

vlbaby.

[post="89124"][/post]​

Just so happens that I am one of those someones.
I have a 6m coil of stainless tube for a CFWC but am not overly impressed with it's performance.
Saying that I have nothing to compare it to as I haven't tried a copper CFWC.

Hoops

 

[Darren]

Maybe someone out there in internet land has tried this already. Might be worth a search.


cheers

vlbaby.

[post="89124"][/post]​

Just so happens that I am one of those someones.
I have a 6m coil of stainless tube for a CFWC but am not overly impressed with it's performance.
Saying that I have nothing to compare it to as I haven't tried a copper CFWC.

Hoops

[post="89129"][/post]​

Hoops, How close to water temp are you getting with it?

 

[Hoops]

I have to run the wort out VERY slowly and it is still I think around 30-40C (memory is bad and have only brewed 1 beer in over 2 months )

Hoops

 

[Darren]

Doesn't sound good, both the brewing time-frame and wort chilling

 

[vlbaby]

Maybe someone out there in internet land has tried this already. Might be worth a search.


cheers

vlbaby.

[post="89124"][/post]​

Just so happens that I am one of those someones.
I have a 6m coil of stainless tube for a CFWC but am not overly impressed with it's performance.
Saying that I have nothing to compare it to as I haven't tried a copper CFWC.

Hoops

[post="89129"][/post]​

Its hard to compare CFWC too. so many variables to measure, like the water temperature and the flow rates of the wort and the cooling water.
I used to have a 6m CFCW made from 1/2" copper. From memory i could get the wort to 22 degC, using 19 degC water at flat out and the wort gravity fed. Its still not really apples for apples though.

vl

 

[Darren]

Not apples but my immersion copper chiller did better than that, even in summer

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You cant compare an imersion chiller with a counter flow....


6mtrs should be enough for an immersion...thats all I used for my copper one..with a diameter of about 150-200mm..and it only comes in 6mtr lenghts...

And considering the ongoing debate on wether copper will kill you after 134212343 brews...who bloody cares..


I just stated that I was getting a stainless imersion chiller....

Tony....yours is going to be made...cause I know you love stainless.... :beer:

It will still work...

 

[Darren]

I bought an 18 metre coil of copper. Stainless chiller will look good though

 

[Tony]

Well after some discussion with various mechanical personel and engineers i have decided to stick with my copper job. Its harder to clean, doesnt look as cool and will probably give me heavy metaql poisining before im 50 but oh well. Working in heavy industry is already taking its toll medicly and im only 31.

Oh and a corection.......... my copper chiller is 18 meters, i was thinking 18 feet, hence 6 meters sorry

Aparently copper has about 20 times the heat conductivity of stainless, as said in an erlier post.

it seems stsinless does not like heat above about 60 deg c. I have been told it has a memory and each time its heated and cooled it woek hardens (with out any movement) till it becomes brittle and starts to crack. Thats why they dont make car exhausts out of stainless steel.

We have stainless equipment at work that has to be stainless to be food grade but it constantly cracks as it is heated and cooled. now we are spending millions to replace it with new gear because its stuffed.

Also i have been told that calciun attacks Stainless steel above 70 deg c and actually corodes it to a small degree, Thats why the inside of your SS kettle goes all shitty i would expect.

I was told that stainless steel is great for making benches in hospitals where it stays cool and looks nice and shiney but thats about it.

Well Stu.......... your right. I do love stainless but today my heart was broken :angry:

Oh well

cheers

 

[vlbaby]

copper looks great when its polished, but it dont last long. As for heavy metal poisoning, well jayse aint dead yet

sorry couldnt resist mate

vl