Would you buy it?

[Panoramix]

Hi people.. before wasting some money, could anyone tell me if this worth it for a chiller
Just wondering as it s doesn't look like copper to me...

 

[neo__04]

It will be a stainless steel immersion chiller by the looks of it.

They are anywhere from $150 - $200

hope thats of some help

 

[danestead]

Copper conducts/transfers heat far better than stainless. Id be hanging out for a copper one.

 

[Panoramix]

Many thanks, most helpful as usual, thanks for sharing .... I 'll wait for copper...

 

[Jkpentreath]

Heard that copper was a good thing in the ferment somehow?

 

[TheWiggman]

Considering how long that coil is I'm certain it'll do a fine job. There are benefits to stainless over copper, up to you. My preference would be stainless if only for ease of cleaning and reduced risk of oxidation.

 

[MHB]

Stainless is a crap conductor - for a metal, compared to any non-metal it still works really well and has a lot of other advantages over copper, I think every commercial and a large fraction home of breweries is made of Stainless, Copper on the other hand is fairly rare these days.
Its just a matter of having enough length/surface area to compensate for the difference in conductivity between the two metals.

Heard that copper was a good thing in the ferment somehow?

There is evidence that some copper in the kettle (or copper as it is also called, as that is what they were made of) can be beneficial, apparently copper ions catalyse the condensation of proteins (helps with break formation), there are possibly some reactions with Sulphur compounds that may be beneficial.

In the fermenter there is nothing good about copper, it will accelerate aging and the development of permanent haze.
I would choose a Stainless immersion chiller by preference.
Mark

 

[dicko]

I have had both copper and stainless immersion chillers.
The original copper one was replaced with a stainless unit for ease of cleaning.

While it is a fact that copper is a far better conductor of heat or cool, than stainless steel, I really could not notice much difference when chilling 25 litres of wort.

If that chiller is under $150.00 Aus I would be on it like a fat kid on a Macca

Cheers

 

[Blind Dog]

Yes, if the price was right (and if I could actually work out how I could use a chiller in my setup without dumping 50l of water every time I brew)

 

[dicko]

Yes, if the price was right (and if I could actually work out how I could use a chiller in my setup without dumping 50l of water every time I brew)

If I had 50 litres of Sydney water, I wouldn't want to waste it either.

I have no worries running 50 litres of the crap water that we have in my home town down the sink.

Jokes aside, I use a submersible pump and an ice slurry in an old 60 litre fermenter.

Cheers

 

[lael]

I would go stainless over copper immersion. Easier to clean and keep clean. The difference in cooling will be almost unnoticeable.

 

[Feldon]

As I understand it, there is no practical difference in the efficiency of stainless and copper coils in a homebrew wort-chilling situation.

The ability of stainless to conduct heat is more than sufficient. Sure copper is a better conductor, but you will probably never use the full conductive potential of either metal.

The weak point in the heat transfer chain is not the conductive attributes of the metal used in the coil, but the weaker conductive interface between the metal and the liquid (both the water/metal interface inside the coil, and the wort/metal interface on the outside the coil).

Once the heat is conducted from the wort into the outer wall of the stainless coil tubing it will race through the metal across to the other side of the tube wall. This will happen at a faster rate than the coil can absorb more heat from the wort. On the inside of the coil, the heat is conducted into the water running through the coil. But again, this conductivity is poorer that the conduction through the metal itself, so there will be heat banked up waiting to be taken up by the water.

 

[Eagleburger]

I got nine different fruit trees that get watered every brew. No waste here.