Question about chillers

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mrhappy

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Hi folks!

I am trying to complete an all-grain brewing set-up. Simple igloo mash tun and HLT and a kegle for boiling.

I am wondering about the chiller. I have a slight preference for a 50' immersion chiller with a whirlpool arm, but I am wondering if it will hit the dip tube arm in the boil kettle when I put it in? For you guys with an immersion chiller, how does it sit in the kettle?

I have a pump so using a counterflow would not be a big deal but I was thinking leaving the cold break in the kettle would be a good thing.

If you could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Thanks, Rene'
 
I think your chiller could sit down in the dip tube without any problems. Mine does, and Ive no complaints. If it worries you, adapt it for clearance. Here is an article written by Larrybrewer on how he redesigned his chiller to clear the heating element when he went electric.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/04/14 ... dispelled/

My next chiller will be of this design.

http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/Mylo ... -O-Chiller

It has the whirlpool arm you wanted, and solder joints for the sharp bends. Something like this you could make specifically to fit your kettle. Or just rest it on the diptube carefully.
 
I like the chiller but I am not handy AT ALL.

What I want is the same thing but would have to do it with a regular chiller and an adapted whirlpool arm.

Thanks for the input.

Rene'
 
Have you considered a plate chiller? Considering the price of copper it's quite price-competitive and the performance cant be beat.
 
I'm scarred due to the horror stories of cr@p coming out of the plate chillers when people clean them.

Similar to a counterflow, I assume that if you clean it every time (not just flush it w water), it would control the build up, but I am still worried.

Thanks, Rene'
 
My protocol w/ the chiller is this: I always paint strainer bag my hops. Never had a clogging problem. I flush backward and forward after brewing. Before each brew I put it in the over for 30 mins at 350 to (hopefull) kill and bugs. About every five brews I clean with sodium hydroxide. Never had an infection. Never takes more than 10 mins to cool down 5 gallons of wort. One problem in winter when feed water is in mid 40s is that it cools down the wort too much even with a single pass.
 
Jeez, you guys got me wanting to build a new wort chiller now....

And I have a brand new propane torch and a friend who manages a hardware store.... :roll:
 
I have a plate chiller and use Propylene glycol, have a keg in the -20 freezer, i can chill 6 gallons in 5 minutes lol
 
I am still not sure what to do, but I appreciate you guys helping me narrow the decision from 2 to 3 options. :)
 
I've been using a plate chiller for a while now and they simply can't be beaten from a performance perspective.
You can chill a 5gal batch in about 6 minutes.

Easy to clean (unless you get whole leaf hops in it) flushing with hot water and to sterilize, place it in an oven at 350F for 30 mins like the other brewer posted above.

Immersion chilling is simply not efficient and when the weather gets warmer, you'll wish you had one.
 
yes your right just used my plate chiller for 15 gallons and it went rather slow but kept all 15 gallons to 65 when done just using the hose from my outside water, well worth the $125 I paid for it.
 
I use an immersion chiller and kick myself in the butt everytime I use it for not spendin a little extra and getting a plate type. If water conservation comes into play avoid the immersion type. In summer when ground water temp approaches 50's it takes substantially longer to cool. Just guessing (never really timed it) it takes from 40 to 60 min. to cool 10 gal to 72 degrees for me.
 
yes in the hot summer it only cools down to 80 or 90 at best so a pre-chill needs to be done kind of like a jockey box, and ice is not cheap today so I'm working on another plan that involves a freezer, will let you know
 
How do ~$100 plate and $100 counterflow compare?

It appears that the counterflow is easier to clean and would use about the same amount of water, right?

Anyone used both and can comment?

Thanks, Rene'
 
I just cleaned mine 30 minutes ago, what I do is boil water in the pot with last brew days sanitizer in it, run it through the whole system before the brewing, that cleans all my hoses ball joints, chiller and finally sterilizes the carboy, then I dry everything before I start by wiping with a new paper towel

I'm sure counter flows are the same, don't think there is much difference there built on the same principle

this is the one I use from Brewhardware.com
30platefront.png


I added quick disconnects to both the wort and water side making it easier to handle and the temp gage just like below I think the whole thing ran me 200 I guess

inlinetemp1.png


I put ball valves on both inlets so I can look at the temp gage and change the valves to get the correct temp, they can be a bit tricky at first
 
I am on a well and can still get my wort down to 68 F in the summer. I run it off into my pool to help keep it filled. I don't brew that much in the summer as I do the rest of the year though.
 
Another vote for the plate chiller! I have a Blichmann and it was the first item I knew I was going to buy when I had to setup my own system. I either put mine in the oven as stated above or every so often I do a boil it. I do mainly use whole leaf hops and have had no real issues. Just give it a good flush immediately after use and then clean and sanitize.
 
good thing about using the hose today "temps have been down to 0 off and on" left valve open full and came out 62, just using gravity no pump
 
I did an extract boil last night. Here is how you chill 3 gal in 5 mins.
 

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