Condenser water cooler.

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fruitfart
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by fruitfart »

Prairiepiss wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:56 am
Best way to do it is just get a bigger Water reservoir. 5 gallons is just not enough. How big is your boiler? I wouldn’t consider anything less the 2 times as big as your boiler. 3 or 4 times as big being even better. And I would place that heater in-line after the condenser befor returning to the coolant reservoir. So you are putting as little heat back into the reservoir as possible.
Hi Prairie. I have been battling with cooling water for a bit. I live in an area plagued by droughts so I would like to keep recycling the water I use. I think you just helped me figure out why my water gets hot so quick.

I have a 50liter boiler and a 50 liter cool box with water that I keep cool with Ice. I'll get a 300 liter drum and see if my issue gets solved
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Smog »

One could get a whole house split air conditioning unit with a broken compressor for next to nothing and use the very large outside condensor unit and integrated fan to cool down the water.
IMG-GSZ14.png
60hz+with+16ft+line+set.jpg
Shit I bought but shouldn't have :
1. Amazon 30L pot distiller
2. T-500 reflux column (good product but expensive)
3. Large 60L stock pot + 2" column

Now using 15.5gal KEG + 5500w electric + fully aircooled reflux condensor and product condenser.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

Smog wrote:One could get a whole house split air conditioning unit with a broken compressor for next to nothing and use the very large outside condensor unit and integrated fan to cool down the water.
IMG-GSZ14.png
60hz+with+16ft+line+set.jpg
I certainly could and I have an endless supply of old units but they are too bulky for my taste.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

I discovered that I may not have a good use for recirculating water because the 150° discharge water is quite handy for mashing. I still plan to test it in the interest of science but I probably won't use it most of the time.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by The Baker »

Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:46 pm
Smog wrote:One could get a whole house split air conditioning unit with a broken compressor for next to nothing and use the very large outside condensor unit and integrated fan to cool down the water.

IMG-GSZ14.png

60hz+with+16ft+line+set.jpg
I certainly could and I have an endless supply of old units but they are too bulky for my taste.
But if it were mounted outside (like in its original use) that might not be a problem?

Geoff
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

The Baker wrote:
Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:46 pm
Smog wrote:One could get a whole house split air conditioning unit with a broken compressor for next to nothing and use the very large outside condensor unit and integrated fan to cool down the water.

IMG-GSZ14.png

60hz+with+16ft+line+set.jpg
I certainly could and I have an endless supply of old units but they are too bulky for my taste.
But if it were mounted outside (like in its original use) that might not be a problem?

Geoff
It should certainly work but I want a mobile solution that I can bring indoors when it is cold.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by The Baker »

Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:37 pm
The Baker wrote:
Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:46 pm
Smog wrote:One could get a whole house split air conditioning unit with a broken compressor for next to nothing and use the very large outside condensor unit and integrated fan to cool down the water.

IMG-GSZ14.png

60hz+with+16ft+line+set.jpg
I certainly could and I have an endless supply of old units but they are too bulky for my taste.
But if it were mounted outside (like in its original use) that might not be a problem?

Geoff
It should certainly work but I want a mobile solution that I can bring indoors when it is cold.
That's encouraging, we don't have really, really cold weather here.
Mainly just a heavy frost occasionally.
(My son got a solar water heater and the idiot supplier installed one for frost free areas though he had been told.
Frost wrecked it of course.)

Geoff
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

The Baker wrote:
Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:37 pm
The Baker wrote:
Zeotropic wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:46 pm I certainly could and I have an endless supply of old units but they are too bulky for my taste.
But if it were mounted outside (like in its original use) that might not be a problem?

Geoff
It should certainly work but I want a mobile solution that I can bring indoors when it is cold.
That's encouraging, we don't have really, really cold weather here.
Mainly just a heavy frost occasionally.

Ge4off
It doesn't get very cold here ether but I like it quite warm and I plan to set up in a detached garage that will need heat all winter which will be my busy distilling time.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by dnivek73 »

Looking for a way to stop using water as my bills here are stupid high. I was planning the following and would like feedback please:

Water flows from bucket around worm to my old wort chiller with fan blowing inside of coil, then travels to chest cooler full of ice/water/ salt mix and pumped via aquarium pump back to cool worm. The chest cooler holds about 8 gallons. The wort chiller is 3/8 copper is wrapped 11 times in a 8" dia. stacked loop. The fan inside the loop is a small high velocity desk fan. The idea is to knock down there temp significantly first via the copper/air before remixing with the ice/salt bath in the cooler, then back to the worm.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »


dnivek73 wrote:Looking for a way to stop using water as my bills here are stupid high. I was planning the following and would like feedback please:

Water flows from bucket around worm to my old wort chiller with fan blowing inside of coil, then travels to chest cooler full of ice/water/ salt mix and pumped via aquarium pump back to cool worm. The chest cooler holds about 8 gallons. The wort chiller is 3/8 copper is wrapped 11 times in a 8" dia. stacked loop. The fan inside the loop is a small high velocity desk fan. The idea is to knock down there temp significantly first via the copper/air before remixing with the ice/salt bath in the cooler, then back to the worm.
A simple tube with no fins will not do much but since you already have it it might be worth trying.
Make sure to pump off the bottom of the resivour and return the hot water to the top as gently as possible to promote stratification so that you won't have to use as much ice. Oh and I would not use salt.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

After picking up this bus heater and starting this thread I began All grain mashing and using the hot water from my condenser for mashing so until I get my reflux column built I won't have much use for a cooler.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Hectorlandaeta »

I'm intrigued by this https://www.amazon.com/Chiller-Daddy-Wa ... 89XK&psc=1. Anybody here tried something similar?
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Deplorable »

Hectorlandaeta wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:19 am I'm intrigued by this https://www.amazon.com/Chiller-Daddy-Wa ... 89XK&psc=1. Anybody here tried something similar?
Something like that chilling the water coming back out of the holding barrel to the condenser would be pretty handy if it could handle the 100% duty cycle.
I wonder how a long 3/8 copper worm would do inside a small dorm fridge with a couple of PC fans inside to move air would do efficiency wise. Again, on the feed side of the holding barrel, not the return side.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Thebigbrewbowski »

With a liebig on a pot still I use an 8 gallon fermenting bucket with a cheap aquarium pump for recirculation. On stripping runs Ill typically dump it when it gets too hot maybe 3 times a run and it can go straight into the washing machine which saves water. When Im running reflux, the same condenser just barely heats up the recirculation water as the reflux condenser takes off the most heat. If you dont change out your recirculation water every few runs it gets all gunky and if its the right time of year I guess you could use it to water the garden to save water otherwise its wasted when you change it out. I decided its better for me to just dump it when it gets too hot and repurpose the hot water for washing clothes.
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Condenser water cooler.

Post by ttocs »

I’m in SoCal so recirc is a requirement. I’m running a 5500W element and run at about 40% power for stripping runs and 18% for sprint runs. Slightly if I use my 4 plate flute.

I built a diy glycol chiller with a 5,000 btu window AC unit, cooler and a mag-drive chugger pump.

40% is the max I can run my element where the chiller can maintain temp. Higher and the coolant temp creeps up.

[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202104 ... 5d6e68.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202104 ... 9356f5.jpg[/IMG]
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acfixer69
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by acfixer69 »

What I can see is you are saving water at the expense of wasting electricity. And why using glycol with a 40F evaporator.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Stonecutter »

I see what you did there acfixer69. Thanks man.
Ideally I’d like a glycol chiller with an inline flow meter. I can sense a little bit of resistance from the site regarding high tech fancy stuff as a substitute for diy mechanical and electrical knowhow. It’s understandable.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by acfixer69 »

If it makes sense I've never seen a resistance to a good idea here. Mechanical cooling is going to be more expensive than heating the boiler but can be done. Glycol leak in a condenser can go undetected and the results could be death at worst.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Stonecutter »

Yeah, death is not on the list of things to put into my run. Neither is an unsound practice. Back to the old drawing board. There are tons of ideas here. Ockham’s Razor, ice water a thermowell and a pump may be the best practice for me for now.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by acfixer69 »

Swamp coolers or a cooling tower are great in most recirculating systems
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by cob »

Once again that simple equation pops up.

BTU's out must ~= BTU's in.

no getting around it.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

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Zeotropic
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

One day I will finish what I started because I am getting tired of the mud puddle when I am not using the water for mashing.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Butch27 »

Zeotropic wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:33 pm One day I will finish what I started because I am getting tired of the mud puddle when I am not using the water for mashing.
Why the hell would you have a mud puddle? An overflow port at the top of the flake stand hooked to a garden hose which drains away from the still site would take care of that.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by ttocs »

acfixer69 wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:47 pm What I can see is you are saving water at the expense of wasting electricity. And why using glycol with a 40F evaporator.
Replacing water with electricity I think the point is you have to adapt to the resources more readily available. I live in SoCal so we don't have excess water available but I do have solar on my roof and avg 300 days of sun a year...
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by acfixer69 »

ttocs wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 2:15 pm
acfixer69 wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:47 pm What I can see is you are saving water at the expense of wasting electricity. And why using glycol with a 40F evaporator.
The temp in the picture was during my testing. I only run it slightly cooler than I want my output to be for measuring.

As far as replacing water with electricity I think the point is you have to adapt to the resources more readily available. I live in SoCal so we don't have excess water available but I do have solar on my roof and avg 300 days of sun a year...
Sounds like a good local for a swamp cooler, evaporate systems are way more user friendly than mechanical cooling. A 40F evaporater will overload in water temperatures that are ideal for our needs. I run condensing water 150-160F . That would overload any window unit.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Zeotropic »

Butch27 wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:58 pm
Zeotropic wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:33 pm One day I will finish what I started because I am getting tired of the mud puddle when I am not using the water for mashing.
Why the hell would you have a mud puddle? An overflow port at the top of the flake stand hooked to a garden hose which drains away from the still site would take care of that.
If I don't run it to a drain I still end up with a puddle somewhere.
Its not like I am working in a puddle.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by The Baker »

If I don't run it to a drain I still end up with a puddle somewhere.

Run it on the lawn or the vegie patch.

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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by shadylane »

acfixer69 wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 2:36 pm I run condensing water 150-160F
Sounds like a good temp for using waste water for mashing. :wink:
Or running the water into a washing machine for doing white clothes.
One of our members was using a pump and the washer as a reservoir.
When the run was done, it was time to remove the pump and wash clothes.
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Re: Condenser water cooler.

Post by Deplorable »

The Baker wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:46 pm If I don't run it to a drain I still end up with a puddle somewhere.

Run it on the lawn or the vegie patch.

Geoff
I did this once this winter. I burned a dead spot in the lawn. I guess the dormant lawn didn't like the 140° water.
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