What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

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Magic
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What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Magic »

in the market to buy or build a chiller was wonder ing what everyone else is using.
i have a #0 gallon stainless still pot for mashing but will probbaly only do 15 gallons at time with it.
debating on buying one or making one.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by still_stirrin »

Magic,

I attached a link to a wort chiller in your other (My First) thread. It is a copper chiller made with 20 or 25 feet of 3/8” soft copper. The Brewer’s Hardware store had it for $77USD. I believe you could buy a roll of 3/8” copper from the big box store for 1/2 that and “roll you own”.

I sent the link to show you what it looks like and how you could make one (which I’d do). You’d just about have to be incapable of spitting to make it difficult to make a wort chiller....easy as it is. So, have a look at your other thread for an idea, and then show initiative and MAKE ONE. You’ll use it a lot!
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p.s. - here’s a link to that post: https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 0#p7667814
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by still_stirrin »

Magic,

Here’s a “build suggestion”. If you get some scrap Romex wire (12/2) and strip the jacket to copper, you can use the wire to “thread” around the 3/8” copper tubing and then just use a dab of flux and solder the copper wire to the tubing. It’ll hold your formed coil in shape for years to come.

Copper is great to work with, even though it is an expensive material. It is excellent for heat transfer (high heat transfer coefficient) and is quite easy to solder. A small propane torch (or Mapp gas) makes it easy. Just be sure to use lead-free solder and a water soluble flux.

Good luck.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Magic »

thanks great idea im gonna do just that but think ill go with 50 ft of the !/2 inch just for extra knock down and yes im a plumber so know all about ease of soldering and working with copper
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by still_stirrin »

Magic wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 3:09 pm thanks great idea im gonna do just that but think ill go with 50 ft of the !/2 inch just for extra knock down and yes im a plumber so know all about ease of soldering and working with copper
50’ is overkill. And 1/2” tubing is not better than 3/8”, less surface area compared to the flow area (ID). And, it’ll be more expensive than the value added.

25’ of 3/8” will be better. If you want to splurge, get 35’ of 3/8”. Beyond that length, you’re wasting money.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Deplorable »

I've been using the same 25 feet of coiled 3/8 copper since my beer brewing days started out 15 years ago.
It will cool a 25 gallon mash pretty effectively. Time varies depending on the temp of the water from the tap, but it usually takes about 20 minutes of agitation in the wash with the chiller to cool it to 75°F for pitching.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Expat »

50' of 3/8" soft copper very effective at knocking down the temp. Might be overkill to some but I wouldn't go any smaller for my 55g mashes.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Twisted Brick »

29' of 3/8" copper from my old brewing days.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Tōtōchtin »

What would be the least amount of 3/8 copper for a 50 rye mash would you use? Is there a guideline like a ft per gallon?
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Homebrewer11777 »

1/2" x 50 feet
https://www.nybrewsupply.com/products/1 ... 2199978772

I used this one for years homebrewing until I switched to a Stout stainless counterflow chiller. Used it on my last 30 gallon all grain bourbon mash and it did an nice job.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by shadylane »

Agitation is as important as chiller size. If Ya don't believe me.
Feel the temp of the water leaving the chiller with and without agitation. :ewink:
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Tōtōchtin »

Shady are you agitating the mash with a chiller inside the barrel with a drill or by hand with some type of paddle? I know I would probably trash my chiller with my drywall mud mixer if I tried unless I can get enough movement by placing it below the chiller.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Salt Must Flow »

Tōtōchtin wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 7:44 am Shady are you agitating the mash with a chiller inside the barrel with a drill or by hand with some type of paddle? I know I would probably trash my chiller with my drywall mud mixer if I tried unless I can get enough movement by placing it below the chiller.
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If you watch some videos using 'Immersion Wart Chillers' you'll see that some just swirl the chiller around for agitation. If it's a relatively large diameter chiller, you can use a drill & mixing paddle. Some paddle designs have less potential to damage a coil, like a spiral mixing paddle for instance.

Some use a brew pump to recirculate the wart as it is being chilled.

Mixing Paddle.jpg
Mixing Paddle.jpg (5.68 KiB) Viewed 1500 times
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Tōtōchtin »

I'll be doing 120 l mashes. I'll just build a frame for the top to hold a half inch drill. I was planning on using 15 m of 3/8 with 12" coil. I don't want infections changing flavors in my rye, if this cools it down in 30 min that will work for me.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by shadylane »

Tōtōchtin wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 7:44 am
Shady are you agitating the mash with a chiller inside the barrel with a drill or by hand with some type of paddle?
I'm using a baine mary style water jacket instead of a coiled wort chiller.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Ridgeback816 »

Who needs a chiller it is 22 degrees out I just open the garage and let it cool down it goes quick.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by The Baker »

Ridgeback816 wrote: Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:46 pm Who needs a chiller it is 22 degrees out I just open the garage and let it cool down it goes quick.
Must be Fahrenheit.

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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by shadylane »

Magic wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 3:09 pm
think ill go with 50 ft of the 1/2 inch just for extra knock down and yes im a plumber so know all about ease of soldering and working with copper.
That will definitely be big enough. :lol:
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by subbrew »

I made mine years ago for chilling beer wort. It is 50 ft of 3/8 copper tube. I did a double coil and weaved copper wire between the coils to help hold everything in place.

Assuming good cold feed water I can being 36 gal of wash or mash from 148 F to 95F in under 25 minutes if I use my mash paddle to stir. If I just let it hang it takes closer to 40 or 45 min. And when you do stir it after leaving it hang you are much less sure of what the final temp will be when it is all mixed.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Lblamboy »

I just had a chance to buy a chiller very inexpensively but passed (copper alone was likely worth the asking price tho)...because I couldn't figure out when I'd ever use it. I do AG mashes and follow a recipe that calls for a 90 minute rest (preferably longer) for malted barley to fully convert...I usually just leave it overnight before pitching yeast, but could store it in a fermenter if I really needed to for some reason.

What are others actually using a chiller for? I half debated buying it and adding a device to make it a worm for a possible future thumper setup, and I saw some posts about buying a counterflow gizmo to make it flow differently, but I just couldn't figure out when I might use a chiller.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Demy »

Agitation of the wort is important depending on the case....for our purposes a mechanical system (drill) is fine if you are not worried about turbidity....by vigorously stirring the stuff that settles at the bottom comes back to the surface. Mixing very slowly is effective and clean.... I would avoid the drill.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Deplorable »

Lblamboy wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 3:37 pm I just had a chance to buy a chiller very inexpensively but passed (copper alone was likely worth the asking price tho)...because I couldn't figure out when I'd ever use it. I do AG mashes and follow a recipe that calls for a 90 minute rest (preferably longer) for malted barley to fully convert...I usually just leave it overnight before pitching yeast, but could store it in a fermenter if I really needed to for some reason.

What are others actually using a chiller for? I half debated buying it and adding a device to make it a worm for a possible future thumper setup, and I saw some posts about buying a counterflow gizmo to make it flow differently, but I just couldn't figure out when I might use a chiller.
You're just asking for an infection doing this. That is why many here use a wort chiller. To cool quickly and reduce the chances of an infection or a wild yeast from taking hold.

This is the one area of this hobby where I personally think procrastination is risky. I'll let corn steep overnight in a well insulated mash tun to come down to 147F, but once malts are in there and it's done it work for a few hours to convert the starches, I want to cool it to the yeast's preferred temperature as quickly as possible and get it started fermenting.
A copper wort chiller is worth the expense, especially if you "roll your own" from soft copper tubing.
Mine has been in use for so long that its more than doubled in value just in the price of copper.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by shadylane »

A plastic jug full of frozen water is an option for chilling.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Swedish Pride »

Deplorable wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 4:05 pm
Lblamboy wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 3:37 pm I just had a chance to buy a chiller very inexpensively but passed (copper alone was likely worth the asking price tho)...because I couldn't figure out when I'd ever use it. I do AG mashes and follow a recipe that calls for a 90 minute rest (preferably longer) for malted barley to fully convert...I usually just leave it overnight before pitching yeast, but could store it in a fermenter if I really needed to for some reason.

What are others actually using a chiller for? I half debated buying it and adding a device to make it a worm for a possible future thumper setup, and I saw some posts about buying a counterflow gizmo to make it flow differently, but I just couldn't figure out when I might use a chiller.
You're just asking for an infection doing this. That is why many here use a wort chiller. To cool quickly and reduce the chances of an infection or a wild yeast from taking hold.

This is the one area of this hobby where I personally think procrastination is risky. I'll let corn steep overnight in a well insulated mash tun to come down to 147F, but once malts are in there and it's done it work for a few hours to convert the starches, I want to cool it to the yeast's preferred temperature as quickly as possible and get it started fermenting.
A copper wort chiller is worth the expense, especially if you "roll your own" from soft copper tubing.
Mine has been in use for so long that its more than doubled in value just in the price of copper.

I always mash overnight, never had an infection from the late pitch.
Did have a few ferments kick of on their own though.
I mainly do malt though, corn may be more susceptible to infections :problem:
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by shadylane »

Swedish Pride wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 8:46 pm
I always mash overnight, never had an infection from the late pitch.
Did have a few ferments kick of on their own though.
I mainly do malt though, corn may be more susceptible to infections :problem:
Corn and enzymes isn't going to have a problem.
The corn has been cooked enough to sterilize it.

Wild yeast and bacteria love to hide in the husks of malt barley.
Theoretically 145f and a hour or two should sterilize everything that rides on the malt.
But in practice it doesn't happen.

I also hold 145ish mash temps overnight.
Time will convert more sugars and time at temp will also help kill bacteria.
Then quickly chill and pitch the yeast.

If I was letting the mash cool down naturally.
I'd pitch some yeast at 110 - 120f before going to bed.
Then pitch some more in the morning if needed.

Yes 120f is too high, but I'd rather sacrifice some yeast than have something else get a head start.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Saltbush Bill »

shadylane wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 5:15 pm A plastic jug full of frozen water is an option for chilling.
Will put that one in my bag of tricks......anything that involves the KISS principle is usually a winner.
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Lblamboy »

Deplorable wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 4:05 pm
Lblamboy wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 3:37 pm I just had a chance to buy a chiller very inexpensively but passed (copper alone was likely worth the asking price tho)...because I couldn't figure out when I'd ever use it. I do AG mashes and follow a recipe that calls for a 90 minute rest (preferably longer) for malted barley to fully convert...I usually just leave it overnight before pitching yeast, but could store it in a fermenter if I really needed to for some reason.

What are others actually using a chiller for? I half debated buying it and adding a device to make it a worm for a possible future thumper setup, and I saw some posts about buying a counterflow gizmo to make it flow differently, but I just couldn't figure out when I might use a chiller.
You're just asking for an infection doing this. That is why many here use a wort chiller. To cool quickly and reduce the chances of an infection or a wild yeast from taking hold.

This is the one area of this hobby where I personally think procrastination is risky. I'll let corn steep overnight in a well insulated mash tun to come down to 147F, but once malts are in there and it's done it work for a few hours to convert the starches, I want to cool it to the yeast's preferred temperature as quickly as possible and get it started fermenting.
A copper wort chiller is worth the expense, especially if you "roll your own" from soft copper tubing.
Mine has been in use for so long that its more than doubled in value just in the price of copper.
Glad I asked the question - I had assumed the barley husks would be sterilized too...I hadn't considered the risk of a lacto or other wild yeast type infection being that concerning...I may have to reach out and see if that chiller is still available...

FWIW, here's a quote from Ian Smiley's book (which I know some people hate)...but this is why I never gave this much mind before now:

"Cover the mash pot and leave it for 90 minutes or longer for the starches to convert to sugars. It’s helpful to stir the mash every 15 minutes or so during the 90-minute conversion rest. The mash can even be left for eight or ten hours (e.g. overnight) to cool to fermentation temperature (i.e. under 38o
C (100oF)). Or, an immersion chiller can be used to force cool the
mash to fermentation temperature after the 90-minute conversion rest is complete."

I've never been in a rush to start the fermentation, and just assumed the extra time would result in more conversion...I eventually want to be doing some intentional lacto/sour mash stuff...but on purpose, not by accident!
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Re: What size emmersion chiller is every one using?

Post by Deplorable »

Some people welcome a lacto infection. I like its effect on my bourbons, but I haven't had one yet on my Single malt mashes.
What I like about doing single malts, is that I can can get a 23 gallon mash done in an afternoon, crash the temp, pitch, and it's fermenting actively the next morning.
I mill my barley while the strike water heats in the boiler, and about 3 hours after adding the first strike water to the grains, I'm chilling it to pitch yeast.
Making a chiller is easier than making a liebig condenser so even if a built one isn't available, you can make one in a couple hours.
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