I have a large kettle, and I am looking into getting an immersion chiller for my hoppy beers (I currently no chill).
Commercial options seem a bit expensive (I have a big kettle) and I have a big kettle.
Is there an interesting DIY source of these that I am not aware of ?
If your handy diy wise you could buy a copper coil and build your own. Only really tricky part is fashioning the turns to feed in the water and drain it out. Loads of videos on you tube and also if you search on here you will find lots of tips on home made ones. I have built three, two of which I still use. The first was functional but was a problem as I misjudged the diameter of the chiller relative to the space available in the boiler and had to mangle it to fit. I used a soldering approach to fashion the lengths from the top and bottom of the chiller. The alternative was to use a pipe bender on the one continuous length of pipe. I already had solder, flux & a gas torch so went with the solder approach. I use garden hose fittings and compression fittings to allow me connect garden hose to the chiller. I used a fire extinguisher to create one 6" chiller and a platic 4" waste to create the other. Tip to fashion it is to go slow and keep the turns tight. I would advise you measure the depth of your kettle and figure out the average sized beer volume and how much of the kettle it will fill and then size your chillers to match. You don't want to find you have loads of copper sitting above the hot liquid.
You should be able to buy copper coil by the meter in a plumbing supply centre along with other fittings such as 90 degree turns. If your going to solder make sure to get lead free solder. Finally I power the chillers using two garden pumps from water butts in the garden. Its really effecient when the water is 15C or less cooling 26 litres of wort from 100C to 20C in about 25 minutes. Not saying its the best by any means but it works for me and does not waste tap water.
Hope this helps. Any questions fire away.
Shanna
I got a 15m coil from thermoparts. Cost 45. My mistake was making the coils too small. I tried make a double coil & messed it up a bit. Still works fine.
I made another mistake by deciding to "fix" my first attempt. Got a few kinks in it doing that. Still works just fine. ~25 minutes to cool a batch.
I also got brass quick connects from Ali express which work pretty well. The hose connectors I used first leaked everywhere on me.
B&Q sell bendable copper that's perfect for this job
:B&Q was ridiculously expensive €42 for 10m of 8mm coil. Mine was 15m of 10mm coil for 45.
Same for all the compression fittings. They're about 3 times the price of a plumbers merchants
Second that both B&Q and Woodies may sell the copper coil but they tend to be many multiple more expensive.
Shanna
I've one taking up space if you want it? Made it myself from 10m of 10mm copper. Does what it's meant to do. Fits a keggle. No fittings, I just use hosepipes melted onto it, but it would easily take a 10mm compression fitting onto a 1/2" doodah.
Yours, if you want it, and if the NHC express is going your way.
Quote from: Tom on March 27, 2019, 06:41:51 PM
I've one taking up space if you want it? Made it myself from 10m of 10mm copper. Does what it's meant to do. Fits a keggle. No fittings, I just use hosepipes melted onto it, but it would easily take a 10mm compression fitting onto a 1/2" doodah.
Yours, if you want it, and if the NHC express is going your way.
Will send you a PM, Tom. Happy to give preloved kit a new home. I potentially have an expensive whirlpool arm build coming up, and some expensive kegs.
Not fussed about the lack of integrated connectors - comfortable with making seals with jubilee clips and different diameter hoses.
NP.
For future reference, to all future immersioners out there, get a counterflow.
No, sorry, I mean, check your local heating/plumbing retailer. I got my 10mm plastic coated OFCH copper pipe for £1.40 per metre. :D