Instructables - Lots of cool ideas.

[johnrm]

I have a requirement to form some PVC and came across this...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bend-PVC-Pipe/

There are TONS of cool ideas here.

Bookmark it.

[Jon.Martin]

Love this site. In the process of making a variation of
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homebrew-Wort-Cooler-Twin-Coil-Immersion-Type/

Have altered it so cooling water flows in the bottom of each coil.

Also
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z86V_ICUCD4?feature=player_embedded"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Will_D]

Have altered it so cooling water flows in the bottom of each coil.

The cold water should enter the top of each coil as hot water is less dense than cold, its always the top of the wort that is hottest and should be colled first.

[Jon.Martin]

Have altered it so cooling water flows in the bottom of each coil.

The cold water should enter the top of each coil as hot water is less dense than cold, its always the top of the wort that is hottest and should be colled first.

Absolutely right. Next time I make a chiller I wont drink 

[sub82]

I've been using the app - some really interesting stuff on there.

[Bazza]

The cold water should enter the top of each coil as hot water is less dense than cold, its always the top of the wort that is hottest and should be colled first.

Well this is embarrassing. I've always ran the cold water in through the bottom of the wort cooler and out the top. Oops!

Kind of a moot point anyway, as the cooler gets submerged pretty deep in the boiler anyway and I have to spend the last 5 minutes of cooling holding the chiller just under the surface of the wort.



-Barry

[johnrm]

The theory is the same as with a plate chiller.
You want the Hottest meeting the coldest from the outset.
Your hot liquid cools and your cold liquid heats up to more-or-less the same temp.

[Shane Phelan]

I've been using the app - some really interesting stuff on there.

Awesome! Didn't realise they had an app.

[Danny(00833827)]

Where is  a good place to get the coil of copper tubing at a good price?

[johnrm]

Your local plumbing store, or B&Q (dearer).
Expect to pay EUR35 or so

[RichC]

Where is  a good place to get the coil of copper tubing at a good price?

Check out woodies, last time I checked they had a 10metre coil(pre wound with about 150mm diameter) of 10mm copper at a very reasonable price. It was woodies Lucan in the plumbing section(obviously!)

[biertourist]

The theory is the same as with a plate chiller.
You want the Hottest meeting the coldest from the outset.
Your hot liquid cools and your cold liquid heats up to more-or-less the same temp.

Umm..??

I've only ever seen plate chillers and brewery fin-based plate heat exchangers working with a perpendicular flow.  The Blichman Therminator is specifically labeled to work with a perpendicular flow.

Do you have any reference on using them with a parallel flow?
-When I do searches I certainly see some example of parallel flow heat exchangers but I don't understand the pros and cons and why most of them seem to be setup for perpendicular flow.


Adam

[biertourist]

I just checked my IBD Brewing Cert notes and they also prescribe a parallel flow when using a plate-based heat exchanger; they don't provide the engineering theory on why they recommend counterflow, though.

I've got a question in to a mechanical engineer and a civil engineer and I'm waiting to see if they agree.  ; )


Adam

[Bogwoppit]

The coutercurrent flow is far more efficient than the concurrent flow hence the reason it is used in all industrial cooling applications.

With a countercurrent flow you will get nearly twice the efficiency of a concurrent as there is always a temperature gradient between the 2 flows.

Hopefully this picture will explain it.

[johnrm]

My thinking was wrong then.

So for an immersion chiller...
Hotter Wort is less dense and will sit at the top of the vessel.
Feeding Cold to the lower coils first is more efficient.