Immersion chiller

[fizzypish]

Going to make my immersion chiller this weekend. These bending springs any use?

http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/plumbing/plumbing-tools/pipe_bending/Rothenberg-Bending-Spring-External-10mm-11247965

[Garry]

If you fill the pipe with water and then stick it in the freezer. (If your freezer is big enough?)

The ice will help hold the shape of the pipe when you're bending it.

[JimmyM]

Or expand and break the pipe in the freezer

Have you done this before Garry?

I found making the coils is easy, using a corny as a profile. Put weight on the corny with your chest, and wrap the somewhat already coiled pipe around the corny tightly.

The bitch is when it comes to bending the ends so they hang over the edge. Bending spring would be handy for this. But not sure if it would be long enough to bend the piece up from the bottom.

[Garry]

No, I haven't tried it before  I saw it on another forum and tought it was a good idea?

The water would expand while freezing alright. If you had the ends of the pipe upright in the freezer wouldn't it just force the water out the ends as it expands?

[JimmyM]

Yeah, in theory i suppose it should freeze from the bottom up, so the water above should just be pushed up as it ice freezes below.
I wouldnt be leaving it there longer than required though.

[JD]

I've heard of people using sand instead of water. fold over one end of the pipe tightly, fill and pack down with sand, fold over the other end tightly ensuring no air remains. Bend.

I'd try it out on a short bit of pipe first though.

/J

[DEMPSEY]

If you fill the pipe with water and then stick it in the freezer. (If your freezer is big enough?)

The ice will help hold the shape of the pipe when you're bending it.

So I am following here,you have 6 metres of pipe and you fill it with water,how do you fit it in the freezer,do you bend it first :.

[JimmyM]

If you fill the pipe with water and then stick it in the freezer. (If your freezer is big enough?)

The ice will help hold the shape of the pipe when you're bending it.

So I am following here,you have 6 metres of pipe and you fill it with water,how do you fit it in the freezer,do you bend it first :.

Well it usually comes coiled already so its plausible.

...
I was thinking of sand the last time i made one, but couldnt be arsed spending ages funnelling it into it.

[fizzypish]

I feel that I'm going to have a bit of fun with this.... I'm thinking 20 M of 10mm pipe. That sound about right?

[johnrm]

I used a paint tin.
Gently does it for the last bit.
The bigger the curve the less the risk of kinking.

[Hop Bomb]

I used a 5 litre stock pot. No bendy spring or anything. The copper I bought was coiled already so it didnt need a whole lot more to get it right.

[JD]

I'm thinking 20 M of 10mm pipe. That sound about right?

About twice too much I reckon. 10m is loads. It's the coils that sit at the top of the wort that do the most work. Those lower down are increasingly ineffective. This is because the hottest wort is at the top. Obviously, cold water should enter the chiller at the top of the coil and leave at the bottom. That way the coldest water makes first contact with the hottest wort. Sending cold water down to the bottom of the vessel chills the coolest wort and leaves the hottest wort to be cooled by the hottest coolant. Not exactly the most efficient. 

Because you're only really interested in cooling the top layer of wort, more than six coils and you're into diminishing returns. More than 10 and it's just a waste of copper. 

Wrapping the pipe slowly around a paint can is very feasible. Just make sure the can is big enough. It just needs to be study enough to take the pressure the pipe imparts.

/J

[Shanna]

Hi there

For the pipe work at the top and the bottom of the coil I cut several lengths of copper pipe and soldered them in to copper right angled joints.  Imagine two small pipes sticking out at the top of the coil.  A small pipe at the top of the immersion chiller and a longer one to connect the bottom of the chiller. It required lead free solder and a blow b torch but it made a very neat job of things. Best thing was that I did not have to go making very tight bends.

Shanna

[HomeBrewWest]

I used sand on a 3/4 inch pipe and bent it around a Calor gas barrel. Hell of a job as the pipe had to be heated with a blow torch.

The problem was that the sand must be bone dry, or it won't go into the pipe. I had to buy a bag of special fine dry sand, wasn't cheap. Can't remember where I got it, maybe a pet shop?

8 and 10 ml tubing comes already coiled and is easy to bend around a 10 or 12 inch diameter pot etc. without filling it with anything; the tricky bit is the ends so do them first if you can.

[RichC]

FP check this out http://www.woodiesdiy.com/Mobile/Product/10M-x-10mm-Plain-Copper-Tube/12679/6.0.0.19
I saw this in woodies after I'd made my own chiller. It's pre wound and just needs the end bent up for inlet and outlet.