Jaded Brewing Hydra... call me impressed

[jabba11]

No affiliation with the company etc. I got one of the hydras about 10 days ago and tried it for the first time this past Saturday. Lived up to its rep completely. 6.5 Gallons from boil to 68 degrees using 66 degree water in less than ten minutes. The thing is very well built. Didnt fit in my small 7.5 kettle (with a temp probe buil in it) but I never do my boils in that kettle anyway (I was just trying it in there to boil it out once before use and clean it etc). I seriously considered a pump and plate chiller etc but am completely happy to no have the added cleaning etc. If you are considering an immersion chiller I cannot think of someone making a better one than this thing period.

 

[j1n]

I have the Hydra IC and its awesome. If i could do it again though id get the King Cobra over the Hydra. The kettle i use is prob a bit wider than most and my wort doesnt suberge the entire IC so i have the top part of the hydra exposed. Its a huge improvement over the crap 25' IC i had before. I also decided not to go with a CFC or a Plate cause the ease of cleanup with a IC.

 

[jabba11]

The top of the coil comes just to the top of the wort at about 6.5 gallons in my 10 gallon Blichman so its pretty much perfect. I havent done a 10 gallon boil yet but it will defintely be below the top on that one so it wont stretch from top to bottom but is such and improvement over the home built one I have been using it wont matter to me at all Im sure. it cooled so fast I was caugh off guard (I didnt even stir it full time) and wasnt really ready for it to be cooled of yet LOL. I plan to use my old one next year as a pre chiller for the water in the summer heat.

 

[Marchborne]

I've had my King Cobra since the summer, and it never fails to impress. With the lower water temps this Fall, it's working even better.

 

[Broham1]

What did shipping costs come to?

 

[jabba11]

i dont remeber exactly. i feel like it was 17 dollars, I live in Manhattan KS

 

[jabba11]

last weekend I had a small issue with my hydra that i thought Id share. i usually only use muslin bags when I have stuff I just want to throw away after th eboil or Alot of additions. This was the first time I used them with the hydra. Once it was in the kettle while stirring the bags got all hung up on the chiller on the copper wire they use to hold it and keep the coils seperated. So bad I couldnt get them off and they ripped open. Not a huge issue and a learning experince. I think it may be time for that hop spyder i just never seem to get aorund to making. I think that will help with this a ton especailly if I sink a stainless marble in it or something to keep the bag centered. Still I love the hydra.. 13 minutes boil to 66 degrees in a 5.5 gallon brew. Its getting cold here now.. Id bet it will take less than 5 minutes with really cold water. Crazy fast.

 

[jabba11]

December now. I did a ten gallon batch last saturday. Boil to pitch 15 minutes.

 

[masskrug]

Its all about water temps, it wouldn't do that in Florida.

 

[j1n]

Its all about water temps, it wouldn't do that in Florida.

Captain obvious over here. Cmon you think we dont know this?

 

[PasbitinusBluinusRibbinus]

Isn't this just an immersion chiller with a lot more copper? I dont understand.

 

[j1n]

Isn't this just an immersion chiller with a lot more copper? I dont understand.

Yes, its a massive immersion chiller. Works very well.

 

[j1n]

wtf is up with the forum. why are my posts higher than the ones i quote....

 

[jabba11]

Yes its an immersion chiller with a lot more copper and yes water temp is important which is why I mentioned it was decemeber (ala the water is even colder than the first time I tested it). That being said I had a home made one before this which would have taken 3 times as long or more to cool even with decemeber water temps. if your water temp in florida is 70 degrees Id bet it would still chill your 5.5 gallon wort to 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes. its not all about water temps, its also about surface area/contact (and other small factors from what I understand).