Wort chiller

[nickjl2]

Hello all,

After brewing this morning, I took my wort chiller out of the kettle and gave it a shake to clear off the wort. However, after one little shake, the copper tubing ruptured and start spraying furiously. Luckily, I was pulling it out and a very limited amount water got in the wort.

Is this repairable?

If not, what alternatives are there to upgrading? I have looked at counter flow chillers a little, is a pump necessary? What are you guys using?


Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[Poobah58]

Looks like you kinked it and it eventually broke. Cut out the kink and solder on a coupling...

 

[jbaysurfer]

You can fix that. Just get a compression fitting from the hardware where the inside diameter of the fitting matches the outside diameter of the coil. Cut the coil above and below, cleanly, I'd highly recommend a tubing cutter, and install the compression fitting.

 

[The542]

This is pretty well covered!

I'm using the same thing you are, and I like that method.

 

[McCoy]

It can probably be repaired by cutting the pipe on either side of the kink and then using a fitting to reconnect the two sections. If you don't have the tools already, it'd probably just make more sense to just make/buy a new one.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Looks like you kinked it and it eventually broke. Cut out the kink and solder on a coupling...

I had trouble finding a copper fitting for the OD of the coil. If the coil is 1/2" it might work with 3/8" copper fittings though...OP, check your work. Measure twice cut once kinda thing.

 

[jbaysurfer]

It can probably be repaired by cutting the pipe on either side of the kink and then using a fitting to reconnect the two sections. If you don't have the tools already, it'd probably just make more sense to just make/buy a new one.

I strongly disagree. Worst case scenario is the cost is equal to buy a torch, a propane canister, some solder/flux and a cutter. Then you have the tools to fix other stuff. If he uses a compression fitting, all he needs to buy is the fitting and a tubing cutter...maybe some emory cloth. Far cheaper.

 

[McCoy]

I strongly disagree. Worst case scenario is the cost is equal to buy a torch, a propane canister, some solder/flux and a cutter. Then you have the tools to fix other stuff. If he uses a compression fitting, all he needs to buy is the fitting and a tubing cutter...maybe some emory cloth. Far cheaper.

You are correct in all cases except that of a 25' 3/8" chiller, which was what I assumed. My mistake.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Compression fitting costs about $3. Copper tubing cutter costs $5-7 bucks.
Unsubbed. OP if you want any help, PM me, I did the exact same repair.