Again, I am the DIY ignorant one...IC build...

[Skrimpy]

Long story short I want to do this. Ill see if I can draw a pic up in paint or something...Will it work?


5/8" ref coil
2 X 1/2" 90 degree elbow fittings (one at each end of the coil)
2 X vertical straight sections of 1/2" pipe (one in each 1/2" elbow)
2 X 1/2" 90 degree elbow fittings (one in each end of the vertical 1/2" pipes)
2 X horizontal straight sections of 1/2" pipe (one in each elbow)
2 X 1/2" to 1/2" male NPT adapters (one in each horizontal pipe)
2 X 1/2" female NPT to garden hose adapters (one on each male NPT adapter)

I already screwed up and bought the 1/2" ref coil thinking it was 1/2" ID. Obviously, I haven't been paying attention much. I'm going to return the 1/2" and wanted to check with those of you that know a little more than I before buying the 5/8". I was hoping I could find a 1/2" couple to garden hose adapter but it seems the only thing that I might be able to sweat on to a 1/2" pipe is a hose barb drilled to 1/2" on the 1/2" ref coil (see Bobby's IC vid). Apparently, there is no such 1/2" couple to garden hose adapter...the NPT seems like it will work to me.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Skrimpy,
I'm not a plumber, nor am I intimately familiar with plumbing parts/pieces.
In your post you mentioned that you purchased 1/2" od coil. As I recall, the 1/2 od is 3/8 ID. When I built my IC, I purchased 3/8 to 1/2 el. Works great. If you haven't purchased the 5/8 copper it might be another route to take.
The one I built is 50' and will cool 11 gal of wort to pitching temps in 15-17 mins., but YMMV. Good luck.

 

[Skrimpy]

Hugh,
Yah. It seems that most people build them with 3/8 ID 1/2 OD coil but I wanted the whole thing to be rigid without having the hassle of buying a new drill bit to drill out a hose barb to 1/2" ID because there seems to be no such 1/2" ID copper to garden hose coupler, or even NPT, but...I did find the 1/2" NPT to garden hose adapter and thought, "Now I'm in business". I just am not sure if my thinking is correct on the couplers and tube sizes.

 

[Skrimpy]

X-changed the coil and found a piece that will sweat on. I guess most people go with the 1/2 ref coil but I kind of wanted the bigger coil. Kind of didn't want to drill out a hose barb or have any hose clap connections either. What difference will that make with cooling time? Maybe but I suspect if it does, it won't be all that much. Here is a parts list for the bigger 5/8" coil if anyone wants it.

50 feet 5/8" ref coil (1/2" ID)
4 x 1/2" 90 degree elbows
1 x 20-30" 1/2" copper pipe cut to fit the coil
1 x 10-20" 1/2" copper pipe cut to fit the coil
2 x short sections of the cut copper
2 x 3/4" Brass NPT to Hose Adapter (5/8 ID on the NPT side to sweat to copper)

 

[Bobby_M]

Did you try bending that stuff around a corny or some other form yet? 1/2" OD is pretty tough to do as is and I can imagine 5/8" being really tough.

As you've found, if you want sweat fittings to go over 5/8" OD tubing, they are labeled as 1/2" because that's the nominal ID of the tubing. To get from copper tubing to GH thread, you have to go to NPT first. You can get 1/2" sweat to male or female NPT, then get an NPT to GH adapter.

 

[Skrimpy]

Did you try bending that stuff around a corny or some other form yet? 1/2" OD is pretty tough to do as is and I can imagine 5/8" being really tough.

As you've found, if you want sweat fittings to go over 5/8" OD tubing, they are labeled as 1/2" because that's the nominal ID of the tubing. To get from copper tubing to GH thread, you have to go to NPT first. You can get 1/2" sweat to male or female NPT, then get an NPT to GH adapter.

Helped a guy bend 5/8" around a corny last summer. It got tough towards the end and he sweat on an elbow before making the final foot or so (he did it with a rubber mallet). I was planning on sweating on the 1/2 to NPT and then using the NPT to GH adapter but I have a 3/4 NPT male to GH adapter that is alleged to double as a 5/8 ID sweat fitting (I have yet to try it). It should go right over the 5/8 ref tube or 1/2 pipe. If it doesn't, Ill go get the 1/2" sweat to NPT female (hopefully they go from 1/2 sweat to 3/4 NPT and attach the brass GH adapter. Thanks for the help.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Years ago I rolled 5/8 refrigeration tubing given to me from a Hussmann refrigeration foreman when Safeway stores did their first major cold section remodel jobs plus adding the bakery and deli sections.
I had an idea that worked great using a 4" diameter piece of hardwood 11/16" wide that had a angled bandsaw starting slot and snail cut into it for the starting end of the tubing. With a 1 1/2" thru bolt with a big washer like 10"welded to it with screws thru the washers into the center spacer that was glued to two 3/4" plywood disks this became the drive arbor for the lathe. With the back gear at 26 rpm's it made flat coils looking like a electric range burner as the spring back allowed for seperation between coils for the circulation of the wort. Slight hand spacing for the final product, they were stiff enough to not require spokes across the coils for added strength.
We made a couple two tier cooling coils, this project had 14" maximum O.D. overall with a 4" spacing between both coils. Both coils connected and soldered together plus both in and out vertical tubes soldered with bracing. Both coils had 5 vertical legs to maintain the seperation as well held the bottom coil off the bottom by 7" or 8" I do not remember as it was 21 years ago this build. Thru the open hole of both coils a shaft cleared and near the bottom of the keg a two blade prop that turned at 60 rpm's. It worked out great allowing for small batches still keeping the coils submerged. No fittings used, their copper tubing tool made coupling bells at the ends where needed.
With leather gloves and wire pulling soap as a lubricant it was a easy job making these coils. To this day I like this flat coil project vs the standard wound tall coils that are the standard design of brewing coils used as a standard design which causes the top coils from not being submerged on small volume test brews.
A two man job at the minimum to help with feeding as well ready on the switch should trouble occur. My thinking it is time to bring back the flat coils, don't forget the two layers. JMO.

 

[Skrimpy]

Here it is. Testing it for leaks tomorrow. It shouldn't leak though. I soldered the crap out of it. It's messy but I put lots of solder in the joints.

Kodakgallery.com: Slideshow

 

[wilserbrewer]

Nice, that thing is massive! Seems like a perfect match for your keggle. Just a heads up for future work, lots of solder doesn't really help, it is only what gets sucked into the joint that really does anything.

Great job btw!!

 

[Bobby_M]

It looks great but my only nit picky comment is that it would be easier to handle if both uprights were together. It also helps to tack them together with solder or bind them with wire. Obviously 5/8" OD is nicely bendable though. Nice.

 

[Skrimpy]

It looks great but my only nit picky comment is that it would be easier to handle if both uprights were together. It also helps to tack them together with solder or bind them with wire. Obviously 5/8" OD is nicely bendable though. Nice.

Nice, that thing is massive! Seems like a perfect match for your keggle. Just a heads up for future work, lots of solder doesn't really help, it is only what gets sucked into the joint that really does anything.

Great job btw!!

Thanks guys. First time out sweating joints for me. Never really done any DIY except mowing the lawn (which I'm not sure really counts). A Biochemist's education here and not a lick of experience with any materials science. I did think about having those uprights together but really couldn't figure a way to do it before I had the thing wrapped around a corny. By then it was too late and couldn't unwind it back to get them right next to each other and still have a round tube to sweat a joint to. Now that you mention it Bobby, I do vaguely remember you saying something about soldering the coils together or tethering them in some way to make it more sturdy. I'll take care of that tonight. Big question though. Now I need to put a female fitting on one of those ends (wasn't thinking when I put the male piece on). Which one do I put it on, or rather, which one do I want the water running to? The upright that goes to the bottom of the coil, or the one that goes to the top of the coil? My guess is bottom. I have a 1/2' to NPT male and then swivel adapter (like you suggested Bobby) but might have something that I won't have to solder that would make it easier to switch up if I put it on the wrong one...

 

[Bobby_M]

It doesn't matter which side is the water in. You'll have people talking about how the hotter wort will collect at the top of the kettle but you should be stirring to a whirlpool while chilling anyway.

 

[Skrimpy]

It doesn't matter which side is the water in. You'll have people talking about how the hotter wort will collect at the top of the kettle but you should be stirring to a whirlpool while chilling anyway.

Thanks Bobby! My tv tray/coolermash/turkey fryer ghetto set-up will get it's maiden voyage this Sunday and then to the LHBS for Big Brew Day. Time to start looking for some cheap iron tube to build the rig. :rockin:

 

[BeerCanuck]

I recently switched the cold water input on my immersion chiller to the top for the reason Bobby_M mentions above. It seemed to cool the wort more efficiently in this configuration.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

 

[Skrimpy]

Hmm. What size is the ref tube? I boiled mine last night to clean the copper. Then for you-know-whats and giggles, I cooled it to see. I was below 100 from 212 in 7 minutes, without stirring and I had the water connected to the bottom of the chiller. I think Bobby is right, it's probably splitting hairs but, it would make sense to me if you were attached to the top of the chiller all you would be doing would be taking the heat back to the bottom, when it naturally wants to come to the top. Oh and by the way, when the water initially comes out of the chiller, it's freaking HOT. I never thought it would be that hot. I thought maybe warm.

 

[Catt22]

Yes, it's HOT! A word of caution here. Water remaining in a chiller can flash boil when the chiller is immersed into the boiling wort. Beware of the possibility that boiling hot water can suddenly spew out the chiller with considerable force. Obviously, this would not be good if you are in the path. This can happen even without the chiller connected to the water supply. Safety glasses might be a good idea. I wear them all the time while brewing.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yeah, that's always a good reason to attach the water in/out to the chiller before dropping it in.

 

[Skrimpy]

So I gave the Big Brew Day SS Minnow Ale a go with the new set-up. Mashed with the 10 gallon rubbermaid cooler, boiled with the ground-out bad welded keg and cooled with the less than stellar jointed IC. I think my thermometer was a little off too! My goodness I need to get my stuff together! The thermometer says the water (and wort) was 200 at Boiling Temp. Needless to say my OG was 1.023 when it should have been 1.038. Not good skrimp. Oh well. Lesson learned. Get a new thermometer. I guess I'm learning everything the hard way! It doesn't matter. Next weekend my LHBS is giving away ingredients if you brew at the store. I'm giving the minnow another go! Sweet.