Dual Immersion Chiller- Which Design and build thread

[hedbutter]

I currently have an immersion chilled, however, it is way to small for my brewpot, and i have to stir/move it around to get a decent boil-pitch temp time. I picked up 50ft of 1/2" OD copper tubing as well as a garden hose connection and nylon tubing to connect the hose to the chillers. I also picked up a "t" connection, so i can make 2 individual chillers that best utilized the dual inputs.

Details:
Pot Dimensions: 14" H x 18" D
50ft of 1/2" copper tubing
30ft of nylon tubing

The ideas:
1. Make a ribcage chilled, with an input for each rack
2. Make a larger diameter chiller with a small diameter chiller on the inside.
3. Any other ideas?

 

[phoenixs4r]

Pump to recirculate > ribcage design.

 

[selivem]

I use two 50' stainless coils and recirculate, one large, one tall. There are things I like and dislike about it:

One coil has to be taller than the the other. this means that for 5 gallon brews a large part of the coil is not immersed in the wort and is useless. Also, the coils are tight and form a wall. The wort doesn't flow well in-between them. lastly, the whole thing is wobbly.

On the bright side I can bring five gallons down from boiling to 70 in 15 minutes. The same with 10 gallons takes less than 20 min.

Now irrelevant of the design, I find immersion chillers difficult to clean, I always miss my final volume because I use a stick to measure the volume and once the chiller is in the wort the readings are messed up. Finally, the re-circulation through a pump pulverizes the hot and cold break which takes way much longer to settle.

 

[Grossy]

I do 10 gallon boils.

I use a 50' immersion chiller I bought from More Beer. I spread out the coils and created a "rib cage" effect.

Since I live in Arizona I do not have cold tap water. So I fill my garage sink with ice and water (ice is made in the freezer part of my kegerator), and I then pump the 40 degree water through the chiller.

For my last boil, I made an automatic stirrer. All three of these components brought 10 gallons down to 65 degrees in 30 minutes.

What I like about it, is how simple it is. Put chiller and stirrer into boil to sanitize. Put ice into tub, add water, and turn on the the tap and the pump.