Econonomic Glycol Chiller?

[cod3ck]

So I just recently completed a successful build on a homemade glycol chiller using an old window A/C. I resorted to this after scouring the net and discovering the cheapest options are still at least $700 more than what I knew I could build it for.



Then I got to thinking -- I haven't ran the full numbers yet, but if it was possible to build and sell one to home brewers for say $500, is that enough of a price cut to catch interest?!



I'm thinking this could be a fun side venture, but figured I'd ask the community first and make sure I'm not looking down a rabbit hole to nowhere

 

[cod3ck]

Seriously -- any interest on this? Here's my hacked version shown below. It's got a ways to go, by I think if I can clean up the enclosure for the chilling system -- this could be a really cool economical option to holding fermentation temps, lagering, and cold crashing!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487375150.321676.jpg

 

[Sailingeric]

I was thing a CL chest freezer set up with a collar, a Harbor Freight pump hooked up to a temp controller like the ST1000 so when the temp gets too warm it pumps the glycol. Sound like that could be done for under $100

 

[cod3ck]

That's an interesting idea... so essentially have the chest freezer hold and cool the glycol reservoir?

 

[njs170]

That's an interesting idea... so essentially have the chest freezer hold and cool the glycol reservoir?

I tried this. Your reservoir has to be large! It can work if you chill slowly so you don't heat up your reservoir too much

 

[Paps]

There's a thread floating around here somewhere, where a guy filled his freezer with water set to 34-f and has pumps to circulate it to his counterflow chiller and fans to and from his ferm chamber that sits atop said freezer.
I allways that that was a rather "outside the box" way of doing it.(even though technically...a freezer IS a box)

 

[cod3ck]

Those are really cool ideas!

What I've found I like about the window A/C hack is the footprint isn't quite as large as a full chest freezer (and easier to breakdown and move if you needed to).

The example I show above sits right under a table, and honestly I could use a much smaller A/C and cooler to probably cut the footprint in half (depending on how much cooling someone would need).

I guess what I'm wondering is if this concept even has a market worth chasing. Would any of you guys pay for a cleaned up version of this at a $500 price tag?

Here's a quick sketch of a more enclosed concept (note the cooling coil would sit in a glycol reservoir/cooler, with the "chiller" on the outside):

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487431906.048105.jpg

Note one other option may be to just have the "chiller" and let people rig up their own reservoir depending on needs (and to keep costs down).

What do you guys think?! Where am I going wrong here?

 

[cod3ck]

Here's another concept to maybe better illustrate this idea:

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487433136.180470.jpg

 

[RedlegEd]

@brewApprentice Hi. I applaud your entrepreneurialism, but I think $500 is way too high considering you can buy a brand new 6 or 7 cuft chest freezer for ~$200 and add an Inkbird temp controller for <$40. Yes, I know, you said smaller footprint. So if you really wanted to make a great product, build one about the size of a portable ice maker with built in glycol reservoir and attach that to a chiller jacket that could be fastened around a fermenter / carboy. If you could do that for $200, I think you couldn't keep up with the demand. Ed

 

[max384]

For $500, it better look a lot better than the one you showed the picture of. I realize it probably works great, but if someone is going to spend $500, it's got to look more professional than a hacked AC unit.

There's a thread floating around here somewhere, where a guy filled his freezer with water set to 34-f and has pumps to circulate it to his counterflow chiller and fans to and from his ferm chamber that sits atop said freezer.
I allways that that was a rather "outside the box" way of doing it.(even though technically...a freezer IS a box)

I think you may be referring to my build thread. If so, it's in my sig. It's the 8 tap kegerator thread. It's not glycol, but I have a short run, so using the same temp water works well. For a longer run, I think you'd require below freezing temps and glycol.

 

[cod3ck]

yes -- definitely a cleaned up version. That was the purpose of my follow up drawings (though still crude ill admit)

@RedlegEd -- that's an interesting follow up idea. I can definitely see the push for a full cooling solution rather than just the glycol chiller

 

[Paps]

I think you may be referring to my build thread. .

Not sure TBH. The pics wouldn't load and i lacked the motivation to read the thread ATM.
I do CLEARLY remember that the guy filled the freezer with water and used it specifically to cool hot wort after the boil and to cool his ferm chamber. Don't remember anything about tap lines in it.

 

[max384]

Not sure TBH. The pics wouldn't load and i lacked the motivation to read the thread ATM.
I do CLEARLY remember that the guy filled the freezer with water and used it specifically to cool hot wort after the boil and to cool his ferm chamber. Don't remember anything about tap lines in it.

Oh. Definitely not me than!

 

[iijakii]

Too large and heavy to ship easily. That $500 price point goes out the window once you're palletizing it. Can't really deconstruct it and let them provide the reservoir either because of how easily it is to kink the copper tubing and what not.

 

[augiedoggy]

Better to sell a DIY kit of some sort.... most of the folks who care so much about the looks also have the pocketbooks at that point to pay for a commercial chiller and are less likely to buy something like this. and then theres the bunch that are more concerned with what ifs that will want the warranty, support and safety of a professionally made system .. Its really not much different than a cheaper kettle with weldless fittings vs a kettle for 6 times the price with the attachments welded in .. In reality they both work as well to make beer(especially with electric were a heavy duty kettle has less practical advantages) yet soo many drool over the fancy looking high end stuff... The large majority of rest of us make our own stuff and usually enjoy doing it...
Theres already a guy thats been selling them on ebay for years and he has to be making money to keep selling them... I looked at one a few years back for my reef tank because I couldnt afford a real one and now I got 2 real ones that were being tossed away from work for nothing so..
although if I was going to spend $500 Id just get one of these...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1-2-HP-...998908?hash=item3d3038443c:g:LeIAAOSwZQRYdTSS which is a lot more powerful than the ss brewing 1/3hp chiller for twice the price and I believe this has its own real pump.(and an stc1000 controller

Heres the other one that been selling for years...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-HP-CHIL...b0f5541&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=262801998908
Both have free shipping and yet still have room for profit so...

 

[mattd2]

If you are going to be selling these, then you would need to comply with all the legislation involved in supplying electrical equipment. Meaning testing and other compliance costs. Plus business costs. Add in the cost to take what you have and pretty it up so someone would want to buy it and the difference in what you have currently spent on your AC chiller and $500 will have shrunk significantly.
Also I would expect that you couldn't really just reuse old AC units for a product you will be selling to others due to the potentially unknown reliability - you just don't know if the AC unit you have based any particular unit on is about to give up its ghost.
If you can produce a DIY base unit for someone to use with a AC unit they have source I think you may be onto a winner

 

[cod3ck]

Great feedback!

Thinking simple stupid -- this design is nothing more than a box with an element that drops into a cooler to keep glycol down to ideal fermentation temps.

Sure it may start with ripping apart A/C units, but if the popularity took off, bulk ordering the compressors etc is of course ideal.

Unless I'm greatly missing something (that's probably already been mentioned), a simple home brew glycol chiller should not be as difficult to obtain as it is today..!?

 

[mattd2]

Great feedback!

Thinking simple stupid -- this design is nothing more than a box with an element that drops into a cooler to keep glycol down to ideal fermentation temps.

Sure it may start with ripping apart A/C units, but if the popularity took off, bulk ordering the compressors etc is of course ideal.

Unless I'm greatly missing something (that's probably already been mentioned), a simple home brew glycol chiller should not be as difficult to obtain as it is today..!?

An Aquarium chiller plus and 12V dc pump and you have yourself a 1/4hp chiller under US$200
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220V-AL-Fis...463096?hash=item4b08d10478:g:hrIAAOSwmLlX5M8W

 

[PeteNMA]

TBH for $500 I'd just go the extra mile and buy a prebuilt model like the one from Rapids wholesale or SS Brewtech. If I want a hacked apart AC unit I'll make one myself