Immersion Wort Chiller Build

[garcara]

https://coppertubingsales.com/store...ucts_id=946&osCsid=k451or6vsrpfv9alkpqre75vl4

Anyone bought ones of these? Looks like a good deal for my immersion/whirlpool build.. The sizes of the elbows seems weird to me, but I am a newb to copper.

 

[buzzkill]

I havnt looked at copper prices in while but looks like a ok deal. seem odd that its 1/2 inch but the elbows for it are 3/8. but I may be over looking something.

 

[garcara]

I havnt looked at copper prices in while but looks like a ok deal. seem odd that its 1/2 inch but the elbows for it are 3/8. but I may be over looking something.

yea, that's what I am trying to figure out.

 

[bdh]

I bought some 3/8" copper tubing recently at Lowes or HD and paid about $1/ft, so just the tubing in that kit is probably worth the price.

 

[phoenixs4r]

I debt understand the elbows either, but when I built my 3/8" chiller the only elbows that fit where 1/4". I always though they were marked wrong. Now im not so sure.

 

[bdh]

It looks like the OD of a 3/8" elbow fitting is 1/2" (http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-solder-joint-and-cpvc-tube-fittings/=ie17gj), so I guess the idea is you put the fitting inside the tube and then solder?

 

[Bobby_M]

Fittings are based on the nominal ID of the tubing they fit over. 1/2" refrigeration tubing is 3/8" id nominal.

 

[Huaco]

This is a REALLLLLLLLLY good price on the 1/2 od copper @ 50' Long... especially since I just bought the same coil at "Big-Orange-Box" store and paid over $80 just for the coil... not the fittings. I was making a HERMS coil, I was not in the market for those fittings.

 

[BetterSense]

I just made my first immersion chiller using tubing from coppertubingsales.com. I found that it was just about the best price. I got the 50' 1/2" coil.

I just bought the plain tubing; I did not buy a 'kit' from them...I like to just push silicone hose over the ends of the coil--the silicone hose can go into the wort and I get maximum submerged copper that way, with no flow-stealing 90-degree bends. I put quick-disconnect hose connections on the other end of the silicone hose so I can switch from tap water to my ice water pump once the temp drops to about 50C.

 

[Sshamash]

I made one a few weeks back, simple copper tubing and silicone hoses over the ends (one connected to the sink and on as an exit hose), but my issue was after the second time using it the silicone hoses were leaking at the ends. I had to significantly slow the pressure down to minimize the water that entered the wort, causing the process to take longer. I assume that the silicone hoses got slightly stretched out, possibly due to the high temperatures.

Did you have this problem? Any advice?

 

[phoenixs4r]

I just made my first immersion chiller using tubing from coppertubingsales.com. I found that it was just about the best price. I got the 50' 1/2" coil.

I just bought the plain tubing; I did not buy a 'kit' from them...I like to just push silicone hose over the ends of the coil--the silicone hose can go into the wort and I get maximum submerged copper that way, with no flow-stealing 90-degree bends. I put quick-disconnect hose connections on the other end of the silicone hose so I can switch from tap water to my ice water pump once the temp drops to about 50C.

Silicone hose doesn't rupture when water pressure is applied?

 

[BetterSense]

Did you have this problem? Any advice?

They have this new technology called a 'stainless steel hose clamp'.

Silicone hose doesn't rupture when water pressure is applied?

Nope. Plus, water full water pressure is only applied if you block off the exit flow. Otherwise, only the amount of pressure drop across the chiller is applied to the inlet hose, which is maybe a few PSI, and practically no pressure is applied to the outlet hose. I was able to find that the room-temperature working pressure for plain Silcon is 10psi and burst pressure is 30psi. That seems really low to me, but they do sell braided silicone which has a working pressure of 140psi. I haven't had any trouble with my plain silicone, but YMMV.

 

[Bobby_M]

Silicone is fine as long as your buddy doesn't step on the output hose.