Repurposing an immersion chiller

[OhCrap]

I'm about to make a counterflow chiller but I was thinking of using my ic in a similar way.
I was thinking that I could pump the wort through the ic (recirc or straight to FV). I was thinking of putting the ic into an old plastic fermenter with cold water circulating through. if that makes any sense
Would that have the same effect as a counterflow

 

[Kingbogart]

If I'm picturing what you're trying to do, it would work similar. The biggest trick to getting similar speeds will be to somehow "flush" the old plastic fermenter to keep the water in there cold. As the hot wort goes through the chiller, the water in the bucket is going to get warmer and warmer. One reason counter-flows are so quick is because it's constantly replacing the cold water on the outside, keeping the temperature difference as large as possible.

 

[DurtyChemist]

It will chill the wort just like a counterflow chiller chills wort which is using cold water only you're not passing the cold water over the hot wort in opposite directions. You're just reversing what flows through your chiller. It's still going to work just like your immersion chiller but now you're cycling wort through it not water. I think it would be more similar to a HERMS coil than a CFC.

Have you thought about building a new CFC and using the IC as a ore-chiller for the cold water going into your CFC?

 

[OhCrap]

I was think Getting the flow right I'd pump in from the top and out the bottom at similar rates.

And also the idea of using it as a pre-chiller is on the cards.

Just thought it might cool the wort quicker then the traditional way

 

[Kingbogart]

The flow used in a cfc is generally as fast as you can in the outer-tube, and restrict the wort in the inner-tube until it comes out the temperature you want. Any slowing, or storing in the 'old fermenter' is going to cause a reduction in cooling power.

The pre-chiller is a good route to go, especially if your ground-water temps are high. Set the pre-chiller in a bucket full of ice, run it through there and then to your cfc to finish off.

 

[OhCrap]

The flow used in a cfc is generally as fast as you can in the outer-tube, and restrict the wort in the inner-tube until it comes out the temperature you want. Any slowing, or storing in the 'old fermenter' is going to cause a reduction in cooling power.

The pre-chiller is a good route to go, especially if your ground-water temps are high. Set the pre-chiller in a bucket full of ice, run it through there and then to your cfc to finish off.

I see your point about the bucket wqter
Ground water is cold (5c to 7 max) so pre chilling only necessary in summer when it hits 15-20c. I'm also recirculating the chill er water through a 250l tank.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I was think Getting the flow right I'd pump in from the top and out the bottom at similar rates.

And also the idea of using it as a pre-chiller is on the cards.

Just thought it might cool the wort quicker then the traditional way

How do you expect passing hot wort through a chiller sitting in a pot of cold water to chill faster than cold water passing through a chiller sitting on hot wort?

 

[OhCrap]

How do you expect passing hot wort through a chiller sitting in a pot of cold water to chill faster than cold water passing through a chiller sitting on hot wort?

You wouldn't be running a smAll amount of cooling water through a large volume of hot wort. You would be running a small amount of hot wort through a large volume of cooling water thus chilling quicker.