bendavanza
Well-Known Member
I picked up some stainless coils at the scrap yard. There is an inner and an outer coil, from a soda machine. It totals to 72 foot of 3/8" tubing. My existing IC is stainless but it is a 5/16" coil from a jockey box. It works, but has way too much restriction on the flow. Since I did not want to have flow issues with the 3/8" tubing, I am feeding it with 1/2" and using a tee, so the length of the tubing is split up rather than doubled. The flow is night and day from my old IC. The other improvement I wanted to make was my pickup tube and to have a dedicated whirlpool arm that is adjustable. I have been advised that the return tube needs to be restricted to 3/8" to get the velocity for a decent whirlpool.
I just so happened to win a $50 gift certificate from Brewer's Hardware, so I had him make some dip tubes for my BK and HLT, and the 3/8" return tube. I bought a bulkhead from "pickles" in the classifieds here. A very kind brewer sent me some swagelock fittings. I haven't tested the whirlpool arm yet, but my plan is to be able to rotate it for higher and lower positions, and not just for the difference between 5 and 10 gallon batches, but also to be able to break the surface tension (aerate) once I get down to a chilled temperature, and then I could pull the IC, let the wort spin for a bit before turning off the pump and hopefully making a nice trub pile. pics:
It was a real PITA to get the coil ends lined up, and the tubing was more of a D shape from having been bent. Using a crescent wrench, you can carefully round the tubing back into shape by tightening it to the flat side and working the wrench around, a little bit at a time. (thanks to a hbt member for that advice)
Bulkhead and new tubing:
Outside of the keg, I need to get a different (male) barb fitting, and some new pipe nipples, these are a bit out of round from being removed from existing plumbing, and don't fit quite right.
Inside of the keg with the IC in place:
I imagine all this work will pay off in a shorter chill time, and cleaner wort. If the side pickup tube is not for me, I have a normal one from Brewer's Hardware, too. Ground water is too hot for summer use here in TX so I'll be doing recirculating icewater and a pond pump once I break 100˚.
I just so happened to win a $50 gift certificate from Brewer's Hardware, so I had him make some dip tubes for my BK and HLT, and the 3/8" return tube. I bought a bulkhead from "pickles" in the classifieds here. A very kind brewer sent me some swagelock fittings. I haven't tested the whirlpool arm yet, but my plan is to be able to rotate it for higher and lower positions, and not just for the difference between 5 and 10 gallon batches, but also to be able to break the surface tension (aerate) once I get down to a chilled temperature, and then I could pull the IC, let the wort spin for a bit before turning off the pump and hopefully making a nice trub pile. pics:
It was a real PITA to get the coil ends lined up, and the tubing was more of a D shape from having been bent. Using a crescent wrench, you can carefully round the tubing back into shape by tightening it to the flat side and working the wrench around, a little bit at a time. (thanks to a hbt member for that advice)
Bulkhead and new tubing:
Outside of the keg, I need to get a different (male) barb fitting, and some new pipe nipples, these are a bit out of round from being removed from existing plumbing, and don't fit quite right.
Inside of the keg with the IC in place:
I imagine all this work will pay off in a shorter chill time, and cleaner wort. If the side pickup tube is not for me, I have a normal one from Brewer's Hardware, too. Ground water is too hot for summer use here in TX so I'll be doing recirculating icewater and a pond pump once I break 100˚.