Hi, I had a newb idea for a wort chiller (may already be in use) I would like some feedback on. I'm building my own copper coil chiller, for fun and savings, and I wanted to increase it's efficiency and decrease water waste. I was looking to combine the method of ice bath and immersion coil and use a recirculation pump instead of a hose. I have everything but a 50' roll of 1/2" copper. Which I can get at Menards for about 50 bucks.
So, I would use a sizable enough Rubbermaid (sanitized) with an ice bath to set the pot in. Instead of hooking my chiller to a hose and flushing the water into the yard/ drain, I would set a small submersible pump into the ice bath and let the water flow back into the tub. It would melt the ice faster but the circ water would be much colder. Plus it would create a small counterflow around the pot if I angled the return hose right. Right?
So, I would use a sizable enough Rubbermaid (sanitized) with an ice bath to set the pot in. Instead of hooking my chiller to a hose and flushing the water into the yard/ drain, I would set a small submersible pump into the ice bath and let the water flow back into the tub. It would melt the ice faster but the circ water would be much colder. Plus it would create a small counterflow around the pot if I angled the return hose right. Right?