19 replies to this topic

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I already have a 50' 3/8" OD copper IC that I made. I sweated some fittings to the end of it that hook directly to garden hoses. My sweating wasn't very good and I had to use a hammer to get the fittings onto the copper. These ended up leaking so I put some JB weld around the top of the fitting to seal it against the copper pipe. It works well but doesn't look the most professional So that brings me to the here and now - I'm making a friend of mine an IC chiller like mine except I bought him 1/2" OD copper since it wasn't much more expensive (this is a wedding present btw). So I could probably do what I did last time around and end up with something pretty good but I figured I'd see if anyone had any great tips for fittings. I'd also be interested to hear coil formation techniques. I find my coils kind of get pushed together at the bottom of the IC but I'm not sure how this could be avoided. Thanks all!

[ChefLamont]

When I built mine, I used flare fittings. There is no sweating necessary (I suck at it but am getting a little better), and everyting is readily available at HD and lowes. All you need is the flaring tool. It looks great.I dont have any picks of it right now, but I later modified mine by adding legs to it. I just took three pieces of rigid copper tubing, drilled holes in them, and "stitched" them onto the side of the chiller with bare solid copper wire kind of weaving it in and out of the coils. This keeps the chiller off the bottom (and my dip tube), keeps it standing somewhat upright in the kettle, and because of the stitching, it keeps the whole thing from dong the slinky impression. Pretty solid.

[Kremer]

I've heard that wrapping it around a keg works great, or whatever else you have that's the size you want.I have compression fittings on mine (from B3), but if I ever re-do it they'll just be sweated on, it's simpler for me and I have some soldering skilz.I ended up taking some 10Ga bare copper and weaving it between the coils on the chiller at 3 places spaced around. it keeps the whole thing rigid, but also keeps the coils nicely spaced apart for maximum copper exposure and wort circulation when stirring during the chill. I think the spacing knocked a bit of time off the cooldown.

[Zulu]

1/2 OD will work with 3/8 solder copper fittings , so easier to do than the 3/8 that you had. Dry fit everything first to confirm how it will go together.Use flux and if copper is dirty pipe wire brush. Flux goes onto BOTH fittings and tube.Use Mapp gas rather than propane - much hotter , but if you only have propane it will work - just takes longer.Heat the fitting ONLY and have a 3" piece of solder ready to go.... when the flux starts to bubble , push the solder into the joint where the fitting meet the tube. It will suck up solder until the joint is full ...... now with gloves on your hand take a wet cloth and wipe radially around the joint to "clean" the joint and knock off excess solder.The important things are , clean surfaces, NOT too hot , and also not too much solder. As with anything in life it takes a bit of practice , but is not difficult.The color of the copper changes when it is ready to take solder too, you will see a clear line as the heat barrier moves across the fitting to the edge.

[Kremer]

That wet rag trick is the pro's secret I learned from the guys at work, when applied at the right (as soon a you put down the solder and can pick up the rag) time it takes off all the crap and dribbles and leaves a perfect looking bead/fillet at the joint and shiny copper all around.

[MetlGuy]

I've heard that wrapping it around a keg works great, or whatever else you have that's the size you want.I have compression fittings on mine (from B3), but if I ever re-do it they'll just be sweated on, it's simpler for me and I have some soldering skilz.I ended up taking some 10Ga bare copper and weaving it between the coils on the chiller at 3 places spaced around. it keeps the whole thing rigid, but also keeps the coils nicely spaced apart for maximum copper exposure and wort circulation when stirring during the chill. I think the spacing knocked a bit of time off the cooldown.

+1 This is what I did. My compression fittings leak a little and when I get a chance (read remember next time at Big Box store) I'll switch to soldered connections.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Which end of the tubing do you guys make the input? The end that goes straight to the bottom of the chiller or the end that spirals down from the top?

[3rd party JKor]

If you don't want to solder I'd use a compression to garden hose adapter. They're tough to find as one fitting. It'd probably be easier to get a 3/8" compression>MPT + FPT>Female GHT.

[Mudd]

The soft copper tubing hardly ever stays round. It can make it tough to impossible to get a clean tight joint.Not to say it can't be done, but when you cut the tubbing be careful not to mash it!!Dry fit the tubing to the fitting and make sure you don't have any flats or oval ends before applying flux.I prefer compression fittings for soft copper.

[ChefLamont]

Which end of the tubing do you guys make the input? The end that goes straight to the bottom of the chiller or the end that spirals down from the top?

Realistically, it doesn't matter. Theoretically, it would be better for the cold water to start at the top where the wort is the hottest (provided there is no agitation) and there is a bigger deltaT.Thanks for the glove/wet rag trick. I have to say I have been practicing the sweating lately, and I am getting better. I am left with some ugliness, but it doesnt leak. It would be nice to clean it up.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Realistically, it doesn't matter. Theoretically, it would be better for the cold water to start at the top where the wort is the hottest (provided there is no agitation) and there is a bigger deltaT.Thanks for the glove/wet rag trick. I have to say I have been practicing the sweating lately, and I am getting better. I am left with some ugliness, but it doesnt leak. It would be nice to clean it up.

I can't recall how the heat transfer function goes. Does it get exponentially larger as deltaT increases or is it more of a log function?

[3rd party JKor]

I can't recall how the heat transfer function goes. Does it get exponentially larger as deltaT increases or is it more of a log function?

Linear with ▲T.Newton's Law of Cooling:Q = hA(Thot-Tcold)Q ≡ Heat transfer rate (W/m²)h ≡ Heat transfer coefficient (W/m²-K)A ≡ Area (m²)Tcold is your cooling water temp (or more technically, the temperature of the surface of the copper tubing), Thot is the temp of the wort (in this case, not the wort right next to chiller, but outside the 'boundary layer', this is often called T∞).In a typical wort cooling application the driving factor is h. The difference in h between a still wort and an agitated wort is probably 25-100 fold. Moral of the story...stir your wort while cooling.

[Kremer]

Moral of the story...stir your wort while cooling.

oh heck yeah, it makes a huge difference.

[Steve Gruver]

Can you provide pictures?

[djinkc]

oh heck yeah, it makes a huge difference.

I thought about making Jamil's recirc deal with the IC. But since my pump and hoses are done for the day after mashing I didn't want the additional cleanup time to sanitize the pump and hoses late in the session. I had an old gearmotor that didn't work out for the EHLT. It works great as a stirrer with the IC. No more stirring for 20+ minutes and it's more effective than doing it by hand. Cut my cooling time by at least 25%. Guess that's one of the pia's with 10+ gal batches.Another IC tip, solder some GH fittings to the IC and then add some GH QD's. Makes that part of the brewday a breeze.

[Jimmy James]

I thought about making Jamil's recirc deal with the IC.

I am going to make one of these soon. Did a joint brew at a neighbor's house the other weekend and he'd just recently bought the B3 version. We got 10 gallons of Stout down to 68 dF (with San Diego tap water) in 18 minutes if I recall. I like the fact that you leave all that break material behind too. I was always skeptical of that since you need to pump and recirc the wort but after that one session I am sold. Regarding the fittings it seems like I am the only one using tubing and hose-clamps on my IC? I use barbed adapters for all my QD fittings. Works fine for me, but it wasn't a conscious choice - just the way my IC came from the LHBS way back in the day...

[ChefLamont]

I thought about making Jamil's recirc deal with the IC. But since my pump and hoses are done for the day after mashing I didn't want the additional cleanup time to sanitize the pump and hoses late in the session. I had an old gearmotor that didn't work out for the EHLT. It works great as a stirrer with the IC. No more stirring for 20+ minutes and it's more effective than doing it by hand. Cut my cooling time by at least 25%. Guess that's one of the pia's with 10+ gal batches.Another IC tip, solder some GH fittings to the IC and then add some GH QD's. Makes that part of the brewday a breeze.

I am in the process of going to the motor stirred cooling. I have dont the recirc method ala Jamil, and I have not had great success with it. I am pretty sure it is all my problem though. What did you use for a paddle/propeller on that motor?

[djinkc]

........What did you use for a paddle/propeller on that motor?

Not much, 1/2" copper pipe with a tee and flattened pipe

[CaptRon]

Another trick to clean up the copper and fittings after soldering them is to spread a little bit of flux around on it and then hit it with the wet rag. It will also make the solder all nice and shiny too.

[DubbelEntendre]

Another IC tip, solder some GH fittings to the IC and then add some GH QD's. Makes that part of the brewday a breeze.

+1 to the QD's. I switch from tap water to recirculating ice water and before I got my splitter valve on the inlet the QD's were money.