My Plan for a Carboy Chiller

[JakeAndBake]

This is a quick and dirty knock-up of my idea for a cheap carboy chiller. The only thing I'm thinking I would change since I came up with this idea is that the bucket would empty into the "going" hose, so that it drew from the entire supply of water and not just what's in the hose. If that makes any sense.

I'm throwing this up here to see what you more experienced guys think. I'm just trying to get down to ale temps, I think this will be ideal and I have most of the supplies laying around. Anything wrong with this idea? I'm especially liking it because it takes up less space than a chest freezer, but I'm open to suggestions if you guys have any changes you think I should make.

[SurfinMonk]

Looks like a good idea.

What if you have the bucket full of water in a cheap little mini fridge with a small submersible pump that is hooked up to a temperature controller and pumps cool water whenever you need to cool your carboy?

I wonder how I could make something like this that could handle two carboys.

Cheers

[JakeAndBake]

I kinda had that worked out too, but you would need two pumps and two sets of hoses but only one reservoir, unless you could find some sort of electric solenoid or something, at which point the whole exercise in cheapness is probably moot anyways. I had thought about it too.

Another advantage, as long as I make sure to use the right fittings, I should be able to run a wort chiller off of it and chill wort like super fast and stuff. I think total, I might have to spend $50 and I'll get decent ale out of it...

[Whitebeard_Brewer]

What kinda hose are you gonna be using to wrap around the carboy?? Think you would bet a more accurate reading of the temp if the probe was actually inside the carboy....by using something like this:


or this:

[ZZ]

What kinda hose are you gonna be using to wrap around the carboy?? Think you would bet a more accurate reading of the temp if the probe was actually inside the carboy....by using something like this:


or this:

Speaking of thermowells... I'm thinking of making my own out of copper. Copper shouldn't be a problem in the wort during fermentation should it?

[JakeAndBake]

I was thinking just clear vinyl hose, or something similar. While I had considered a copper coil around the carboy, I think it would be a little cost-prohibitive and probably easier just to buy a chest freezer at that point. I figured if I wrap it so it circles the carboy anywhere from 8-10 times, I should get some good heat transference.

I like those probes up there. Where did you find those at?

[captain carrot]

What kinda hose are you gonna be using to wrap around the carboy?? Think you would bet a more accurate reading of the temp if the probe was actually inside the carboy....by using something like this:


or this:

Speaking of thermowells... I'm thinking of making my own out of copper. Copper shouldn't be a problem in the wort during fermentation should it?

I not sure what podcast or book it was but copper shouldn't be used during fermentation. Maybe look in Palmer's How to Brew.

[dstar26t]

Copper is a problem post-fermentation because it catalyzes staling reactions, including the production of hydrogen peroxide and can oxidize the alcohols to aldehydes. Finished beer should not be stored in contact with copper, although serving beer with copper tubing in a jockey box should not be a problem, because of the short contact time immediately before serving.

Taken from:
http://www.byo.com/stories/article/indices/20-build-it-yourself/1149-metallurgy-for-homebrewers