making and using IC?

[medtech]

I got a 50' roll of 5/8" copper today to make an ic for my new brew kettle. A few quick questions about making it. Do I want the coils touching the sides of the kettle. If not, what is the optimal space between kettle side and coils? Second, do I want all the coils touching each other or do I want space in between coils? How much space?

Also, as far as use, what would be the best setup? I'm planning on using my pump to recirculate and whirlpool while using the ic, I also have a convoluted cfc. Should I run the wort thru that and have water running thru the cfc also while whirlpooling? If I were to run the water in series would I be better having it go thru cfc or ic first?

When I make lagers I want to be able to chill real low so I'll have to use an ice bath with submersible pump once I get to a certain temp. Would it be better to run the ice water thru the cfc or the ic, or both? IF both, should I go thru cfc then thru ic or thru ic first then cfc?

Thanks!

[codewritinfool]

I got a 50' roll of 5/8" copper today to make an ic for my new brew kettle. A few quick questions about making it. Do I want the coils touching the sides of the kettle. If not, what is the optimal space between kettle side and coils? Second, do I want all the coils touching each other or do I want space in between coils? How much space?

Also, as far as use, what would be the best setup? I'm planning on using my pump to recirculate and whirlpool while using the ic, I also have a convoluted cfc. Should I run the wort thru that and have water running thru the cfc also while whirlpooling? If I were to run the water in series would I be better having it go thru cfc or ic first?

When I make lagers I want to be able to chill real low so I'll have to use an ice bath with submersible pump once I get to a certain temp. Would it be better to run the ice water thru the cfc or the ic, or both? IF both, should I go thru cfc then thru ic or thru ic first then cfc?

Thanks!

This is just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.... I can only answer part of your questions.

I don't think you want the coils touching the sides of the kettle. You want to have wort all around the coils. The idea is to maximize the copper surface area touching the wort. You do not want the coils touching each other, at least not by design.

Also, I've seen a few techniques for bending copper tubing without kinking it, but what I have done in the past is to fill it with *really fine sand* (think ashtray sand) before bending - it then bends very smoothly. Getting the sand out sounds like it would be hard, but it isn't.

[medtech]

hmm, what is a source for that sand? Would it be the same as used in pool filters or that white sand sold for little kids sand box?

[Lars]

The first one I made I rolled around a corny keg. Just made sure I was careful when bending. I bought the one I use now...

[codewritinfool]

hmm, what is a source for that sand? Would it be the same as used in pool filters or that white sand sold for little kids sand box?

I don't know what pool filter sand looks like. Nor have I seen white sand for sand boxes, only brown, which is far too course, at least around here.

Think table-salt-sized sand granules. I wouldn't use salt, because it would crush under bending stress and once it is powder wouldn't provide much anti-kink support.

Try it if you have a spare piece of copper around. Once it has sand in it, you can bend it really easily with little fear of kinks.

Lars has a point, you may not even need the sand to do it, but I'd use it. Costs nothing and nowhere near as easy to kink.

[jeremymm]

I agree with Lars. You shouldn't need to fill the copper with sand unless you are bending a very tight coil. Just soft copper bent around a jig should work. Use a paint can or a corny as your jig. It is nice if you can solder a rod vertical to your coil to keep it from warping too much.

The only time I have found sand helpful is when making very tight coils(less than 3") for "essential oil extractors";). As long as you get most of your copper in contact with the wort you should be fine. The I.C. could be used to cool down to 70-80F and the C.C., with ice water, to get you the rest of the way down to pitching temp.

[Homegrown Hops]

To touch upon some unfettered questions. I would run the IC in the ice bath/water/what the hell ever prior to the cooled H20 meeting the wort in the CFC. You can whirlpool without the IC being in the kettle ( better hop utilization?) but you would need another vessel to chill the water( plastic bucket). If you have a march pump or similar already you could just recirc/ whirlpool the wort with the WP addition of hops and keep the lid on the kettle to save aromatics, and have a secondary valve on your kettle to draw/cool the wort into your fermenter. More later if you need it.


Cheers,
HH

[medtech]

I thought the whole point of using the IC/whirlpool method was to drop the temp of the entire kettle at once as quick as possible. Using the cfc would only chill small portions at a time. What would be the point of running the IC as a prechiller in a bucket of ice water. Woudln't it be more efficient to recirculate the ice water right thru the cfc or IC?

I think I'm making this too difficult, time to sell the cfc!