Wort chiller idea...

[Relic]

Been thinking about a wort chiller. Seems that the usual ones are just a coiled length of copper tubing. But one thing need is running water. Not a big problem for me, but my garage (brewhouse) is about 150 feet from the garden hose.
So, naturally I have to choices:
1. Move wort to garden hose
2. Get more garden hose.

I can see me going with option #2.

But I am thinking of option #3. Would a heater core work? You know, the ones that give ya heat in your car.
Like this:


If I were to place the core in bucket of ice water and drain the wort through the heater by gravity thru it, would it actually cool down sufficiently? Maybe even have some spare ice cubes on hand as the bucket water warms up. Just a thought...what do ya's think?

I'm kinda thinking that the solder/brazing makes this a bad idea.....wasn't exactly made for food grade use...

[Relic]

Now see....if I were smart, I would have Googled this idea BEFORE posting! Doh.....

Cancel choice #3.

[mr x]

Lol.

[Tony L]

I'm kinda thinking that the solder/brazing makes this a bad idea.....wasn't exactly made for food grade use...

Not to mention blocking the heater with trub and making it impossible to clean if it were food grade materials.

[Keggermeister]

http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?qu ... %2Bchiller

One of these is only a bit more than buying a new heater core. They work great.

[wortly]

Kegger, when you use yours, do you recirc then pump into the primary, or are you able to pump directly into the primary through the chiller? What size would you recommend for 10 gal. batches?

[mr x]

I'm kinda thinking that the solder/brazing makes this a bad idea.....wasn't exactly made for food grade use...

Not to mention blocking the heater with trub and making it impossible to clean if it were food grade materials.

You can clean that fairly easily with hot caustic so long as it's not aluminum.

[Keggermeister]

Kegger, when you use yours, do you recirc then pump into the primary, or are you able to pump directly into the primary through the chiller? What size would you recommend for 10 gal. batches?

You pump or gravity transfer through the heat exchanger (counterflow) directly into the fermenter.

30 plates is more than enough. That said, I bought the 40 plate because it was only a few bucks more.