More Toys
J and I got more work done on some equipment this weekend. Vessel #3 is almost ready - but we also decided that we need to find a SMALLER pot to use for this next brew as there aren’t enough grains to fill the bottom of one of the converted kegs. So we’ll be using one of the current pots with the new false bottom in it instead. We just need to make a custom drain tube for it. We also put this together:
Details on how how it went together below.
This was my 3rd time building a chiller and it gets easier each time. The first one was mainly made out of vinyl tubing for the fittings. The second was all soldered copper fittings and was a lot nicer..but I had a heck of a time finding fittings that would work.
This time I had access to a wider selection of parts. On my last chiller I had to use nested tubes to make my own reducers. This time the perfect parts were a short trip to the store away. 2 - 1/2″ Tee’s. 6 - 1.5″ long pieces of 1/2″ copper tube. 2 - 1/2″ - 3/8″ reducers. Toss in a 15′ 5/8″ garden hose and 10′ of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ ID) flexible copper tube.
A little work with the dremel to widen out the reducers so that the 3/8″ tube could pass all the way through them. A bit of heat flux and solder later:
Cut 2.5′ off each end of the hose and set them aside. You could probably go to 27″ or 28″ but it’s not critical. Next put one end of the 3/8″ tube through so it sticks a few inches out the reducer, then slide the garden hose over it:
Wrap a wet towel around the Tee fitting then solder the 3/8″ pipe into the coupler. Some hose clamps seal the hose to the other side of the Tee - and one of the ends that was previously cut off goes on the third side.
It is possible to fit the 5/8″ hose over the 1/2″ Tee without the 1/2″ tube..but the 1/2″ tube makes the fit of the hose a LOT easier and seals just fine.
Still need to find some end caps for the wort line since that’s what doomed my last two chillers! And if Mark didn’t have his super Chiller on the way (All Copper, longer, convulted tubing…should be killer!) I’d of course be planning my next chiller. I’m thinking tight copper coil in PVC pipe instead of keeping up the hose in a hose style. But this one sohuld get us going wednesday!