Home-made Wort Chiller

After my first batch, I decided to go ahead and do full boils. I had originally purchased a big, 8 gallon kettle with thoughts of future needs and the more I read, the more I was convinced that if you have the capability, you should do a full boil.

The only caveat here would be that I'm what is known as a "stovetop" brewer. I life in a condo in downtown Seattle, so I don't have an outdoor area or garage where I can set up a propane burner and instead brew in my kitchen and on my stove (electric range at that). So, I was soon to learn how long it takes to heat up 5 gallons of water.

But the first issue was how to cool 5 gallons of boiling wort, which is very susceptible to infection in between the boiling stage and pitching the yeast at 70°. With my first batch, I placed the kettle in a ice water bath and that even took more than 30 minutes to cool only 1.5 gallons. The only option would be a wort chiller. I had seen many online, but felt reasonably confident that I could make my own for cheaper. Plus it would be a fun project.

Material:

1. 50' Copper Tubing - 1/4" inner diameter (25' would have worked)
2. Plastic Tubing
3. 2 small clamps
   
4. Beckett M250 Fountain Pump (257 gph)
   

Total cost was about $60 (including the pump). Copper was pretty pricey at the time and ones made with 25' of copper tubing were about $50 at the hombrew supply sites.

Some that I saw online were soldered together for added stability. After I shapped the coil around a small bucket, I brought the ends up from the bottom (along the inside). This worked out to help stabilize it and acts as a handle for lifting in and out of the wort. It may not be much to look at, but works like a charm.

For people who brew outside, you can force the water through the copper using a hose and the same can be done inside using an attachment for your sink. I live in an old building where water pressure isn't the best, so I'm not sure where I first saw the idea for a fountain pump, but it is a great idea and works perfect for me. I first picked up one with was 150 gph (gallons per hour), but it was way too weak.

One of the concerns I always have with brewing is the amount of water used throughout the process. I start with a bucket of ice water and pump it through the copper. As expected, it is very hot when it first comes out. But after about 7 minutes, the water is cool enough to recycle into the ice water bath.

In general I'm able to cool 5 gallons of boiling wort to 70° in approximately 15 minutes.



Coiled shape w/ tubing



Fits in the kettle


Practicing with the fountain pump



Chiller all hooked up; ice water bath on the right