8mm copper pipe wort chiller, sufficient?

[beernut]

G'day Vossy

I am about to launch into a CFC and have a 10mm x 15M roll of annealed copper. What did you use for the outer sheathing, and I have read that by spiraling copper earth wire around the copper tubing and tack soldering helps with a better chill by allowing greater water contact. as it holds the tube off the outer sheath. Any thoughts on this. Also I am not sure sure what the optimum length would be for cooling 60L of wort. to around 20C. Our tank water rarely gets above 20C in summer in Tasmania and often considerably less.

Cheers

 

[Vossy1]

am about to launch into a CFC and have a 10mm x 15M roll of annealed copper. What did you use for the outer sheathing

I used standard garden water hose, though check inner diameters as they vary a lot. You are looking for a close fit between hose and copper tube to increase flow of coolant around the tube. Don't make it too close though as it will be a pain in the bottom to push the copper tube through the hose (you can lubricate the copper tube with washing up liquid to help )

and I have read that by spiraling copper earth wire around the copper tubing and tack soldering helps with a better chill by allowing greater water contact. as it holds the tube off the outer sheath. Any thoughts on this. Also I am not sure sure what the optimum length would be for cooling 60L of wort. to around 20C. Our tank water rarely gets above 20C in summer in Tasmania and often considerably less.

If your open to suggestions I'd use a twin feed cfc using 2 x 7.5m coils in each.
I make 60 ltr batches as normal, and I use a twin feed cfc to cool the wort, and it cools to tap temp, whatever that may be.
I wouldn't bother adding copper wire to the exterior of the 10mm copper tube as it will make it really hard to thread throught the outer sheath hose.

Let us know how you get on :thumb:

 

[beernut]

G'day Vossy

When you say twin feed do you mean hooked up in series as getting 15 metre of copper tubing through a outer sheath would be a bit of a trick, or splitting the wort in parallel @ 7.5 metres

 

[Vossy1]

Sorry beernut, I wasn't very clear, I meant twin coolant feeds, wort coils in series.

Here's mine