Chiller exit temperature

[MashBag]

I am building a chiller to manage summer temps in a well insulated 25l brew.

It will be a coil, inkbird connected to a refrigeratated 25l reservoir.

Does anyone running a commercial chiller know what the exit chiller temp is and typically how long it runs to remove 1c.?

Or any thoughts, do & don't etc.?

 

[hoppyscotty]

I have a really efficient plate chiller so always over chills the wort when transferring into the fermenter and requires heating up before pitching yeast.

This weekend I made a bit of a boo boo and set my fermenter to warm the chilled wort (starting from around 11 degrees C) to 20 degrees C before pitching the yeast...however I forgot to insert the thermocouple into the thermowell so was just measuring ambient air. So after 30 mins or so I was surprised to see the temp of the wort was still 13/12 degrees despite being heated for a good 30 mins. After establishing the heater was working, spotting my error and inserting the thermocouple into the thermowell, I saw a wort temp of 27 degrees C and my chiller immediately kicked in.

So my chiller is a beer line chiller (Maxi 310) running an ice bath so the glycol running through the product coils cant get Lower than zero degrees so lets assume its 3 degrees on the basis when I cold crash it usually bottoms out at 3 degrees. So to cool the wort from 27 degrees to 20 degrees took about 15 minutes, so about a degree every two minutes.

So summary is: for a 60 litre batch, chiller glycol around 3 degrees, cooled at a rate of 1 degree every 2 minutes.

 

[MashBag]

Smashing thats the sort of thing I wanted to hear.
Not using glycol, just tap water, so might be a bit quicker (more efficient)
It's only a 23l batch @ 20°c
Inkbird set at ½°c trigger.


Didn't want to over run the fridge. Don't think that will.

Might have to nail together a test rig.

 

[MashBag]

Never considered, am I in danger of having too much cooling? Some of the other fermentation cools are only a couple of turns. Hmmm

I was planning to use the temp twister.

 

[hoppyscotty]

You’ll be fine. The chilling capacity on my setup is pretty good and usually fluctuates between +\- 1 degree. Would be tighter if the chilling capacity wasn’t so good but I’m not bothered about a 2 degree range. Some people seem to want to keep it much tighter but if your well within the temp range of the yeast then a bit of fluctuation does no harm

 

[MashBag]

I did find that too much heating created a lag (till the sensor caught up) which caused temps to fluctuate. Thought I might be in danger of the same (although cooling in inherently slower that heating)

 

[Nashbrew]

Hi Mashbag

I did a test run with my set up ( cooling coil in the wort) only I used an old vending machine chiller with the pump operating from the chiller relay & and an Inkbird.
Run it for a few hours with no real wild temp fluctuations then the weather dipped so put it all back in the shed again.
See what the weather does this year.

 

[MashBag]

That is where I am, I only need this for a couple of brews each year, and this is stuff I already have + a stainless coil.

Might have a tinker today...
Biggest job is cutting a port in the fridge

Can anyone think of a tank connector, that I can get a kettle plug through and reseal?

 

[Nashbrew]

You need something like this

 

[MashBag]

Ooo wasn't thinking along those lines.
Probably about 40mm ID and push everything through it. Then get a threaded cap to close it when not in use.

 

[MashBag]

In other news. Had a tinker...

Drilled and installed the temp twister into the second lid (thank you).
Filled the BM with 25litres of water and heated to 22c
Filled a bucket with ice packs and cold water to 5c (fridge simulator)

I want to maintain 20-21c (for ale fermentation) in the brewshed in the height of summer.
Really pleased. 1c removed in about 1½ mins. Pretty much bang on what you said Hoppy!

Hot summer beer fermentation is now secure - all four the cost of the coil. Kveik need never darken my doors again.

Just need to drill the fridge now. Properly chuffed. Thanks for your help all.

 

[MashBag]

Psssssst... FFS who puts a refrigerant pipe there.

Anyone got a larder fridge for sale

 

[Nashbrew]

Oops there are methods to detect the pipes.
Sounds like a dead fridge.
Try freegle always done me well

 

[MashBag]

Methods..... Methods.... METHODS.

Tbh. It was a million years old, running badly and held together with the bamboo and gaffer tape, so an upgrade is welcome.

As for drilling in the new one. What are these methods you speak of?

 

[Nashbrew]

When I drilled mine
I did small penetrative holes through the outside skin then pushed a small screwdriver into the insulation making sure I could get through to the inner plastic liner

 

[aolcot]

I just recently drilled into the side of my fridge to install taps.. was proper bricking it!!.. couldn't get a definitive answer on the webs about coils in the side of fridges so I just used a very small drill bit at first and drilled very, very slowly until i just pierced the skin, then manually "felt" the insides with the drill bit and slowly just pushed it through the insulation until i hit the inner skin.. i then gradually changed up drill sizes until i was confident there was nothing but insulation in the sides...

 

[MashBag]

Fridge number 2 will be today

 

[Nashbrew]

Fridge number 2 will be today

Good luck

 

[stripeyjoe]

Why don't you just put the FV in the fridge and let the ink bird control that?

 

[MashBag]

Why don't you just put the FV in the fridge and let the ink bird control that?

That is a very good question. Here is my thinking..

For probably 11 months of the year, I can brew perfectly in the braumeister. One pot does the lot. So just need to add cooling.

There isn't really the space in there. It's a busy fridge. Not dedicated fermentation cabinet.