Stainless steel chiller

[alsch890]

Hi there,

I was planning to buy some copper piping (10m or so) and build the regular chiller but then I found this one online Its in Czech but basically it says it can be used for either immersion chilling or counter-flow. the tube diameter is 8mm, the total diameter of the chiller is 19.5cm and the coil height is 26cm (with an extra 8 cm to go over the lip of the boiler. Also it has the quick connect fittings which saves an extra job/cost. 1190CZK is approximately £38.50. To put it in perspective the 12mm copper tubing I was looking it was going to come out at least £26 plus the fittings and of course would be less than half the total length.

https://www.pivoteka.cz/chladic-mladiny-smycka-23metru-rychlospojky-9-5mm-pol03499

Wondering what peoples thoughts are? Is this worth it? Is there a fundamental difference between copper and stainless that I am not aware of?

Cheers!

 

[doomy86]

Copper transfers the heat a little better than stainless. The problem with copper is, that the oxide layer that builds up on it can easily be removed by an acidic liquid like wort. A brewer friend of mine had his beer checked by a lab and copper was over the allowed limit. It turned out that this was from his copper chiller.

I would not use copper anymore. Just get a long enough stainless steel coil.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A brewer friend of mine had his beer checked by a lab and copper was over the allowed limit. It turned out that this was from his copper chiller.

Its the first time i have read this and it could be a worry as a lot of members have used copper pipe in their cool box mash tuns as well as chillers.

 

[Dads_Ale]

Looks good to me.
If the web site had a English version I probably would have bought one already :).

 

[Leon103]

And copper was/is used for fermenters/boilers etc

 

[simon12]

And copper was/is used for fermenters/boilers etc

I thought there was issues with beer in contact with copper after fermentation, am I wrong? Can't remember where I heard or read it.

 

[doomy86]

Yeah, that was worrying when i heard about it at a homebrew meeting. I am from Switzerland. Here, when you make more than 200l of beer a year you have to register you brewery. There are random checks where an food savety inspector comes to your brewery and takes a sample for lab checking. It was at one of those checks that my friend got these exceeded copper levels. He had to pay for the lab analysis and also pay a fine. When he investigated the source of the problem he suspected a counter flow copper chiller. That was the only copper he used in his brewery. After he exchanged the chiller, everyting was fine.

 

[Dutto]

Has the Daily Wail been allowed to open up a branch on this Forum?

I suggest that everyone reads this article from The World Health Organisation ...

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/copper.pdf

... and then limit their drinking to rainwater. :whistle:

Alternatively, you can read this article ...

https://www.copper.org/publications/newsletters/innovations/2006/07/copper_makes_beer_better.html

... and carry on drinking beer! :thumb: :thumb: