Copper or Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hi guys as a noobie and want to get off on the right foot by buying the right gear, can you please tell me which is better and why? I have asked this in another thread but still confused, I am leaning towards the copper, however would like to hear from anyone who thinks that S/S in better? what do you use? and for a 50L or 60L pot would I need a 7.5m or 15m and is the standard 3/8" pipe efficient enough? Is it cheaper to have a plumber make one? Thanks guys for help.

Daza.

[Cain Harland]

The only reason I can see for S/S being better is it being more ridged and durable, I don't see either of these as an issue with an immersion chiller. Copper exchanges heat more efficiently and would be much easier to bend your self. If I was plumbing a 50ft Herms or cooler coil into one of my pots I would consider S/S because the durability would be more important but for a standard one that you lift in and out I would defiantly do copper.

I would think that buying any of a plumbers time would be uneconomical vs buying a pre-made one like this. And to do a real nice one you need a jig for winding a coil rather than (or maybe as well as) a plumbers pipe benders. The big question is, is 7.5m (25ft) enough for the scale your brewing on? I don't know I use a counter flow chiller.

I DIY ed one once and wouldn't do it again unless needed the something I couldn't buy cost effectively. I've seen video of guys just whipping one up in 5 minutes by bending it by hand round a bucket but I didn't find it that easy and got a few kinks (not bad enough to ruin it but they could have been). If I was to do it again I would buy pipe benders for the 2 tight bends and build a jig to wind it on but would weigh up the cost and effort of that against say just buying 2 cheap 25fters and cutting and joining them with a compression fitting.

Anyone on here use a 7.5, 3/8" chiller on 50L+ pot?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I am looking at getting a 50L to 60L pot and using a 7.5m coil is that too small?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

If you can pick up a good condition Stainless one then go for it?

[Peter Smith]

copper conducts heat way better then stainless, thats why about 98% of homebrewer use it, its also cheaper....   as a beginner go copper.     A guy on trademe sells the following for about $85 plus $15 postage, his trademe name is brass123  then people clamp a piece of garden hose onto end with clip fittings etc.   Stainless is hard to bend be very hard to make your own in this way.

12.7 x 20 meter copper coil AS/NZ spec. The beer guys use these but perfect for solar, A/C or just moving water. I have a few if your interested.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/food-beverage/other-beverages/...

here is a simillar one made up, IMHO go the full 20M

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hi I just bought a new one off Trade Me for $80 plus $15 postage. it's a 7.5M 3/8" and it also comes with Brazed tap fittings already attached so a good score I think.