Stainless steel immersion chiller?

[prodigal2]

I was checking the HBS I use in Spain and their copper IC's have tripled in price since Christmas. They do have a Stainless steel IC for the price the copper IC was pre chrimbo.

what I was wondering is, will a stainless IC be up to the job?

Details are:
7mm pipe 6m long
the coil measures 10cm wide and 30cm high

My concern is that is, will the SS conductive enough, to chill a 25l brew quickly enough?

And I was wondering is this going to be the way that new CFCs and ICs are going to need to be made, due to the mental copper prices at the moment?

On the plus side it would look nice and shiny and no chance of it getting verde gre.

[maxashton]

I don't remember the exact ratios, but i can tell you SS is a hell of a lot less thermally efficient than is Copper.

This is why you don't see SS heatsinks in PC's and whatnot.
They're all copper or aluminium, or a combination of the two.

[oblivious]

I also head a little bit of copper during the boils is good for the beer, maybe it helps scavenge free oxygen?

[tubby_shaw]

It is true that copper has 20 times the thermal conductivity of stainless steel 400 W/m/ºK for copper and 21 W/m/ºK for SS (rough figures, they vary due to chemical comp. and temperature ) But for the practical application we are using immersion chillers for it will be fine, it does still conduct and will chill your wort adequately

[maxashton]

Aluminium would be ideal, though not as conductive it radiates better... however i think the rather low pH of the wort would have detrimental effects...
"Why is my chiller water running brown?"

[prodigal2]

I thought so T_S, but i thought I ought to throw it out there to gauge peoples reactions, as this is where I suppose things are going.

Well all things being equal, that being when I can get home. I will be trying it out in the next couple of months on my first AG. And I can give you all my impressions.

[tubby_shaw]

A more practical benefit will be that the SS is less prone to mechanical damage
I must admit that my copper IC is absolutely battered

[maxashton]

But that's all part of the character, isn't it??

[prodigal2]

A more practical benefit will be that the SS is less prone to mechanical damage
I must admit that my copper IC is absolutely battered

I have sent an email of to masmalta(my internet HBS) to find out what the gauge of the tubing is. My only concern is that copper is more forgiving, whereas SS is more likely to fold or break if abused over time.
Oh well for €30 or so including P+P its not a biggie.