Counterflow cooler

[BlightyBrewer]

I have heard that running Oxyclean through the chiller, then rinsing with water does a good job of cleaning after use.

[James]

Oxyclean is a good cleaner, it is mostly sodium percarbonate, which through the realese of oxygen also has slight disinfecting properies (as an oxidising agent) although i would not use it for sanitising, but it is a usefull side-effect.

If you rinse throughly, you should not need to use it, but it is good for lots of other tasks.

There is a version for babies clothes, which is perfume-free, i'd go for that.

Personally, I do not like VWP if for no other reason than it is environmentally a nightmare

JC

[Andy]

James, what do you use as a sterliser ?

[James]

I have got some Star-San from the states, its no-rinse, 30 secs contact, no staining, no worries. Awesome

The other option is what DAAB uses-Iodophor. Only trouble is it stains plastic a brown colour, but still far, far better than bleach.

I would rather give up brewing than go back to using a ‘rinse-required’ sanitiser. Serious.

Until you have used a no-rinse sanitiser, you really don’t know what you are missing out on, it makes brewing so, so much easier

Quite why the sometimes backward UK homebrew market hasn’t caught on to no rinse, I’ll never now. Youngs/Brupacks really need to get their act together IMO, sanitation this is a fundamental brewing principal.

To sanitise something, and then (in part) undo all your hard work by running un-sanitised water over/through it is insane in this day-and-age (through no fault of our own however).

JC

[James]

I got my Star-San from the states –

http://www.morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16023

I’ve bought a lot of kit from them and I’m well pleased. They just charge you postage ‘at cost’ (i.e. whatever the USPS postage calculator shows) so its very reasonable.

I too would be weary about asking people too bring back chemical-based-stuff-– if customs find it, I reckon they’d confiscate it for sure!! It would also be embarrassing for the people carrying it!

It is fantastic stuff though, I can thoroughly recommend it. It totally changes the way you brew, saves lots of aggro.

JC

[Andy]

Boots are getting me some Betadine in for tomorrow £3.50 for 500ml. That San stuff looks the dogz though.

[FlippinMental]

appreciate this is a old thread but i have just stumbled across this pump that might prove useable for transfer of wort? it mentions being ideal for fresh water, etc. any thoughts on this one?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.as ... 2165&g=122

[FlippinMental]

i've just gotta make me a counterflow gadget. i've got the 15mm copper joints and pipe and am now waiting on delivery of hose. i made myself a 10mtr x 10mm immersion cooler, its still a virgin do you think it alright to re-work this cooler for the counterflow?
FM

[FlippinMental]

i'll be giving that a go then. how d'ya go about monitoring temp of out flow, same as jim shows on his site?

[deadlydes]

can you use a counter flow cooler if you are not pumping? or does it have to be pumped?
thanks
Des

[Andy]

Gravity feed for the wort works, that's how I use mine. When the copper is emptied then I hook up the wort-in side of the CFC to the HLT and flush out wort which is still inside the CFC coils. Got to get every last drop (and there can be quite a bit of precious nectar held in the CFC coils!)

Edit: To answer DaaB's question I have the copper on a kitchen table and the CFC and collection bin on the floor so doesn't need much head space. Jim uses three tiers as seen in pic below, I use 2 tiers.

[Andy]

QUOTE (James @ Jan 10 2006, 09:06 AM) The ebay pump will do it andy, but its A) a lot of £ (I think mine was only £25 unused from ebay) and B) it may have been used to transfer aggeressive photographic chemicals, although a new water jacket would probably solve this.

Try ebaying now an again for 'totton pump' thats what ive got. they are UK made so spares are no problem.


Just won a new Totton pump from Ebay for £23 posted.

RS have it listed at £142 + VAT

[James]

Nice one. You'll love it. If you need a hand getting it setup, gimme a bell.

JC

[fizzypop boy]

As some one who is a keen jack of all trades master of none i 'd thought i 'd add my two penneth worth.You can solder joints using an electric paint stripper gun and for the novice to plumbing they might find the on off control easier to use and less lightly to have the fire brigade worried!

[eskimobob]

Hi guys, been busy today making a counterflow cooler and http://www.forumforfree.com/forums/inde ... #entry7853. I just thought I'd put up a few photos of my counterflow cooler:

10 metres is 8mm microbore from plumb centre


Various copper parts (mostly from bits box in shed)


Copper parts assembled


Finished cooler:


I've had that yellow hose lying around for years; at last I have a use for it
I decided to terminate in washing machine connectors so I could simply screw on the standard garden hose style connectors. Looking forward to trying it out tomorrow