[tommymorris]

The $150 price tag has me stuck though. At that point I could get into a counterflow chiller. I don't have one thought, just an IC, so I'm guessing the hydra is easier to clean and you only have one fluid to circulate though.

I don’t have a Hydra either. I do have a CFC and an immersion chiller. The immersion chiller is much easier to clean. Pull out of wort and rinse with the garden hose; let drip dry.

CFC requires recirculating with warm PBW solution; rinsing with warm water; finally, I shoot compressed air to dry it out.

[denny]

The $150 price tag has me stuck though. At that point I could get into a counterflow chiller. I don't have one thought, just an IC, so I'm guessing the hydra is easier to clean and you only have one fluid to circulate though.

The Hydra is at least as fast as a counterflow and easier to maintain.  No contest.

[Kochhandwerk]

You sold me, Denny.

[trapae]

Agreed

[Robert]

Is it equally advantageous at a lower flow rate?  I run my IC (with prechiller) off the kitchen faucet,  so it's a significantly lower rate than I believe is quoted to get the super speed advertised (full line pressure off a garden hose I believe.)

[69franx]

Have not tried either of mine on the kitchen sink. They do suggest the highest flow possible to get the times they quote though. But I would imagine that given the design, it will still do the job faster than anything else around given the same slow flow

[denny]

Is it equally advantageous at a lower flow rate?  I run my IC (with prechiller) off the kitchen faucet,  so it's a significantly lower rate than I believe is quoted to get the super speed advertised (full line pressure off a garden hose I believe.)

I haven't tried it, so I don't know.  The guys at Hydra are very responsive and knowledgeable, so I suggest you contact them.

[Robert]

I did some research including online reviews,  a search of the forum and stuff posted by JaDeD (or however they type that out.)  It seems that the 6gpm flow rate is integral to getting the stated performance,  and I can only provide more like ~1gpm or a bit more.  At that rate, it appears  that instead of 3 minutes to reach groundwater +10F, it will take 15-20 minutes.  They recommended against using a pre chiller as it will further restrict the flow.   Rather they suggest,  if groundwater is not cool enough, stopping at G+10F,  hooking up a pump, and finishing by running (not recirculating) ice water.  So without 6gpm,  it's 15-20 minutes, then break down, reset, and pump for who knows how long.

My IC is 50ft of 3/8in configured in a very loose double coil to maximize contact and flow of stirred wort over the surface area.   My pre chiller is 25ft of 1/2in in an ice bath, used only when groundwater temperature requires.   My chilling time for 6.5-7 gal wort is never over 18 minutes, with my available ~1gpm flow.

So for now, it looks like I'm better off sticking with what I have.   If I could provide the 6gpm, I'd surely try the Hydra, as I know I couldn't push that through my current system.  3 minutes + switching to pumping ice water might still beat my current time.

Hope this info helps anyone else with similar questions to mine.

[denny]

I did some research including online reviews,  a search of the forum and stuff posted by JaDeD (or however they type that out.)  It seems that the 6gpm flow rate is integral to getting the stated performance,  and I can only provide more like ~1gpm or a bit more.  At that rate, it appears  that instead of 3 minutes to reach groundwater +10F, it will take 15-20 minutes.  They recommended against using a pre chiller as it will further restrict the flow.   Rather they suggest,  if groundwater is not cool enough, stopping at G+10F,  hooking up a pump, and finishing by running (not recirculating) ice water.  So without 6gpm,  it's 15-20 minutes, then break down, reset, and pump for who knows how long.

My IC is 50ft of 3/8in configured in a very loose double coil to maximize contact and flow of stirred wort over the surface area.   My pre chiller is 25ft of 1/2in in an ice bath, used only when groundwater temperature requires.   My chilling time for 6.5-7 gal wort is never over 18 minutes, with my available ~1gpm flow.

So for now, it looks like I'm better off sticking with what I have.   If I could provide the 6gpm, I'd surely try the Hydra, as I know I couldn't push that through my current system.  3 minutes + switching to pumping ice water might still beat my current time.

Hope this info helps anyone else with similar questions to mine.

Do you use the whirlpool arm?

[Robert]

^^^^
No, I'm old school, 10 gal stockpot on the stove.   IC in, stir with a spoon, agitate the pre chiller in the ice bath,  and I take 6.5-7 gal from boiling to the 60s in ~18 minutes.   Looks like with my flow rate I can't beat that right now.   The Hydra looks like it's better suited to the brewer who's outdoors with a garden hose,  not to mention a bigger batch than me.  By no means do I suggest there's anything fundamentally wrong with the Hydra. 

[denny]

^^^^
No, I'm old school, 10 gal stockpot on the stove.   IC in, stir with a spoon, agitate the pre chiller in the ice bath,  and I take 6.5-7 gal from boiling to the 60s in ~18 minutes.   Looks like with my flow rate I can't beat that right now.   The Hydra looks like it's better suited to the brewer who's outdoors with a garden hose,  not to mention a bigger batch than me.  By no means do I suggest there's anything fundamentally wrong with the Hydra.

Yeah, I got that.  I was just curious.

[Robert]

At one point, just for a moment, I found myself considering what it would take to plumb in a full pressure garden spigot under the kitchen sink to run a Hydra off of.  Then I realized this might be a sign of an unhealthy obsession.   

[BrewBama]

I’ve found that if I whirlpool as well as lift and lower the Hydra a few times it cools the wort very quickly. I let the chiller run until the inlet and outlet feel like the same temp. I raise and lower it a few times and notice a HUGE difference very quickly. I let it stabilize again and repeat a few times until it no longer feels different. My challenge in N AL is warm ground water so I get close enough then let the ferm chamber do the rest.


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[trapae]

 I whirlpool while chilling through a whirlpool arm. I found that pulling the chiller back to the back wall of the kettle greatly decreases the time of chilling. I think that if you leave it directly in the center you set up a couple thermoclines-one in the center of the chiller and one circling the outside. If you place the chiller on the wall, the whirlpool hits the coils and cools quicker and disrupts the thermoclines. Once everything is at a temperature, I move the chiller to the center again for a good hop cone.

 Also by the way, the jaded guys have a product that is not on their website for if you have an electric kettle. It’s called the electrichair.  It is a copper  stand that elevates their chillers above your element. So you can definitely use  their chillers with electric Brewing. I am thinking about going electric and contacted them and they let me know about it.

[zman51]

Hope not a stupid question but what is difference between the hydra and a regular IC?


thx