Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!  (Read 2670 times)

Offline gimmeales

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 179
Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« on: January 07, 2011, 08:56:20 am »
Discovered just last night the perils of not fully draining the water from your immersion chiller - a burst line!  I must not have drained it entirely from last brew session and with it sitting in my shed over a 5+ day cold snap (highs barely getting above freezing) what water was in there collected, froze and popped one of the coils open with .5" tear.

Sucks as I'm brewing this weekend and thoughts of a huge ice bath are not exciting.

Anyone have any luck fixing such a failure?  May be time to make a 50-footer from 1/2 inch piping like I've wanted.

Offline onthekeg

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 125
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2011, 09:23:21 am »
Just cut out the bad part and solder it back together with a union.

Offline gimmeales

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 179
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2011, 10:40:21 am »
Ok, I figured soldering could work, but would be worried about the union being prone to eventual failure.  I know nothing of metalurgy though, so maybe it would be fine.

Would a cold-solder iron work for this?  It currently is all I have and not sure how it differs from hot solder.

Offline hamiltont

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 988
  • Location: Eastern Nebraska
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2011, 11:02:50 am »
You might want to consider something like this if you're not concerned about the short time the zink fitting will be in the wort...  Cheers!!!

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/PARKER-Union-1DCJ8
If Homebrew & BBQ aren't the answer, then you're askin' the wrong questions... Cheers!!!

Offline gimmeales

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 179
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2011, 11:40:10 am »
hmmm, very interesting.  I don't know enough to be worried about the zinc factor - should I be?  Seems like these should exist in different metals though...

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2011, 12:03:15 pm »
Yeast require zinc as a micronutrient.  I add 1/2 of a zinc tablet to my 10 gallon batches for that reason.  The zinc is rapidly taken up by the yeast.  No problem using that as a fix.

I have an old chiller that I should take to the scrap yard.  Many splits in that one.  I had left it in a shed, and gone overseas for a 1.5 years.  Many, many splits in that one.  Built a new chiller, and do not leave it outside.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline onthekeg

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 125
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2011, 12:37:53 pm »
Ok, I figured soldering could work, but would be worried about the union being prone to eventual failure.  I know nothing of metalurgy though, so maybe it would be fine.

Would a cold-solder iron work for this?  It currently is all I have and not sure how it differs from hot solder.

Use a torch, you can't cold solder it.  Also, the union will be stronger than the rest of the chiller.

Offline maxieboy

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1155
  • Mid MI
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2011, 01:33:50 pm »
Just cut out the bad part and solder it back together with a union.
coupling


union


Been around the plumbing industry a while is all... ;)
A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes." Gene Hill

[47.7, 310.8] AR

AHA Member

Offline rjharper

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 646
    • Angry Scotsman Brewing
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2011, 01:39:26 pm »
Just cut out the bad part and solder it back together with a union.
coupling


union


Been around the plumbing industry a while is all... ;)

Ha, I knew a union always involved someone/thing getting screwed...

Offline onthekeg

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 125
Re: Make sure your Immersion Chillers are dry before storage!
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2011, 01:49:05 pm »
Thanks Maxie.  I am braindead today! 8)