coppertubingsales.com review / immersion chiller project

I just wanted to make a post covering my ordering experience with coppertubingsales.com, and the building of my immersion chiller.

I placed my order for 50' of 3/8" copper tubing on Monday morning for a total of $46.37 including shipping. The tubing arrived yesterday via DHL. Here is the packaging:



Here is the tubing:



Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

• Great price
• Fast shipping
• Good packaging
• No visible defects

Cons:

• THEIR ONLINE ORDERING SYSTEM DOESN'T USE ENCRYPTION! They do offer a paypal option, but I just went through their regular order form with my credit card, not realizing until the end that none of the process was encrypted. SSL encryption is such a simple thing to add, why they don't use it makes no sense.

The encryption issue could probably be avoided by using their paypal option, or by ordering over the phone.

I highly recommend the company, I just wouldn't recommend ordering online with your credit card.

Stay tuned for a follow up when I have time to build my IC!

Update: Pictures of my IC are here

I'll recommend them as well. Although I haven't recieved my package from them yet, it is scheduled to arrive today. Hopefully it looks as good as the above one.

I also ordered 50' of 3/8 tubing, came out to about $47 shipped and ordered it on Monday as well.

I did recieve a shipment confirmation for DHL. I also paid through PayPal for the security reasons.

Immersion chiller to be built this weekend.

You know what, I did receive a shipment notification! I get so many emails, it got lost in the shuffle. I ran a search for "DHL" and found it.

This nullifies my second "con".

did you guys order refrigeration tubing?

Yup, I did.

wow, that was quick...used the paypal option.....said thanks for the order, but no paypal page to pay? Already sent them an email....$46 shipped....twice the copper and cheaper than HD or Lowes

98EXL said:

did you guys order refrigeration tubing?

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Yes, I selected "refrigeration" for "tubing type".

Someone described the difference between refrigeration and "type k" and "type l" in another thread, and the bottom line was homebrewers don't want those.

I'm glad this was posted. I came across their site once but was a little put off by the non-encrypted form, amateurish web design, and the fact that they misspell "refrigeration" all over the place

I'm going to give them a shot....

Any reason to use 3/8" over 1/2",other than cost?

Hopleaf said:

Any reason to use 3/8" over 1/2",other than cost?

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I was going to use 1/2 since I plan on doing 10gal boils down the line, but will be mainly doing 5gal.

In another thread I had posted, it was suggested to me to use 3/8 since the 3/8 will have more contact area and would be more efficient in getting the wort down to pitching temps.

*editing my statement above since I'm not sure if this info is 100% true or not, just what i was told by someone on the forum. I would tend to think the 50' might cool better just because of increased flow of cool water over that of a 3/8 tube. Either way, i choose 3/8 for possible better cooling, ability to convert it to a CFC later, and saved me a few bucks.

I'm confused about that claim. I'm sure there was some other qualifier in there because 1/2" clearly has more surface area than 3/8".

I've switched over to a plate chiller but, IIRC it's more to do with the contact area "inside" the tube rather than outside.

Sure the 1/2 hgas more surface area on the outside tha does the 3/8 but it also holds more volume in the section than the 3/8 and unless the copper is convoluted the x-fer through the volume in the 1/2 is less efeicient than the 3/8.

i.e., the middle part of the water in the 1/2 moves too fast to completely exchange the heat as opposed to the 3/8. Umm, according to my Fluid Thermodynamics Guide for Dummies.

Yeah, I get radial stratification and all, but I highly doubt this is an issue in a 50' run. Although testing it would be incredibly difficult, I can't imagine the center core of a 3/8" diameter outflow being much cooler than the surrounding water on the output of a 50' chiller. You can also flow the water much faster through 3/8"ID over 1/4" ID which will speed the chilling.

I think cost is the only reason to stick with 3/8.

Bobby_M said:

Yeah, I get radial stratification and all, but I highly doubt this is an issue in a 50' run. Although testing it would be incredibly difficult, I can't imagine the center core of a 3/8" diameter outflow being much cooler than the surrounding water on the output of a 50' chiller. You can also flow the water much faster through 3/8"ID over 1/4" ID which will speed the chilling.

I think cost is the only reason to stick with 3/8.

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I hear ya'. But I still got crap cooling times out of my 50 - 3/8 even with a prechiller. I am thrilled with my new plate but the unknown of when it's going to plug up on me makes me paranoid.

Bobby_M said:

I'm confused about that claim. I'm sure there was some other qualifier in there because 1/2" clearly has more surface area than 3/8".

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this is how it was explained to me... still didn't make perfect sense to me though and i honestly still think that 1/2 would probably cool a tad bit better/faster.

3/8" would have more conctact area with the wort than 1/2" the smaller then the more contact as the volume of wort per square inch of copper is lower.

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FWIW, I ended up going with 3/8 because of 1) cost and 2) if i decide to make it into a CFC later, i have a good size to start with and would only need a few small things to convert it. If it does somehow cooler better than 1/2, great, if not, oh well. I'm sure the difference is neglible on a 5gal boil and most definitely better than my current ice baths. (i decided to edit my previous post as i don't want to be spreading any false info)

I just got done ordering from then as well. Went with the 50' of 1/2" Let cha all know how it works when I get it all put together. This is the last peace I needed befor going to all grain so Im pretty excited.

I built an IC from tubing I bought at this very place. It was so easy... only took a few mins and a couple of parts to put together. The copper bent so easily that I didn't need to bend it "around" anything. And it was the same cost as buying an IC that was half the size. And I get awesome cooling times with 3/8" so I have no complaints but it's probably cause my tap water is COLD.

xumbi said:

Yes, I selected "refrigeration" for "tubing type".

Someone described the difference between refrigeration and "type k" and "type l" in another thread, and the bottom line was homebrewers don't want those.

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Nothing wrong with type K or L, just unnecessary to spend the extra money for this type of application.

I'm excited to finally do my CFC

I'm going to go with 50' 1/2" an make the immersion whirlpool chiller a la mr. malty. I'll post details for anyone interested

One more vote for coppertubingsales.com. I paid almost exactly the same for 50' of 3/8" tubing from them as I did for 30' from my local hardware store, and delivery was very quick. I think I'll use the 30' to make a CFC. I hate this whole beer thing.:rockin:

sigmund said:

I hate this whole beer thing.:rockin:

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you too huh

tubing came yesterday, oooooh shiney, going to build the CFC this weekend!

Bobby_M said:

I'm confused about that claim. I'm sure there was some other qualifier in there because 1/2" clearly has more surface area than 3/8".

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Its a surface area to volume ratio + fluid movment thing. To keep from getting TOO complicated, a smaller diameter has more surface area for the amout of volume, increasing heat transfer efficency. However if you get too small, the increased resistance to flow will also lower the ability to transfer heat efficently. So pretty much 3/8 gets the best of both worlds.

Well we get into the debate of chilling efficiency pretty regularly here but it really helps to know the end goal. If you want to chill using the least amount of water, surface area and surface area:volume does matter (as does length). In this case, I like 3/8" x 50'. If you want to chill as fast as possible, faster flow and higher absolute surface area wins. That's where I like 1/2" x 50'.

The main difference between the two, in my guestimate, is that the water coming out of a 3/8" coil will be a little closer to the wort temp when it went in. On the 1/2", you'll get slightly cooler water because it wasn't in contact for as long.

In any case, the difference is probably minimal, just like the price difference. 1/2" wins hands down in rigidity though. I've seen some gnarly bird's nest 3/8" chillers before.

First off to keep on topic, I love coppertubingsales and got 50' of 3/8 from them a while back (I still have 25' i need to do something with).

As for the stability issues with 3/8... I soldered my output pipe (from the bottom) up the coil and then soldered a copper 14 gauge wire along the other side and it's quite rigid.

If I built another one I would not use solder though, it seems to turn colors I don't really like (it is new plumbing solder, no lead), so I'd just get 4 pieces of 14 gauge wire and wrap each coil, up to the next, wrap that one etc and I know that would be enough rigidity.

I just got my order yesterday. I ordered it friday and was here by wednesday. I used the paypal option because of the lack of encryption. One thing to make sure you notice is that the 100 foot rolls are more expensive then 2 50 feet rolls and the cheapest shipping is for 1 roll. I tried to order multiple rolls of tubing for my store but it was actually cheaper to just buy one roll multiple times. Just a heads up if you were tryine to get a couple of them.

I finally found some time to build my chiller! Dear god is it hideous!






Unfortunately I don't have a corny keg, so I had to use the closest thing available, a 5 gal sanke. The diameter is definitely larger, but the coil fits into my turkey fryer just fine.

The process would have been much easier with two people, but it should get the job done.

I'm currently soaking it in some PBW to clean it, has anyone else used PBW to clean an IC?

Does anyone drain the water after use? I'm guessing that would be close to impossible.

xumbi said:

Does anyone drain the water after use? I'm guessing that would be close to impossible.

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just blow through one end when you are done?

xumbi: How many feet is that? Have you tested it to see how quickly it can cool a boil?

GeorgeH said:

xumbi: How many feet is that? Have you tested it to see how quickly it can cool a boil?

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It's 50' of 3/8" tubing. I haven't had a chance to test it yet.

After hearing the positive feedback I went ahead and ordered 50ft of 3/8" today for my soon-to-be HERMS setup.

xumbi said:

I finally found some time to build my chiller! Dear god is it hideous!

Unfortunately I don't have a corny keg, so I had to use the closest thing available, a 5 gal sanke. The diameter is definitely larger, but the coil fits into my turkey fryer just fine.

The process would have been much easier with two people, but it should get the job done.

I'm currently soaking it in some PBW to clean it, has anyone else used PBW to clean an IC?

Does anyone drain the water after use? I'm guessing that would be close to impossible.

Click to expand...

I got to use my IC for the first time this weekend! I brewed BierMuncher's centennial blonde.

It brought the wort down from boiling to 70 degrees in 6 minutes! Hooray for super cold tap water!

How did you connect the vinyl tubbing to the ends of the copper tubbing? Looks like you used a pipe clamp. Is that tight enough? Does the clamp crush copper tubbing opening?

jiffybrew said:

How did you connect the vinyl tubbing to the ends of the copper tubbing? Looks like you used a pipe clamp. Is that tight enough? Does the clamp crush copper tubbing opening?

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i just used a hose clamp. no leaks here. not sure if it would crush the tube or not, but i don't think you need to get medieval on it. just snug it up.

Don't forget to snug it up prior to each use. The heat softens the vinyl tubing making the clamp looser and looser over time. It will eventually leak if you're not careful. After a few tightenings/uses, you'll want to cut the end of the vinyl tubing off and reclamp the fresh piece.

Thanks! What part did you use to connect the faucet to the vinyl tube? Did you also use a hose clamp for that too?

I have a garden hose connection on mine that i attached with a hose clamp as well.

jiffybrew said:

Thanks! What part did you use to connect the faucet to the vinyl tube? Did you also use a hose clamp for that too?

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I found a 3/8" to garden hose adapter at Lowe's for about $7. Kinda pricey, but it's the perfect fit.

Now I just need to find a garden hose adapter for my kitchen sink... This last batch I did I just used the outside faucet, but I'd like to have the option to do it inside.

xumbi said:

I found a 3/8" to garden hose adapter at Lowe's for about $7. Kinda pricey, but it's the perfect fit.

Now I just need to find a garden hose adapter for my kitchen sink... This last batch I did I just used the outside faucet, but I'd like to have the option to do it inside.

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Search a homebrew store site (like morebeer.com) for "hose" and you can find a male hose barb to fit tubing for about $3. They also have adapters for hose-to-kitchen sink.

I'm going to build my IC out of 3/8" copper and vinyl tubing tomorrow; we'll see...