+1, although I got mine before the Shirron came out. Now I would get a Shirron (or maybe 2 for two-stage ice water chilling lagers). A Therminator costs as much as 2 Shirrons.
Immersion coil made with 30 ft of 5/8 copper, circulating ice water with a sump pump.
I no-chill in 5gal HDPE jugs. (I can’t believe I’m the first to say that in this thread!) 
I’ve got a 25’ 3/8 immersion chiller. My well water is pretty chilly even in the summer (I live on the side of a mountain in Maine!) so as long as I constantly stir, I can drop 10 gallons from boiling to low 60s in 30 minutes.
I’ve been looking into a plate chiller for awhile, but I think I might just get a pump and rig up a whirlpool setup a la Jamil. I’m sure it’ll work quicker, plus I won’t have to sit there and stir.
Today was the first brew with my home made 50’ 1/2"
immersion chiller. Took 5.5 gallons down to 70degrees F
in 10 minutes. ;D
I use a home made 50’ 3/8" double coil.
Not much, if you talk to them about it you may make some new friends in the process. I have traveled with 6 pin locks and a friend of my did the same with a chiller, and a bunch of kegging hardware. It is kind of fun to see them panic a bit when they see all that metal. But show and explain, they are chill out. <-pun intended…
I was once prohibited through security because I had a spark plug socket in my brief case. I guess they thought I was going to crawl out on the wing, in mid flight, and remove the plugs from the jet engines. :
stranger things have happened
More beer 25’ 3/8 wirlpool IC.
I have the 3/8" x 25’ IC that I started out with and still use for 5-gallon batches, and also have a 1/2" x 50’ IC I built for 10-gallon batches. I chill to around 80F with tap water, then switch to recirculating ice water to get down to pitching temps. I’m hoping to add a pump soon (hear that Santa?) so I can whirlpool while chilling.
50’ IC prechiller hooked up to a therminator. on the wort side, the wort runs through the therminator and then through a post-chiller (25’ copper coil in an icebath).
Yes it is complex and crazy and perhaps Rube Goldberg-ish, but I have freaking >80df groundwater most of the year.
Using this method, I can get my 12gal of wort below 60df within 20min and aerate and pitch for ales immediately after I dump the CB, or only have to wait about 6 hours to get it below 50df for lagers.
Blatz - 80 degree ground water :o
Wow that is warm water. I guess it’s the region you reside in. :-\
Whereabouts in Florida do you live?
I use a 50’ 1/2" copper immersion chiller. Seems to work great in getting the temperature down in a 15-20 minute time period.
yeah - its not always 80, - during the so-called Fall and Winter months, it can be ~70.
I live in the Palm Beach Gardens/Jupiter area which is about 80 miles north of Miami, to give you a reference point.
Nuff said…but I will envy you in January when we’re all frozen up North
This may be the largest IC I’ve ever seen…
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/massive_wort_cooler.html
That is cool. I want one.
That’s what I call a real 6-pack chiller Denny
I’m sure it cools fast, but you’re going to need a lot of head space in your kettle to allow for the wort displacement when you drop that bad boy in.
The website says he uses it in a 22 gal. kettle, but there are no pics of it in action.