Does anyone know what size tubing fits best on a standard immersion chiller made from 3/8" copper tubing?
Can you force 5/16" on there or is it better to just use 3/8"?
If you warmed up the 5/16 it ‘might’ go over but you would be better off going with the 3/8 .
I just made my first chiller from 3/8" copper. Used a 3/8" ID vinyl tube. It was loose enough that a hose clamp would not seal up tight. I put a few winds of teflon tape around the copper and then shoved the tube on and clamped it. This sealed it up well. Will be kind of a pain if I take it apart to drain on a regular basis though.
Why drain it? Unless you store it in freezing conditions, just leave it be.
I did mine with compression fittings
I soldered on hose barb garden hose fittings.
Just dip the smaller ID diameter tubing in boiling water for a few seconds and then stretch it out with needle nose pliers or scissors. Work it over the copper and you’ll probably won’t even need hose clamps though I’d use them anyway…
One good reason is when you next put that in a boiling pot of wort, that residual water will steam up and get ya. (at least that’s why I drained my IC, when I used one.)
Got ya! Spitting chillers can be dangerous indeed.
These days my chiller has hose fittings and I hook the hoses up before I put it in the kettle. When I used chiller with vinyl tubing, I would but the ends in a bucket.
Mine had garden hose fittings, I wouldn’t hook up until ready.