Glycol chillers – cooling fermenters for homebrewers and breweries

A glycol chiller cools a mix of water and propylene glycol and pumps it through the cooling jacket or coil of your fermenter. That lets you hold fermentation temperature, cold crash and control several tanks from one chiller. Here you will find glycol chillers from Grainfather, Quantor and Lindr, along with glycol, pumps, temperature controllers, manifolds and leak-free quick couplings.

Choosing a glycol chiller

Grainfather tanks: The Grainfather GC2 cools up to two GF30 fermenters at different temperatures, controlled over WIFI. The Grainfather GC4 cools down to 4 °C, has a 6 litre glycol reservoir and cold crashes 23 litres of beer to 4 °C in four hours. With the Glycol Chiller Adapter Kit (GCA) both work with other jacketed or coiled tanks.
Several tanks at home: The 260 W Quantor MiniChilly 03 SB Compatible was developed by Quantor for Brewshop and handles up to four 50 litre tanks with one on cold crash. The MiniChilly 05 SB Compatible is rated at 560 W.
Submersible pumps: The Lindr AS-40 Glycol Green Line was developed by Lindr and Brewshop together, for 1–3 fermenters of up to 200 litres in total. Each tank gets its own pump and controller. The AS-40 also comes with a built-in pump.
Breweries: Quantor Chilly M-LT, IceChilly and Chilly MAX are made to order. The Chilly 25 M-LT is sized for up to four 500 litre tanks, and the Chilly MAX both cools and heats.

The chillers compared

Model	Power	Capacity
Grainfather GC4	300 W	Cold crash 23 litres to 4 °C in four hours
Quantor MiniChilly 03 SB Compatible	260 W	Up to 4 × 50 litres, one on cold crash
Quantor MiniChilly 05 SB Compatible	560 W	Homebrewers and small breweries
Lindr AS-40 Glycol Green Line	–	1–3 tanks, up to 200 litres in total
Quantor IceChilly 25, 35 and 45	2.35, 3.3 and 4.4 kW	Microbreweries, cideries and wineries

What else you need

Glycol: Glytherm 20 propylene glycol is mixed with water. 30 % protects down to −12 °C, 35 % to −15.5 °C and 40 % to −19 °C.
A pump and controller per tank: the Temp Control Pump Kit (Inkbird WIFI and a 12 V submersible pump) or the Quantor SB Control Kit.
Couplings: Leak-free quick couplings with a shut-off valve stop the glycol when you disconnect the hose.

The full Quantor range is on the Quantor brand page, and the brewery units are under Quantor Pro (available in Norway only).

Glycol chiller FAQ

What size glycol chiller do I need?

Count your tanks and their volume, and consider whether one tank will cold crash while the others ferment. The MiniChilly 03 SB Compatible handles four 50 litre tanks with one on cold crash, while the Chilly 25 M-LT handles four 500 litre tanks.

How often should the glycol be changed?

Grainfather recommends replacing the glycol mix every six months. A glycol refractometer shows whether the mix still has the right strength.

Can one glycol chiller cool several tanks?

Yes. Each tank then gets its own pump or solenoid valve and its own controller, so the tanks can run at different temperatures.

Do I need a jacketed fermenter?

The tank needs a cooling jacket or coil for the glycol to circulate through. For tanks without a jacket, Grainfather's GCA adapter comes with a cooling coil.