plate chiller be gone

I have a two zone plate chiller that I have used for many years. It works well, using cold water through one zone and glycol through the other to chill my wort. The problem is the thing is a pain to clean and a real weak link in my system. I run boiling acid and caustic through it. I run hot Oxyclean through it, but I never can see inside it. Additionally, all that cleaning takes a huge amount of time and energy. So I have changed its use. I have gone back to an immersion chiller in the brew kettle while I whirlpool. I use the plate chiller as a means to chill my water going into the immersion chiller. I can get the water right down to freezing and get a good, quick chill, even down to lager temps. The two big benefits are ease of sanitation and leaving cold break in the kettle where it belongs.

Brewpastor said:

The two big benefits are ease of sanitation and leaving cold break in the kettle where it belongs.

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I think I achieve this goal with a grant pre-filter. Of course, cold break is still generated within the chiller itself but since I recirculate to sanitize and then drive the bulk down to pitch temp all the while passing the wort through the filter media (rice hulls) the break gets trapped before it makes a return trip through the PC.

My only indication that this is working is by comparison of the clarity of the caustics I use to clean before I began using the fileter and after. Prior to the grant, the cleaning solution I'd flush out of the chiller after brewday was nearly as cruddy as the wort on the kettle. Now, after the residual wort is pushed out by loading the chiller with cleaner, the effluent is as clear coming out as it was going in.

GilaMinumBeer said:

I think I achieve this goal with a grant pre-filter. Of course, cold break is still generated within the chiller itself but since I recirculate to sanitize and then drive the bulk down to pitch temp all the while passing the wort through the filter media (rice hulls) the break gets trapped before it makes a return trip through the PC.

My only indication that this is working is by comparison of the clarity of the caustics I use to clean before I began using the fileter and after. Prior to the grant, the cleaning solution I'd flush out of the chiller after brewday was nearly as cruddy as the wort on the kettle. Now, after the residual wort is pushed out by loading the chiller with cleaner, the effluent is as clear coming out as it was going in.

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That is great. Sounds like a really good regiment. How is your grant configured (gravity feed and pump out?). Will love to hear the details.

So bp, no more glycol in your chilling regiment?

I still use it in a couple ways. I use it with my fermenter and I use it to cool my chilling water. Like I said earlier, I run the chilling water through my plate chiller on its way to the immersion chiller. While I am doing this I run glycol through the second zone of the plate chiller.

Aha, I gotcha. Seems brilliant, boosted cooling power ofa plate chiller but still able to whirlpool hop during the cycle. All this and the prev mentioned cold break, what's not to like?

philrose said:

Aha, I gotcha. Seems brilliant, boosted cooling power ofa plate chiller but still able to whirlpool hop during the cycle. All this and the prev mentioned cold break, what's not to like?

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Only took me 4 years to figure that one out! I really am happy with the system.

Brewpastor said:

That is great. Sounds like a really good regiment. How is your grant configured (gravity feed and pump out?). Will love to hear the details.

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Yes. Gravity fed from the kettle to the grant and then pumped out of the grant through the chiller and back into the kettle or into the fermenter when the temps are right.

I load the grant with rice hulls and recirculo-sanitize with the hot wort before turning on the chill water which is then continually recirculated until the kettle temp is down to 140 and the wort out of the chiller is at pitch temp.

A bit spendy but, was the best solution I could devise to keep my PC in service and stay away from in kettle screens, bags, or balls. All of which didn't measure up for me in terms of ease of use/cleaning.

The Grant: A B3 hopback fitted with TC and a vegetable steamer basket for a secondary screen (used to keep the filter media compressed).



The chiller: Sabco Chill-Wizard aka Therminator coupled to a March 809.



All connected:

philrose said:

what's not to like?

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Spending hundreds on efficient methods of chilling only to have it plug up with cold break or, the unknown. there is just no way to know beyond a reasonable doubt how well a brazed PC is getting cleaned.

Thus, you quickly find yourself resorting to the use of strong caustics to minimize potential clogs but then struggle with the added expense and risk associated with the use and storage. I bought 4 gallons of Acid Number 5 to get a price break on Hazmat shipping and not a day goes by that I don't worry about someone or something getting into it by mistake. It is an amazing cleaner but I hate how caustic it is.

And plate and frame chillers custom made to a similar size as a therminator or equal cost in the thousands.

Nice looking set-up and your garage is WAY too clean

Brewpastor said:

Nice looking set-up and your garage is WAY too clean

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Hahaha. It's a brewhouse dammit! There just happens to be enough room for two cars after the brewery is cleaned and tucked away.

You must drive sub-compacts.

and you have way to many kegs.

buzzkill said:

and you have way to many kegs.

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No, he has too many EMPTY kegs!

Brewpastor said:

You must drive sub-compacts.

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Ha. Nope. Volvo V40 for the wife and a GMC 2500HD Sierra for me.

buzzkill said:

and you have way to many kegs.

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NEVER!

Brewpastor said:

No, he has too many EMPTY kegs!

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Guilty as charged. But aspiring to brew-off the charges.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Spending hundreds on efficient methods of chilling only to have it plug up with cold break or, the unknown. there is just no way to know beyond a reasonable doubt how well a brazed PC is getting cleaned.

Thus, you quickly find yourself resorting to the use of strong caustics to minimize potential clogs but then struggle with the added expense and risk associated with the use and storage. I bought 4 gallons of Acid Number 5 to get a price break on Hazmat shipping and not a day goes by that I don't worry about someone or something getting into it by mistake. It is an amazing cleaner but I hate how caustic it is.

And plate and frame chillers custom made to a similar size as a therminator or equal cost in the thousands.

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Great thoughts, totally agree.

I ment whats not to like about brew pastors (new) setup, which seems to address these issues by taking the wort out of the chiller all together.

Btw gila, your solution is pretty sweet, I would have never thought of using a hopback with rice hulls as a grant. Great repurpose there!:rockin:

Brewpastor said:

The two big benefits are ease of sanitation and leaving cold break in the kettle where it belongs.

Click to expand...

Question for ya. How long do you leave cold break to settle before moving to fermenter?

I whirlpool while I chill, using pump and CFC recirc back to BK, but I have no feel for how long I need to let things settle as I've never done any kind of experiment and by that point I am usually itching to get things finished up.

Randar said:

Question for ya. How long do you leave cold break to settle before moving to fermenter?

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It takes maybe 15 minutes of whirlpool chilling to get my kettle down to temp (25 gallons from boiling to 65 or so). When it is at temp I stop the recirculation pump and let the whirlpool stop, drop and settle out. That is generally about 15 - 20 minutes. Again I am dealing with 25 gallons in a large, bowled kettle. "Your result might vary."

Brewpastor said:

It takes maybe 15 minutes of whirlpool chilling to get my kettle down to temp (25 gallons from boiling to 65 or so). When it is at temp I stop the recirculation pump and let the whirlpool stop, drop and settle out. That is generally about 15 - 20 minutes. Again I am dealing with 25 gallons in a large, bowled kettle. "Your result might vary."

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Well I am doing 15 gal and it takes me about 15 min to get down to 65, so very similar in general. You leave 15-20 min to just sit and settle? I definitely have been too impatient thus far if that's what it takes! Guess it's time to try a 15 min settle time and see if there is a noticeable difference...

You need a step ladder to read your temp gauges?

wildwest450 said:

You need a step ladder to read your temp gauges?

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No. For that I use the binoculars. The ladder is so I can reach the valves and to program the controller.

Brewpastor said:

I have a two zone plate chiller that I have used for many years. It works well, using cold water through one zone and glycol through the other to chill my wort. The problem is the thing is a pain to clean and a real weak link in my system. I run boiling acid and caustic through it. I run hot Oxyclean through it, but I never can see inside it. Additionally, all that cleaning takes a huge amount of time and energy. So I have changed its use. I have gone back to an immersion chiller in the brew kettle while I whirlpool. I use the plate chiller as a means to chill my water going into the immersion chiller. I can get the water right down to freezing and get a good, quick chill, even down to lager temps. The two big benefits are ease of sanitation and leaving cold break in the kettle where it belongs.

Click to expand...

I know I'm reviving an older thread, but what size immersion chiller do you have that allows you to cool 25g in 15 minutes. I currently use a plate chiller and always worry about how clean it really is. I would be all for using the plate chiller as a pre chiller.