best way to clean plate chiller

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scottvin

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I have used my plate chiller on 15 brews and only cleaned it by running the garden hose through the wort in and then wort out side for a few minutes after each brew. Before each brew I do the same thing as well as dip it in starsan while I am brewing. What else should I be doing?

Does baking the plate chiller help burn off the crud from inside the chiller?

Thanks!
 
While I know manufacturers of plate chillers say that all that's needed is backflushing, I found that to be bunk. Even a nice long soak in hot PBW did not get all the gunk out of my plate chiller. The only thing that did it was baking it through a cleaning cycle, then flushing out the ash. I'm not sure it's necessary after every brew, but I would say it's needed every couple of brews for sure.
 
I shove it in the oven before each brew just to be certain there are no nasty bugs alive. In addition, I backflush before and after every brew. No need to sanitize if you stick it in the oven. It's pretty much sterilized at that point (As long as you've left it in long enough).

Even if there is gunk remaining, it's probably not enough affect the taste of the beer.
 
After flushing each way, I store my whole assembly filled with Starsan.

Every now and then or when I feel it is needed, I circulate with hot PBW. It dislodges some more crud.

I've baked mine at 450 for an hour. I took all fittings and teflon tape off, including the valve for the recirculation loop, which is not something I like to do too often.
 
I usually pre-heat mine to 250 and stick it in there when it's finished. I typically leave it in there for a little bit over 15-20 minutes.
 
I flush with water both ways, recirculate hot PBW both ways, water again, then caustic sodium hydroxide both ways then water. Even after multiple flushes with PBW, I was still getting green hop debris out. After I started using caustic, it would be pure water coming out afterwards. Sodium hydroxide is pretty cheap too.
 
mpcluever said:
I flush with water both ways, recirculate hot PBW both ways, water again, then caustic sodium hydroxide both ways then water. Even after multiple flushes with PBW, I was still getting green hop debris out. After I started using caustic, it would be pure water coming out afterwards. Sodium hydroxide is pretty cheap too.
Click to expand...

That's pretty hard core
 
""While I know manufacturers of plate chillers say that all that's needed is backflushing, I found that to be bunk.""

I think that the guy that gave the directions, didn't anticipate that some one was going to fill the plates with gunk. Caused by a sloppy brewing process.
 

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