cleaning and storing chiller

[yeoldebrewer]

I know the questions in this post have been answered many times over somewhere on HBT. Hope the forum doesn't mind me asking again.

I used an immersion chiller and pre-chiller for the first time last night. IT'S GREAT!

-What is the best way to clean the chiller after use?
-Do you also clean the chiller before each use?
-How do you store the wet chiller after use?

Thanks

 

[Hammy71]

I'm pretty lax when it comes to my immersion chiller (50ft). I figure a good 15-20 minutes in the boil is better than any scrubbing I can do. I usually spray the thing off with my garden hose after the brew is done. I use a hop/bag so there's usually very little material on the coils. I invert the chiller and blow the excess water out. I then place it in an old "ale pale" and sit it in the basement. That's it..... I know that others scrub the hell outta theirs but, this has worked for me just fine. Is this the best way? Probably not. It's no longer shiny or pretty, but it's practical...and that's good enough for me.

 

[rico567]

You got it, "Hammy71":

After use: I rinse it off with the hose and put it away until next time.

Next use: I rinse any dust off with the hose and throw it in the wort. The acid wort will then very nicely clean up the copper and make it bright again.

Repeat......

 

[JesseRC]

Most of the things I use on Brewday get a quick rinse with the garden hose immediately after using. This seems to be all I do. Even buckets, MLT, spoons and hoses that I use pre-post boil only get a rinse immediately after using. I haven't had to use any scouring pad or detergent on either.

All of my racking tubes and hose also just get a quick rinse and then a dip in star san. I rarely have to use detergent or dishcloths , except on the kettle. I find the key is to do it immediately after use.

 

[Hammy71]

"immediately after use"

Yes....THAT is the key!

 

[Montanaandy]

I try to rinse it off immediately after the wort has cooled. If I am on top of my game I have a 5 gal food grade bucket filled with Star San waiting that I put the IC and the other brewing related things that need to be sanitized and allow them to soak for a while. Montanaandy

 

[Hammy71]

I don't even waste star-san on my chiller. 15 minutes boiling time will kill almost anything....

 

[Revvy]

One thing, don't forget guys, it to get the water out of the coils as best you can. Especially if you live in cold climes and store it outside.

Decojuicer taught many of us that lesson back in Jan.

Well, today was going great. I was brewing my Scwartzbeir, which is SWMBO's favorite beer. I was trying out a few new things with hopes for a much higher efficiency. My time management was great, and then tragedy struck.

While I was cooling the wort down to pitch the yeast, I went to start dumping the sanitizer out of my carboy and my ale pale. I happened to walk by the kitchen door and look out side to see me brew kettle over flowing all over the porch. I raced outside, and sure enough, my brew kettle was flooding. I yanked the wort chiller out, and sure enough there was a split in the bottom most coil. Needless to say, I wasn't happy at all. I threw the wort chiller across the back yard and yelled a certain 4 letter word. I went in and grabbed a hydrometer and took a reading...1.005. A whole freakin 10 gallon batch of beer ruined. Twenty-three pounds of grain and 3 ounces of hops poured out it the grass.

I am ready to chew nails right now.

I still have the yeast, so I may give it another go tomorrow. I'll have to see if I have the hops and if I can get over to the LHBS.

SOme folks use a compressor, I've used my O2 can from aeration to clear it as well....and if you aren't a smoker, or former one like me, you COULD just put blow it out yourself.

 

[Fingers]

Yup, 15 minutes in the boil kettle. All the hot water from the chiller is collected in my HLT and everything that needs to be cleaned up goes in there. I wind up with about 12 gallons of hot water for cleaning.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I also put the IC in the kettle with about 20 minutes left to sanitize

Afterwards:
Invert the IC and let all excess water drain out
Spray with garden hose
Set on top of propane burner to dry (burner not lit of course)

After about 30 batches mine got a little discolored but a PBW soak, rinse, then StarSan soak (for the acid, not the sanitizing) made it all shiny again.

 

[bendavanza]

I put the hot water from the IC in my (emptied) mash tun, and when the wort is chilled, I put the IC in the hot water to soak off any gunk, then hose off and hang to dry. I hose it off before the next brew.

 

[JoeIsbell]

I actually rinse mine off and then put it in the dish washer

 

[yeoldebrewer]

Thanks for great suggestions.

I think the only gap in my process is clearing residual water frome the inside of the IC. I did turn both it and the pre-chiller upside down to drain. But there is no doubt still plenty of moisture still inside.

My stove is a ceramic top electric, so maybe I could just set the chiller coil on a burner at medium heat to clear remaining water. Compressed air would be ideal.

 

[JesseRC]

I dont clear all my water out. It's just water and probably pretty clean. As long as you're not storing the chiller at freezing temps, you'll be fine. I found an old water hose under my deck that had been sitting there for 10 years. I cut it into pieces and I was surprised that the inside of the hose was completely white with still water in it and no mold. The chiller gets boiled frequently and only has water in it, just do you best to drain it so it doesnt spill when you put it away and that's it.

 

[JoeIsbell]

I dont clear all my water out. It's just water and probably pretty clean. As long as you're not storing the chiller at freezing temps, you'll be fine.

Same for me, I understand where you are coming from tho, I had the same worry at first. In my first batch using my wort chiller (which i got it used off craigslist) there was a poor seal between the tube and the chiller itself and the hose shot off when i turned it on (i think the steam in the boil loosened it up). So to my horror unsanitized tap water which had been run through a well-used wort chiller went into my cooling wort. I was pretty worried, but as I had just turned on the water, i quickly turned it off and reattached it.

When all was said and done, my oatmeal stout came out just fine .

 

[Hammy71]

Another reason for draining your chiller is to not get scalded. When I've been lax on clearing the water and I drop the chiller in the boiling wort....within a minute a gush of boiling water is expelled from the hose connection. I brew in my garage so not a big deal but I always make sure I point the connections out and I don't walk in front of them.

 

[JesseRC]

Another reason for draining your chiller is to not get scalded. When I've been lax on clearing the water and I drop the chiller in the boiling wort....within a minute a gush of boiling water is expelled from the hose connection. I brew in my garage so not a big deal but I always make sure I point the connections out and I don't walk in front of them.

I always look forward to the steam and water shooting out.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I rinse mine off within 10 mintues after using and let the water drain out over the sink. That's all I do. When I go to use it again I figure having it filled with air rather than water lets the boil come back up much quicker as it's much easier to heat an IC filled with air compared to water.

 

[yeoldebrewer]

The more I hear, the more I'm liking using an immersion chiller.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

The more I hear, the more I'm liking using an immersion chiller.

Do you chill now or partial boil? What type of chiller do you have now if you do have one? Immersion chillers might not be the most efficient option but I think they require the least amount of work during the brew day which is nice.

 

[yeoldebrewer]

I'm stuck with doing partial boils indoors. And my tap water is too warm to use without a pre-chiller. But from what I've seen so far, the IC still beats cooling wort in the sink.

We were discussing removal of water from the inside of the coils after use and another possible 'plus' of this setup occurred to me. Bugs don't like to grow on a copper surface.