counter flow chiller sanitizing and storage.

[DustinHickey]

Hello. I have just fi ished building my new chiller and pump stand and have a few questions on sanitizing and maintaining it.

I am planning on pumping iodifor solution through it from a bucket and back to the bucket before hooking up to the kettle for use because i was woried about pumping hot wort through it and back to the kettle because i didnt wasnt to have to stand there and hold the hose in the kettle. Do you guys think this would be ok?

If i were to pump hot wort through it, how long should i let it circulate before chilling?

Also, when storing it, do you guys keep iodine solution in the coil like the manufacturer insists or do you just clean it and store empty?

Thanks, dustin

 

[bob1852]

Here's what I do (not saying it's right, just what I do).

I'm just doing gravity fed, so while I'm mashing, I heat up ~1 gallon of water in the kettle to boiling. I run the boiling water through the CFC without the hose on. After most of the water goes through it, I put red plastic caps on the copper (like they have at the hardware store on their copper).

When it comes time to chill the wort, I hook up the lines and hose and let the remainder of the water drain onto ground until wort is coming out. I put all of the wort in the bucket.

During clean up, I again run ~1-2 gallons of boiling water through the CFC, then I finish it off with a iodophor solution, and cap with the red caps.

Come the next brew day, I repeat. So far so good.

 

[JohnMc]

I store mine empty, but it's one of the all copper ones, so I can boil it or bake it to sterilize/sanitize it.

 

[DustinHickey]

Thanks guys,

Anyone know how long to circulate boiling wort through it before chilling if I choose to go that route?

 

[JohnMc]

Dustin, same amount of time as needed to sanitize an immersion chiller assuming it's clean, 15 minutes, give or take.

 

[Wayne1]

You might want to read through this thread. While it is specifically about plate heat exchangers, it contains very useful information that can be directly transferred to cleaning and sanitizing counter flow chillers.