Will this work? Three way ball valve

[gregkeller]

So I'm trying to streamline my system, but also allow for the most variability to "play" with my process. Most of what I'm looking to play around with is at flameout and after.

Here is how I'm currently set up:
Boil Kettle --> Pump --> Duda Plate chiller

I'm adding a hop back to the equation, which will go between pump and chiller.

Here's what I'm wondering, has anyone had experience using a 3 way ball valve between the pump and hop back, and possibly another one after the hopback. I'd like to add the ability to whirlpool without running through the plate chiller, so the one output from the 3 way valve would go to a whirlpool return on the kettle the other to the hop back. This would let me kill the flame, recirculate to get hot break to settle. I'm currently using a stainless hop spider and pellets. I'd love to not have to use this, but I'm always worried about it clogging. In a perfect world, I'd like to run a whirlpool with flameout hops loose in the kettle, then let that settle after a 10-15 minute spin cycle. By that time the wort would probably be down to a 180-150 temp, then go direct through the hopback and chiller and into the fermenter. I do not trust that I'd filter out enough pellet hop material by whirlpooling and hoping the hopback filtered out enough.

Ideas? Thought? am I looking for too much? I keep going back and forth to swapping the plate chiller for a convoluted counterflow to reduce my fears of clogging, but man that plate chiller is awesome at chilling fast.

 

[Dland]

The solution I came up with for very similar process is to gravity BK contents after whirlpool into another kettle(I use my mash tun, after dumping spent grain & rinse).

I put post boil hops in kettle and let steep some. Then pump from that kettle though plate cooler and into fermentor. Usually it is 190-200F when it goes into hop back, but could wait until a little cooler if hop oil conversion not wanted. Usually around 180F by the time it hits the plate cooler.

The slow gravity feed from BK to hop back kettle allows almost all BK trub(hot break and pellet hops) to be left behind in BK, I usually use leaf hops in bag or hop spider for post boil hops, so none gets into cooler, and MT false bottom acts as yet another filter.

I agree that plate chiller is most efficient, and above method works to keep it clean. Your idea probably would work too.

 

[augiedoggy]

I use 3 way valves in both my home and nano system, also use plate chillers in both. no issues with either. For my home setup I use two large hop spiders. I tried whirlpooling and using one of the large inline triclamp filters and it was a disaster wasting a lot of beer. the larger hop spiders result in no noticeable difference in hop utilization vs free flowing on my brew partners propane setup.

in the 3bbl nano we use hop bags. we also do the whirlpool because much goes through the bags. it seems to work until we get down to the bottom which makes me wonder if some sort of trub trapper device will work though ive not seen any large enough.

I use a totally independents pump and lines for my whirlpool though on the 3bbl setup than the chilling lines.