Better Choice for Post Leaf HopBack, and one pass - CFC, PC?

[Gadjobrinus]

I know in so many ways this has been beaten to death but I did search and haven't found something specific to this.

I am moving to whole leaf brewing, in stages. I am planning on inserting a whole leaf hopback after the pump, on to a chiller. I don't have the ability to gravity feed the HB and then the Chugger - I'm certain it would just cavitate badly.

I don't want to recirc wort through, for a few reasons. I would like to get from near boiling to 62F in one pass. How long that takes, within reason, is less a concern. However, the whole point for me of using the hopback is to chill down quickly to preserve aromatics. So "within reason" says, hopefully, say, 10-15 minutes?

I have never been a fan of the fact that homebrew level PC's are not gasketed and cannot be broken down. However, I know a ton of you love them. I know the Blich is possibly overpriced for its chilling ability. Duda is a possibility. Are there other good companies doing PCs?

Finally, the CFC. I don't know the chilling power of the CFC relative to the PC's. Same desire, a quick chill post HB. Here, of course, less concerned with clogging and I would likely recirc through for sanitizing.

Anyway, BK-pump-hopback (pressure capable)-chiller-FV. Many thanks.

 

[JonLaw]

I know in so many ways this has been beaten to death but I did search and haven't found something specific to this.

I am moving to whole leaf brewing, in stages. I am planning on inserting a whole leaf hopback after the pump, on to a chiller. I don't have the ability to gravity feed the HB and then the Chugger - I'm certain it would just cavitate badly.

I don't want to recirc wort through, for a few reasons. I would like to get from near boiling to 62F in one pass. How long that takes, within reason, is less a concern. However, the whole point for me of using the hopback is to chill down quickly to preserve aromatics. So "within reason" says, hopefully, say, 10-15 minutes?

I have never been a fan of the fact that homebrew level PC's are not gasketed and cannot be broken down. However, I know a ton of you love them. I know the Blich is possibly overpriced for its chilling ability. Duda is a possibility. Are there other good companies doing PCs?

Finally, the CFC. I don't know the chilling power of the CFC relative to the PC's. Same desire, a quick chill post HB. Here, of course, less concerned with clogging and I would likely recirc through for sanitizing.

Anyway, BK-pump-hopback (pressure capable)-chiller-FV. Many thanks.

I use a chugger, hop rocket to a therminator. My ground water is warm here in texas. But most days I can get to 3 degrees of my ground water in one pass. No pre chiller..

Have you looked at the :

https://jadedbrewing.com/products/the-hydra

 

[imasickboy]

I can go BK->HB->CFC->Fermentor in one pass with no issues during the winter in southeast PA. Recirculating ice water through the chiller would easily do it, as well, no matter what the groundwater temp is.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Thanks guys, helpful. John, I have looked at the hydra, quite a bit. I ended up going with 100' of 1/2" copper IC, which does the job. But here, I can't really find a way to use it, except as a prechiller as needed. I am almost certain I'll be lined up as you, with the pump before the hopback and, in my case, I again am almost positive I'm going with Stout's CFC.

Which brings up the question of pump placement. Sickboy, where is your pump set in the above line? Is your HB a pressure lidded one, or just a clamp on lid?

I'd vastly prefer to "pull" the wort out of the HB by gravity feeding the wort BK-HB-chugger, because the HB is 1/2 the price of the equivalent volume pressure lidded version. I just have so little vertical room, can't see a way to get wort from BK through HB into pump, without cavitating.

 

[imasickboy]

My pump is before the hopback.