CFC sizing and Whirlpooling q's

[kc.rkitek]

Hi all. I’m planning for an eBIAB system (62qt vessel, 5-10 gallon batch size) in the future and I’m trying decide if a 25’ X 1/2” copper X 3/4” rubber hose CFC makes sense for the system. The other option I’m considering is a 25’ X 3/8” copper X 1/2” rubber hose CFC. I’m sure some of you will try to sell me on a IC…I have a 1/2" X 50’ IC already and may consider using it, but unless you see a serious defect in the plan I’m proposing below, please humor me on the CFC concept if you would. Currently, I’m planning on recirculating boiling wort through the CFC a little while to sanitize before chilling. Optimally (I think), the process would go something like this…

10-15 min before end of boil, recirculate through CFC and whirlpool arm to sanitize:

Kettle -> 24V DC pump -> 1/2” ball valve -> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks ->1/2” CFC w/o water running-> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks -> 1/2" whirlpool arm.

After boil, continue to whirlpool, turn on CFC water to chill and gather hops/hot break/cold break into cone on kettle floor:

Kettle -> 24V DC pump -> 1/2” ball valve -> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks -> 1/2" CFC w/ water running-> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks -> 1/2" whirlpool arm.

After whirlpooling and wort is chilled to pitching temp, turn off CFC water, stop pump, close BV, wait for hops/break material to settle for around 5-10 minutes, disconnect second hose from whirlpool cane and place in SS mesh colander over fermentation vessel, open BV, and start pump to transfer wort:

Kettle -> 24V DC pump -> 1/2”ball valve -> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks -> 1/2" CFC w/o water running-> 1/2” ID silicone hose w/ camlocks -> SS mesh colander/fermentation vessel.

Does this sound like a reasonably good chilling/whirlpooling routine? Should I instead be chilling as I transfer to the fermentation vessel instead of while whirlpooling and let the cold break material into the ferm vessel? If that’s the case, is a 3/8” CFC a better option so I can constrict the flow besides with just the BV and get the wort to pitching temp after a single pass through the 25’ CFC?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

 

[dyqik]

There's no need to continue chilling the wort in the kettle once the wort coming out of the CFC is at pitching temps (I use an inline thermometer to check this, made from a tee and one of brewhardware's 1/2" nsp probe thermometer adapters). I whirpool to that point, then switch the pump off briefly, connect a hose with a male camlock barb to the hose that was connected to the whirlpool arm, and run that hose to the fermenter (I have a spray aerator fitting on the other end of that hose).

I realize you may be trying to keep trub out of the fermenter - on my 5 gal system with a 3/8" inner pipe 25' CFC, the temperature in the kettle is around 120F when the CFC output gets to pitching temps if I restrict the cooling water to reduce the amount of cooling water used, and I figure all the coldbreak has formed in the kettle and much of it is dropping into the whirlpool cone at that point anyway. Certainly there's plenty on the bottom of the kettle when it's nearly empty.